An app of their own: Why one photographer built a community for film photographers

Phaos is a new app built by a solo developer who got frustrated enough with Instagram's algorithm and lack of film-native features that she just built the thing herself — and it treats the roll as the fundamental unit, not the individual image, which is the right instinct. It's early days, around 100 users, no ads, no monetization yet, and a chronological feed that sounds almost radical in 2026. Film shooters who've been duct-taping together Instagram, WeTransfer links, and spreadsheets to manage their rolls should keep an eye on this one.