A/SIDE is a private social media platform designed for sharing photos, videos, and updates exclusively with friends. It offers a reverse-chronological feed with no ads, no algorithms, and no suggested posts. Users sign up via email and connect through mutual invites. The platform features end-to-end encrypted direct and group messages, though feed posts are stored by A/SIDE and are not encrypted. Independent hosting ensures core infrastructure runs outside major cloud providers. Free access includes 30 days of history, while Pro ($20/year) and Pro Family ($60/year) unlock full archives. Lists allow users to filter feeds and control post visibility. The app is open source, with public code for transparency.
A/SIDE emphasizes privacy, independence, and user control. Unlike mainstream platforms, it avoids data tracking and algorithmic curation. Voice captions can be added to posts in version 1.6 or later. Legacy messages remain unencrypted and are not retroactively secured. The service is available globally, with pricing in US dollars and regional variations. For details, visit the privacy policy or source code repository.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing