Bluesky has rapidly gained traction since it opened to the public in February 2024, attracting nearly 800,000 new users in a single day. This comes after nearly a year of being invite-only. As of September 2024, the platform boasts over 9 million users, partly driven by a wave of sign-ups following X’s ban in Brazil. However, while promising, Bluesky still has a long way to go in catching up to other platforms like Meta’s Threads, which has 130 million active users, or Mastodon, with its 1.8 million.
A decentralized social platform
Bluesky is a decentralized social platform created by Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, in collaboration with other former Twitter engineers. It offers a familiar interface, resembling Twitter, with features like algorithmic timelines, federated design, and community-based moderation. What sets Bluesky apart is its use of an open-source framework, the AT Protocol, developed in-house, providing transparency for users and developers alike regarding the platform’s inner workings.
Originally conceived in 2019 when Dorsey was still CEO of Twitter, Bluesky was intended to create a decentralized standard for social media. However, after Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, Bluesky became an independent entity, separate from the platform. In May 2024, Dorsey stepped down from Bluesky’s board, and the company was restructured as a public benefit corporation, now led by CEO Jay Graber.
How Does Bluesky Work?
Upon joining Bluesky, users select a handle that is tied to the bsky.social domain (e.g., @username.bsky.social) and can customize their display name. One unique feature is the ability to turn an owned domain into your handle.
The app’s functionality is quite similar to Twitter’s. Users can create posts up to 256 characters, share images, and engage with posts via replies, retweets, and likes. Bluesky also includes a sharing option through the iOS Share Sheet and an easy way to report posts. Your feed consists of updates from people you follow, with a personalized “Discover” feed replacing the earlier “What’s Hot” section.
It has also introduced a “Starter Pack” to help new users discover interesting content quickly by curating a list of recommended accounts and custom feeds. Users can explore other profiles, which display the usual features: profile picture, bio, follower count, and activity metrics.
How is Bluesky Different from X?
While Bluesky shares many similarities with X, such as the ability to post short messages and engage with other users, there are key differences. For example, Bluesky recently added direct messaging (DM) functionality, although it is currently limited to one-on-one communication, with no group message options available. Additionally, Bluesky is built on a decentralized protocol (the AT Protocol), whereas X operates under a traditional centralized structure.
Though it began as a project under Dorsey’s Twitter leadership, it has been an independent company since its launch in 2021.
How Does It Make Money?
Bluesky is free to use and is now open to the public, unlike earlier stages when it was invite-only. Bluesky aims to stay free for users while exploring alternative revenue streams outside of traditional advertising. In July 2024, the platform announced seed funding and the introduction of paid services, including the option for users to purchase custom domains for their handles.
It is a decentralized platform, built on the AT Protocol, which allows users to port their data, followers, and handles to other apps built using the same protocol. This federated approach means that developers can create their own social apps that interoperate with Bluesky’s network, giving users greater freedom and flexibility. As the company explained in a blog post, users can choose their platform and maintain their connections across different apps, offering a departure from the restrictions of centralized services.
Is Bluesky Secure?
It is actively enhancing security, having added email verification in October 2023 as part of its efforts to improve account protection. Additionally, users were given the option to opt out of a change in December 2023 that would have made posts publicly visible on the web, responding to user concerns over privacy.
Bluesky provides significant customization options. In May 2023, it launched “custom feeds,” allowing users to subscribe to and pin various algorithms to their timeline. This feature lets users prioritize the types of content they want to see. The “My Feeds” menu stores pinned feeds for quick access.
In March 2024, Bluesky announced the “AT Protocol Grants,” which will support developers in building custom tools and expanding the platform’s capabilities. One such tool, SkyFeed, lets users design their own feeds through a user-friendly interface.
Is Bluesky available on iOS and Android?
Bluesky is available on both iOS and Android, having launched on Android in April 2024. It is also accessible through a web platform.
Though Jack Dorsey provided initial funding for it, he no longer plays an active role in the company’s development. The CEO of Bluesky is Jay Graber, who previously worked as a software engineer at Zcash and later founded the event-planning platform Happening.
Bluesky continues to grow, and with its decentralized architecture and commitment to transparency, it has positioned itself as a promising alternative to more traditional social media networks. However, it still faces stiff competition from other established platforms.
Read More: Bluesky Sees Surge In Users As X Plans To Allow Viewing Of Blocked Accounts’ Posts
