Instagram rival Hipstamatic is back to restore old-school photo joy

Hipstamatic, one of the biggest early rivals to Instagram, has returned to the Apple App Store with a more social-focused app for photo-oriented enthusiasts. The app listing includes the declaration: “BIG NEWS: Hipstamatic now has its own social network. It’s time to photo-share like it’s 2009 again!”

The return of Hipstamatic – which was Apple’s 2010 app of the year selection – is one of several responses to the new video-centric direction of sector leader Instagram, as it responds to the popularity of TikTok. Prominent users like Kim Kardashian have criticized Instagram’s pivot. A spate of photo-centric rivals – like Dispo, the “anti-selfie” Poparazzi, Locket and BeReal – did just that.

Last summer, the Dead Pixels Society featured one of those alternatives, Glass, on the podcast. Listen below: