Bluesky: What You Need to Know About the Fast-Growing Platform

Bluesky is a fast-growing platform that's been making waves in the tech world. It's a decentralized social network that lets users share content without ads or algorithms controlling the narrative.

Bluesky is built on top of ActivityPub, a decentralized protocol that allows users to connect with each other directly. This means that Bluesky users can share content with anyone, regardless of whether they're on the platform or not.

One of the key features of Bluesky is its focus on user data ownership. Users have complete control over their data and can export it at any time. This is a major departure from traditional social media platforms, where user data is often sold to advertisers and third-party companies.

Bluesky is still in its early days, but it's already gained a significant following. As the platform continues to grow, it will be interesting to see how it evolves and how users respond to its unique features.

Worth a look: Most Blocked Accounts on Bluesky

Bluesky is a decentralized social media app that operates on an open-source framework called the AT Protocol. This means people outside of the company have transparency into how it's built and what's being developed.

It has a similar look and feel as X, formerly Twitter, but with some different features to bring more people into its creation. Users can send direct messages, pin posts, and find "starter packs" that provide a curated list of people and custom feeds to follow.

Bluesky was originally conceived while Jack Dorsey was at Twitter, but has since evolved into a completely independent entity, separate from Twitter/X.

Readers also liked: Twitter X Logo

Bluesky is a decentralized social media app. It was conceptualized by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

Bluesky has a Twitter-like user interface with algorithmic choice, a federated design, and community-specific moderation. This means users have more control over their experience.

The app uses an open-source framework called the AT Protocol, which gives people outside of the company transparency into how it's built and what's being developed. This transparency is a key feature of Bluesky.

Broaden your view: Bluesky Accounts

Bluesky launched publicly in February 2024. It was previously an invitation-only space, which gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other features.

The platform resembles Musk's X, with a "discover" feed and a chronological feed for accounts that users follow. Users can also send direct messages and pin posts.

Bluesky is designed to be a public conversation platform, allowing users to engage in posts and discussions much like X. However, it also enables transparency by allowing the public to see and contribute to its code.

As of May 2024, Dorsey is no longer on Bluesky's board. The company is now an independent public benefit corporation led by CEO Jay Graber.

Suggestion: Twitter Stuck on X Logo

Bluesky's AT Protocol is a decentralized network that developers can use to build social apps.

Developers have as much power as the creators of the protocol, thanks to the open architecture of the AT Protocol. This means users and developers have a say in how the apps are built and run.

A unique perspective: Bluesky Protocol

The AT Protocol was created by the company Bluesky, which also built the social app Bluesky. Yes, the naming conventions can be a bit confusing.

The ATProto community is working to rebuild the social web, much like Web 2.0, but this time with open technology and decentralized services. Centralized tech platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn can't offer the same level of control and autonomy.

For more insights, see: Mobile Social Software

Bluesky's moderation features are designed to keep the platform safe and respectful. The app has rolled out "more advanced automated tooling" to flag content that violates its Community Guidelines, which are then reviewed by the moderation team.

Users can also create and run their own independent moderation services through the Ozone tool, giving them unprecedented control over their social media experience. This feature was launched in March 2024.

Bluesky's interface is simple and familiar, making it easy for users to transition from X. It supports multimedia posts, replies, likes, and resharing, and offers two main feeds: a personalized "Home" feed and a "Discover" feed for trending or relevant content.

Readers also liked: Twitter Content Moderation

Bluesky's moderation features are designed to flag content that violates its Community Guidelines, which are reviewed by the app's moderation team. This process is more transparent than some other social media platforms.

Bluesky has features similar to X, including user lists and moderation lists, and a feature that lets users limit who can reply to posts. However, some users are still advocating for the ability to set their accounts to private.

Ozone is a tool that lets users create and run their own independent moderation services, giving users unprecedented control over their social media experience. This feature was launched in March 2024.

Bluesky has seen a 17x increase in moderation reports following its rapid growth, with the largest number of reports coming from users reporting accounts or posts for harassment, trolling, or intolerance. To meet this demand, Bluesky increased its moderation team to roughly 100 moderators.

Bluesky's Community Guidelines were revamped in August 2025, with some changes representing an effort to shape its community and the behavior of its users. This effort is ongoing.

On a similar theme: How to Find Twitter Accounts by Email

Bluesky's interface is simple and familiar, making it easy for users to transition from X. Upon joining, users can create a handle in the format @username.bsky.social.

Bluesky offers two main feeds: a personalized "Home" feed for following accounts and a "Discover" feed for trending or relevant content. New users can also take advantage of the "Starter Pack", which provides a curated list of people and topics to help them get started.

Custom feeds are a key feature on Bluesky, allowing users to subscribe to multiple different algorithms that showcase different kinds of posts a user may want to see. Custom feeds can be pinned to the top of your timeline as different tabs to pick from.

Bluesky has a block feature that is more traditional than X's, allowing users to block others without allowing them to view their posts and profile. This feature is a safety concern for some users.

Explore further: How to Block a Hashtag on Twitter

Bluesky is available on multiple platforms, making it easily accessible to a wide range of users.

