This is a smaller update compared to the last one, and most of it is about images. Specifically, the part that happens behind the scenes after you pick an image and add it to your post.
We collected a bunch of feedback and tuned the image processing pipeline to be more reliable and don't get in your way while you work on a new post. These changes should make all of that a bit more predictable.
Recent uploads and daily quota
Every account has a daily image upload allowance, and since the subscriptions launch that allowance depends on your plan. Until now, though, you couldn't see how much of it you had used. You just found out when an upload failed.
The image menu in the editor now has a Recent uploads option. It opens a panel showing how much you have uploaded today, how much is left, and your total daily allowance, with a small progress bar and a countdown to the next reset (midnight UTC).
The same panel lists the images you uploaded today, with a preview, file size, and upload time. Click Use image and it is inserted into the post you are editing.
This is handy when you upload something to one draft and then need it in another, or when you remove an image and change your mind five minutes later. You no longer need to dig through the old draft for the link or upload the file again and use more of your quota.
HEIC photos from your phone
HEIC (or HEIF) is the default photo format on iPhones and some Android phones. PeakD could already convert these to JPEG during upload, but it didn't always recognize them: the file picker didn't offer them, and some browsers don't report the file type correctly, so the upload never started.
The image upload picker now accepts .heic and .heif files, and recognizes them even when the browser doesn't report the file type. They are converted to JPEG automatically before upload, so they show up correctly everywhere on Hive.
Transparent PNGs stay transparent
Large PNG images used to be converted to JPEG during upload to keep file sizes down. That works well for screenshots and photos, but not for images with transparency. JPEG has no transparency, so logos, stickers, and cut-out graphics could end up with a solid background.
PeakD now checks whether a larger PNG actually has transparent pixels. If it does, it stays a PNG (up to 5 MB) and keeps its transparency. PNGs without transparency are still converted as before, since that usually saves a lot of space.
Bonus: Live Hive activity, now on X
If you saw the new homepage, you have probably seen the live Hive activity display at the top: votes, comments, transfers, market activity, and rewards flowing through the network as each block comes in.
That display now also exists as a standalone widget built for X. Shared on X, it shows up as a live player card, so people scrolling their timeline can watch Hive activity in real time without leaving X. I like it as a small way to show people outside the ecosystem that Hive is actually busy, rather than just telling them.
You can see it in action here:
If you are on X, a like or repost helps it reach a few people who have never heard of Hive.
A few smaller updates
- The subscription section in the user menu has been refreshed, with clearer tier labels and styling, including for free accounts.
- The subscriptions page now has a proper preview when you share the link on social media or in chat apps.
- Post award badges show up more consistently in post previews and fit better next to busy post headers.
- Fixed an issue where some broken images could trigger repeated image proxy requests instead of failing once.
As usual, let me know how the new upload panel works for you, especially if you post a lot of images. Is the daily allowance enough for how you use PeakD? Feedback here or on Discord is always welcome.
