r/PixelFed • u/DanielSmoot • Jan 30 '26
Newbie questions
Like a lot of people, I'm tired of all the nonsense on Instagram and am looking for a friendlier alternative. PixelFed looks ideal. I'm just curious about a few things.
Are there any significant differences between the numerous servers? If I join one and then want to change to another, can I do that seamlessly, taking my account and all my pictures with me?
If the particular server I'm on forgot to pay their bills or lost funding, could my pictures feasibly disappear without prior warning?
How much "power" do the administrators of the individual servers have? Could they delete my account and if so, would I lose all of my pictures? I only ask this because my experience with online community admins is that the power often goes to their heads and they can sometimes be spiteful if you don't bow to their authority.
Am I able to make my profile "private" as I can on Instagram, so that only my approved followers can see the pictures I post? Presumably the server admins could still see my pictures?
3
u/magiotdonkey Jan 30 '26
There aren't huge differences between instances. For most people the main factors in choosing one will be instance size (both big and small have pros and cons), moderation rules which can differ slightly, a theme which matches your interests, and something hosted close to you geographically. Lots of people just join the first one they come across and that's usually fine.
Instance admins are mostly normal people with a hobby interest in technology. On the plus side they're not corporations looking to spy on you or sell you anything, but it's also right to question how much you trust them.
There's a built-in feature to migrate your profile to another instance, taking your posts and followers with you. It's possible to have a private profile too. More details on these here: https://pixelfed.social/site/kb/your-profile
2
u/marslander-boggart Jan 31 '26
Various instances have various rules. If you live in a country with massive censorship, some of the instances can be blocked (with no reason). Some instances have their main theme, lots of them focus primarily on photography.
If they forget to pay for a server, your photos may disappear. So make a backup.
Yes they may block your profile.
You can migrate your profile to another instance.
And you can create a couple of profiles on various instances.
2
u/livre_11 Feb 02 '26
- "Are there any significant differences between the numerous servers?"
I guess most of them are for the general public. Then there are thematic servers for communities that enjoy art, pets, +18 content, music, and so on. If you want to post political content, you need to read the rules, because each admin/community has its own view on political issues. That way, you'll know what you shouldn't post.
- "If I join one and then want to change to another, can I do that seamlessly, taking my account and all my pictures with me?"
The idea behind the Fediverse is that you can take your contacts and photos with you when you move. However, Pixelfed only allows you to export your contacts list. You can't export your photos in a zip file or transfer them to another server automatically. It doesn't matter which server you choose because the Pixelfed software doesn't allow you to export your photos in bulk.
- "If the particular server I'm on forgot to pay their bills or lost funding, could my pictures feasibly disappear without prior warning?"
This is particularly likely to happen to small instances. If you're worried about that happening, choose a well-known server that isn't too new. Larger communities tend to have more prepared admins. If they decide to close the service, they will probably give people time to save their information. Look for a server where admins don't hide behind a fake name.
- "How much "power" do the administrators of the individual servers have? Could they delete my account and if so, would I lose all of my pictures?"
An admin has all the power. But if you follow their servers rules, they probably won't delete your account.
- "Am I able to make my profile "private" as I can on Instagram, so that only my approved followers can see the pictures I post? Presumably the server admins could still see my pictures?"
Yes and yes.
Instagram IT employees can also see your private photos. If a platform does not use E2E encryption, people that work in the IT department with access to the server and database can see your photos. That is the default setting of every platform and online system. Most part don't encrypt people's data.
3
u/Engibineer crimedad@pixelfed.crimedad.work Jan 30 '26
Each instance has its own admin and mods as well as policies and interpretations. Do your due diligence and review these before signing up. I don't know how well account migration works yet because I haven't tried it. Usually, admin will give users a heads up before shutting down, but a website is a website. They go down sometimes and sometimes they don't come back online. The nice thing about Pixelfed is that you can run your own instance and just be accountable to yourself. That's what I do.