Microwave – Native iOS app for videos on ATproto
Hi HN — I built Microwave, a native iOS app for browsing and posting short-form videos, similar to TikTok, but implemented as a pure client on top of Bluesky / AT Protocol. There’s no custom backend: the app reads from and publishes to existing ATproto infrastructure. The goal was to explore whether a TikTok-like experience can exist as a thin client over an open social protocol, rather than a vertically integrated platform. Things I’d especially love feedback on: - Whether this kind of UX makes sense on top of ATproto - Client-only tradeoffs (ranking, discovery, moderation) - Protocol…
In plain words
Microwave is a native iOS app for browsing and posting short-form videos, built as a client on top of Bluesky and AT Protocol rather than a proprietary backend. It aims to demonstrate whether a TikTok-like experience can function as a thin client layer over an open social protocol. The app reads from and publishes to existing ATproto infrastructure without custom server infrastructure, exploring the tradeoffs of this approach for ranking, discovery, and moderation.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hi HN — I built Microwave, a native iOS app for browsing and posting short-form videos, similar to TikTok, but implemented as a pure client on top of Bluesky / AT Protocol. There’s no custom backend: the app reads from and publishes to existing ATproto infrastructure. The goal was to explore whether a TikTok-like experience can exist as a thin client over an open social protocol, rather than a vertically integrated platform. Things I’d especially love feedback on: - Whether this kind of UX makes sense on top of ATproto - Client-only tradeoffs (ranking, discovery, moderation) - Protocol limitations I may be missing - Any architectural red flags TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/cVxV1W3g
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