LeafPlaza's mobile app is going open

Starting now, the LeafPlaza iOS and Android client stops being a subscriber-only tool. Anyone on the AT Protocol can log in with it, pick their server, and use it.

Why it matters

Microblogging mobile clients on ATProto have mostly stayed locked to their own network when it comes to mobile clients. LeafPlaza is breaking that pattern, betting that a better client is more valuable shared than gated.

What is changing

Login now includes a custom server picker, the same familiar pattern users already know from Bluesky. Enter your own PDS or commercial server, and the app works exactly the same as you could expect.

Why the wait

Two blockers held this back until now:

Load and stability: could the client absorb non-subscriber traffic without breaking for paying users. We believe we are in a good place where the additional users will not add a significant strain on our side.

Support: subscribers get direct support from LeafPlaza. Everyone else gets the mobile clients as they are, no support line attached. That distinction ensures it is safe and sustainable to open up.

The subscribers

Opening the client does not dilute what a LeafPlaza subscription means. Our users get a server backed by real people, direct support, reliability commitments, and a provider that does not depend on US infrastructure. The client is not the product, the client is the door.

We work on the premise that LeafPlaza subscribers will get more and more EU autonomy, privacy, and security. Users in our clients will only get the full package if they decide to migrate to a LeafPlaza account.

The new client-only users

First of all, welcome onboard. Second, you won't be particularly surprised. You will see the mobile client is very similar to Bluesky's and most settings are where you expect them. In the background, there are a couple of changes that are mostly about detaching from US tech. However, iOS is a closed system and Android is almost closed, so this is more of a never ending marathon than a short run.

The big picture

LeafPlaza's roadmap isn't one app. More ATProto clients are coming, built for tasks beyond microblogging, and some of those will be open to everyone, subscriber or not. We will follow the same logic. We move forward with four pillars: transparency, privacy, EU tech autonomy, and empowering users and creators. Microblogging is a tool in service of that, not the bottom line.

What's next

More product decisions. We already made them and we are moving forward. We will share one at the time and keep rolling. Stay tuned.