Recently-Launched Instagram Clone Removed From the App Store ⇥ techcrunch.com

Ivan Mehta, TechCrunch:

Last week, a startup called Un1feed launched an Instagram client called The OG App, which promised an ad-free and suggestion-free home feed along with features like creating custom feeds like Twitter lists. The app raked up almost 10,000 downloads in a few days, but Apple removed the app from the App Store for violating its rules earlier this week.

Separately, Un1feed said that Meta disabled all team members’ personal Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Meta didn’t specify if they asked Apple to remove the app from the App Store, but it said that the app breached its rules.

Thereby illustrating the difference between what some users value about Instagram and what Meta values. Users want to view friends’ photos and videos on their own terms; Meta wants them to watch suggested Reels and shop.

Perhaps most interesting is that Un1feed’s founders told TechCrunch earlier this week that an Instagram clone was only the first step, and the company has raised early funding. This may be a sketchy looking reverse-engineered effort, but Un1feed is establishing itself as more legitimate than it may seem at first glance.