Pictures only, everywhere
Home, Local, Federated and Trending all skip posts without an image. A post boosted by three friends shows up once.
PugFed
Mastodon · iPhone · beta on TestFlight
Your fediverse,
picture first.
PugFed is a Mastodon app for iPhone that shows only posts with pictures: full-width photos, swipeable carousels and a feed made for scrolling through pictures, on the open social web.
Works with any Mastodon server · iPhone with iOS 27 or later
What it does
Only the posts worth looking at.
Text-only posts never reach your feed. Everything else is laid out like a photo app: big pictures, quick actions, no clutter.
Edge-to-edge photos
Every picture spans the screen, sized to its shape. Swipe through multi-photo posts, tap for full screen and pinch to zoom.
Like, comment, boost, save
Double-tap a photo to like it. Comments read like a conversation, and saved posts wait for you on your profile.
Share from your library
Pick a few photos, write a caption and choose who sees it. Uploads start while you type, and location data is removed first.
ALT
Alt text, front and centre
Described pictures carry an ALT badge and VoiceOver reads them aloud. When you post, each photo gets its own description.
Sensitive posts stay covered
Content warnings and sensitive media stay blurred until you tap, and the filters you set on your server are respected.
Profiles
Every profile is a gallery.
Tap anyone's name to see their picture posts as a three-column grid, newest first. Multi-photo posts are marked, and one tap opens the post with its comments.
- Follow people from any Mastodon server
- Your saved posts, one tap from your own profile
- Hashtags open their own picture feed
Familiar on the surface
Photo-app words. Mastodon underneath.
PugFed speaks the language you know from photo apps, but everything you do is an ordinary Mastodon action that reaches the whole fediverse.
Small on purpose
One thing, done well: pictures.
PugFed leaves out everything that isn't about looking at and sharing photos. For the rest, your usual Mastodon app is still there.
Video and GIF playbackCamera and filtersDirect messagesPush notificationsPollsMultiple accounts
What you need
- An iPhone running iOS 27 or later
- An account on any Mastodon server
- Some photos worth sharing
Beta
Try PugFed on TestFlight.
PugFed is in beta. You install it with TestFlight, Apple's free app for trying apps before they reach the App Store.
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Get TestFlight
Install Apple's free TestFlight app from the App Store on your iPhone.
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Open the invite
Tap the button below on your iPhone. The PugFed invite opens in TestFlight.
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Install and sign in
Install PugFed, enter your Mastodon server and log in. Your picture feed is ready.
Join the beta on TestFlight
[YOUR TESTFLIGHT LINK]
Needs an iPhone with iOS 27 or later. Beta builds expire after 90 days; TestFlight offers the next one when it's ready.
Questions
Which servers does it work with?
Any Mastodon server. You sign in on your server's own login page, in Apple's secure web sheet, so PugFed never sees your password.
What happens to posts without pictures?
They're skipped in every feed and profile grid. You'll still see them when someone replies to you or mentions you, so you never miss a conversation.
Can I post my own photos?
Yes. Pick photos from your library, add a caption and alt text, and choose Public, Quiet public or Followers. There's no camera or filters: PugFed is for sharing photos you've already taken.
Does it work on iPad?
Not for now. PugFed is designed for iPhone, in portrait.
Can I download it?
Yes, as a beta. Install Apple's TestFlight app on your iPhone, then join the PugFed beta.
Follow the pug.
Progress updates and screenshots, posted on Mastodon, naturally.
Follow on Mastodon@pixelpug@pugfed.com