There are a number of projects now underway that are focused on developing a video-first app for the open source social network Bluesky. However, one stands out from the rest: An upcoming app called Reelo isn’t building on top of the Bluesky social network, as so many others are, but is building on the underlying AT Protocol that Bluesky also uses. This allows it to differentiate itself with a broader feature set that will include support for longer videos, filters, effects, a music library, and, eventually, livestreaming.
Many apps in this space — like Bluescreen, Videos for Bluesky, and Skylight — are constrained by Bluesky’s limitations. As Bluesky was originally designed to compete with X (formerly Twitter), it doesn’t have a feature set comparable to an app like TikTok.
These limitations make room for a new type of video app powered by the AT Protocol that could interoperate with Bluesky, as Reelo does, but can also stand on its own.
Other Bluesky video apps work as a layer on top of Bluesky’s platform, explains Reelo’s Brasília-based developer, João Davi Souza Nascimento. That means they lack key features that would allow them to compete more directly with TikTok, such as creator tools and monetization.
Like other developers, João Davi initially tested the idea of building a video app for Bluesky, too. But he quickly found that it wasn’t what he had in mind.
“When I finished the first prototype using Bluesky technology, I said ‘OK, this is crap. I can do nothing with this,’” he says. After all, João Davi points out, it was more than uploading video that made TikTok work.
“It was music, effects, [and] a variety of capabilities,” he says. “Creating the video, posting the video is definitely not the most important thing. It’s making videos that catch attention.”
To address this, João Davi decided to work on a video app based on the AT Protocol, like Bluesky, but one that has its own back end, code base, and lexicon. (The latter he says refers to how the code dictates how the app’s view is delivered.)
This choice allows Reelo to support videos of up to three minutes long — longer than Bluesky — and later will allow for livestreaming. By comparison, Bluesky and other third-party video apps built on top of Bluesky are limited to Bluesky’s one-minute video support (unless the company changes that in the future.)
As a sole developer with a separate business funding his efforts, he expects it will be March before he launches Reelo to the public. (João Davi has already had some investor interest, which could speed up efforts, but nothing is confirmed as of yet.)
Reelo features a swipeable vertical video feed with familiar interaction buttons for liking, commenting, sharing, and more. To store user data, Reelo will run its own PDS (personal data server), but technical users can set up their own PDS, just as they can for Bluesky.
The app will interoperate with Bluesky so users can find their friends, but posting Reelo videos back to Bluesky could be an optional step — like a checkbox in the app’s user interface. (When cross-posting, one-minute videos could be published directly to Bluesky, but longer videos would need to be an embed.)
Also like Bluesky, Reelo could offer multiple custom feeds, including one featuring Bluesky videos, another for Reelo videos, and various topical feeds for things like Music, Dance, and more.
To monetize the app, João Davi is considering both ads and subscriptions, where revenue could be shared with creators. Premium plans may include things like livestreaming support and higher-quality video, but nothing is determined as of yet.
However, João Davi intends to make the split fair to creators. “I only need money to pay [for] the servers and whoever is working. More than that, it’s like, ‘What I do with this money?’,” he says.
Reelo isn’t yet available but will launch a signup for beta testers early this year.