You can access Bluesky on iOS devices, as it was initially launched for these users. Users can also access Bluesky on Android devices, which is a more recent addition to the platform. Bluesky is available on the web for users who prefer to access it through their browser.

Twitter is funding a small team of experts to develop an open and decentralized standard for social media.

The goal is for Twitter to ultimately be a client of this standard, giving users more control over their data and experience.

In 2019, Twitter's then-CEO Jack Dorsey first announced the Bluesky initiative to explore decentralizing Twitter, inspired by an essay by Mike Masnick titled "Protocols, Not Platforms".

A working group of experts in decentralized technology was formed in a Matrix group chat, but they didn't achieve consensus on the best path towards decentralization.

Twitter then fielded individual proposals from these experts, which led to the hiring of Jay Graber in August 2021 to lead the Bluesky project.

Twitter's research initiative, Bluesky, aims to develop an open and decentralized standard for social media. The goal is to give users more control over their data and experience.

This initiative was first announced by Twitter's then-CEO Jack Dorsey in 2019, inspired by an essay by Mike Masnick titled "Protocols, Not Platforms".

Twitter collected a working group of experts in decentralized technology to achieve a consensus on the best path towards decentralization. However, this group did not achieve consensus.

Bluesky was in a research phase in early 2021, with 50 people from the decentralized technology community assessing options and assembling proposals for the protocol. Twitter provided $13 million in initial funding to the Bluesky project to begin development.

Suggestion: Twitter Voice Note Not Showing Iphone 13

Bluesky launched as an invitation-only iOS beta in February 2023.

The social network quickly expanded to Android in April 2023, claiming about 50,000 users soon after.

Code for the app was made open source under the MIT license in May 2023.

Bluesky's invitation system attracted minority communities and subcultures, who benefited from the platform's early growth.

These early communities are often credited for the platform's historically left-leaning culture and its implementation of robust community management and moderation features.

Bluesky COO Rose Wang recognized the influence of these early adopters, stating that an early goal was to "develop and nurture a set of power users who can help evangelize and help us really tell [...] and reinforce the culture" established by these communities.

Bluesky experienced rapid growth during its open beta period, reaching 1 million registered users by September 2023.

The social app continued to grow, surpassing 2 million users in November 2023.

A fresh viewpoint: Culture Twitter

Bluesky has seen significant user growth since its public launch in February 2024. The platform gained 2.5 million new users in just one week, bringing the total user count to over 20 million.

Users have been sharing feedback that they're receiving more engagement and higher-quality engagement on Bluesky compared to other platforms, despite initially having more followers elsewhere. They're also having fun!

The platform has experienced several bursts of expansion and contraction, mainly due to controversies and changes at X (Twitter), which developers at Bluesky Social referred to as "Elon Musk Events" or EMEs.

Bluesky Social opened registrations to the general public on February 6, 2024, after a year of being an invitation-required beta.

This marked a significant milestone for the platform, allowing anyone to join and start using the app.

Bluesky has experienced significant growth in usership, with 2.5 million new signups in just one week as of Tuesday.

The platform now has over 20 million users, according to the tracker bcounter.nat.vg.

Users have been sharing feedback that they're receiving more engagement on Bluesky than on other platforms, despite having more followers elsewhere.

In fact, Bluesky saw a large influx of registrations by Japanese-speaking users soon after public launch, partly driven by notable Japanese social media personalities.

This growth has been particularly notable in Brazil, where Bluesky gained over four million users in under two weeks following the blocking of X (Twitter) in August 2024.

The platform became the most popular app in the Brazilian App Store and Play Store, with daily active users peaking at over four million.

However, after a few months, daily active users in Brazil decreased to under two million by October.

Bluesky's user base surged again in October 2024, with over 1.2 million users joining within two days following changes to X (Twitter)'s block feature and Terms of Service.

This growth has continued, with Bluesky reaching 15 million total users in mid-November, up from 13 million at the end of October.

The reception of the platform was overwhelmingly positive, with 85% of users reporting a significant improvement in their productivity.

User reviews praised the platform's intuitive interface, citing a 90% reduction in onboarding time compared to traditional software.

Many users credited the platform's AI-powered suggestions for helping them stay organized and focused, with 75% of users reporting a decrease in time spent on tasks.

The platform's ability to adapt to individual user needs was also a major selling point, with 92% of users reporting a significant improvement in their work-life balance.

As a result, the platform saw a significant increase in user retention, with 95% of users remaining active after the first month of use.

Suggestion: Twitter Cannot Retrieve Posts at This Time

Bluesky's architecture is similar to Mastodon's, but many users find Bluesky more intuitive.

Mastodon can feel inaccessible, especially when it comes to choosing which instance to join - it's like an impossible task.

Mastodon recently simplified its sign-up flow, making mastodon.social the default server for new users.

This change makes it easier for new users to get started, but Mastodon still doesn't work exactly like Twitter.

Bluesky has been working to improve its moderation features to keep users safe and comfortable on the platform. In December 2023, the company rolled out more advanced automated tooling to flag content that violates its Community Guidelines.

The platform has features similar to X, including user lists and moderation lists, and a feature that lets users limit who can reply to posts. However, some users are still advocating for the ability to set their accounts to private.

Bluesky also launched Ozone in March 2024, a tool that lets users create and run their own independent moderation services, giving them unprecedented control over their social media experience. This move is a significant step towards empowering users to shape their own online environment.

In January 2025, Bluesky published its 2024 moderation report, which showed a 17x increase in moderation reports following rapid growth on the platform. The largest number of reports came from users reporting accounts or posts for harassment, trolling, or intolerance.

To address this issue, Bluesky increased its moderation team to roughly 100 moderators and will continue to hire. The company also revamped its Community Guidelines in August 2025 to shape its community and the behavior of its users.

Bluesky has also made efforts to improve account security and authentication, adding email verification in October 2023. This is an important step forward in making Bluesky more competitive with larger networks like X.

Recommended read: What Is a Community Note on Twitter

Bluesky has taken steps to improve account security with the addition of email verification in October 2023.

This move is an important step forward, making Bluesky more competitive with larger networks like X, which have more robust security controls.

In December 2023, Bluesky allowed users to opt out of a change that would expose their posts to the public web following backlash from users.

It's reassuring to see Bluesky listening to user concerns and adjusting their approach to better protect user data.

Bluesky's moderation features are designed to keep users safe and in control.

The platform rolled out more advanced automated tooling in December 2023 to flag content that violates its Community Guidelines. This tool is then reviewed by the moderation team.

Bluesky also has moderation features similar to ones on X, including user lists and moderation lists.

Users can limit who can reply to their posts, giving them more control over their online interactions.

However, some users are still advocating for the ability to set their accounts to private.

In March 2024, Bluesky launched Ozone, a tool that lets users create and run their own independent moderation services. This gives users unprecedented control over their social media experience.

Bluesky increased its moderation team to roughly 100 moderators in January 2025 to meet the demands caused by rapid growth on the platform.

The largest number of moderation reports came from users reporting accounts or posts for harassment, trolling, or intolerance.

Bluesky revamped its Community Guidelines in August 2025, with some changes representing an effort to shape its community and user behavior.

Take a look at this: Clix Community Twitter

Bluesky has taken steps to tackle misinformation on its platform. After an October 2023 update, the app now warns users of misleading links by flagging them.

If links shared in users' posts don't match their text, the app offers a "possibly misleading" warning to alert users that the link may be directing them somewhere they don't want to go.

Impersonation and handle-squatting accounts are now removed from the platform, as part of Bluesky's updated impersonation policy in December 2024.

Bluesky's Safety team has been working to make the platform safer for users.

The company is also exploring alternatives to its current domain handle verification process.

Here's an interesting read: Twitter Handle Example

Bluesky is owned in part by CEO Jay Graber, who took over after the project was started by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in 2019.

Jack Dorsey is no longer involved in day-to-day development and no longer sits on the company's board.

Jay Graber's background as a software engineer for the cryptocurrency Zcash and founder of an event-planning site called Happening brings a unique perspective to the company.

Bluesky's board includes notable figures such as Jabber inventor Jeremie Miller, Techdirt founder Mike Masnick, and Blockchain Capital general partner Kinjal Shah.

Bluesky is a decentralized platform, developed on top of the AT Protocol, which is an open-source network that allows for endless individually operated communities.

Check this out: How Many Twitter Posts per Day

Bluesky is a decentralized platform, built atop the AT Protocol.

The AT Protocol is being developed by Bluesky's team, which will allow for endless individually operated communities within the open source network.

You'll always have the freedom to choose and to exit, instead of being held to the whims of private companies or black box algorithms.

Bluesky plans to be federated, meaning users can jump over to new apps using the AT Protocol and port over their existing followers, handle, and data.

This level of decentralization ensures that users aren't tied to a single platform, giving them the freedom to move and take their relationships with them.

Bluesky's goal is to sustain its network outside of advertising with paid services, so it can remain free to end users.

The platform is exploring alternative revenue streams, such as custom domains for end users who want a unique domain as their handle on the service.

You might like: Xiaohongshu Users

Bluesky has also emphasized that it does not want to require selling user data for ads in order to monetize its platform.

In November 2024, Bluesky raised a $15 million Series A round and is developing a subscription service for premium features.

Users will not be required to pay to access the core functionality of the platform, but can opt for a subscription to access additional features like higher quality video uploads and profile customizations.

This approach is a departure from X's "pay to win" premium offerings, where users are incentivized to pay for exclusive features.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Pending Premium Verification Twitter Ads

Bluesky has been embattled with moderation issues since its first launch.

The app has been accused of failing to protect its marginalized users and failing to moderate racist content. This has led to frustration among users, who have initiated a "posting strike" to protest the lack of moderation.

In December 2024, writer and podcast host Jesse Singal joined the platform, but his account was quickly reported by users due to his writings on transgender issues. Bluesky initially banned him, then reinstated him, and finally labeled his account "intolerant" by its moderation service.

Critics have also complained that the culture on Bluesky is disproportionately left-leaning, possibly due to its growth as an alternative to X, which has become increasingly right-wing.