Bluesky has gained fast traction in simply two years since launching in 2021, reaching 20 million customers in November 2024. It is notably spectacular, because it’s closed and nonetheless gated with its invitation-only format.
The platform turned in style when customers have been looking Options to Twitter/X In 2022. It has attracted customers with its related look, small neighborhood and give attention to decentralization.
Born from the imaginative and prescient of Jack Dorsey, former CEO of Twitter/X, and led by CEO Jay Graber, Bluesky gives an open, user-powered platform. With a dedication to a decentralized mannequin symbolized by the blue butterfly brand, Bluesky stands out, promising Extra management and freedom for its customers.
On this article, we discover Bluesky’s record of options (to this point), damaged down by class and highlighting how they meet the rising wants of right now’s social media customers.
Moderation system options
Bluesky Repeatedly critiques and develops its content material moderation to keep up a respectful and secure on-line surroundings. It combines user-driven reporting with human and automatic assessment processes to successfully deal with content material issues.
Report and assessment suggestions loop
On Bluesky, any consumer can report content material or different accounts that violate the platform’s tips Report and assessment system. To report a put up, click on on the put up and choose the ‘Report’ choice. State the explanation for the report, which the moderation crew will then assessment.
Human moderators then assessment every report, making certain a good and thorough analysis course of. Bluesky additionally makes use of automated instruments for early flagging of probably dangerous content material This mix ensures effectivity whereas sustaining human supervision.
Bluesky’s ever-evolving moderation system is not good, however it demonstrates a dedication to a balanced and safe consumer expertise. This technique is crucial in constructing a trusted and user-centric social media house.
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Interplay management options
Like moderation, these options defend customers’ expertise by giving them the power to handle their interactions and content material visibility on the platform.
moderation record
Past reporting, customers can create lists to dam or mute different accounts and content material. These lists could be community-driven, offering collective management over the content material seen within the feed You can too filter your content material preferences on this part
To make use of the moderation record, click on the “≡” on the left and choose moderation Or, go to your account settings, scroll down to search out the ‘Moderation’ part, choose ‘Moderation Record’ and add customers or content material you wish to block or mute. Within the moderation part you may also see beforehand blocked or muted accounts
labeling
Bluesky permits customers to self-label their posts, particularly these with delicate content material This characteristic respects viewers’ discretion and promotes accountable content material sharing. When making a put up, choose the ‘label’ choice to categorize your content material appropriately.
You might also use “labelers,” third-party companies that tag accounts or content material for informational or moderation functions. Customers creatively make use of labelers’ pronouns, favourite sports activities groups, and fandom affiliations to complement profiles and interactions. Take a look at this listing of various user-created labels.
Reply management
This characteristic permits authors to manage who can reply to their posts, growing private management over interactions. When posting, choose the ‘reply management’ choice and select who can reply (everybody, followers or no one).
Bluesky’s interplay controls are a testomony to Bluesky’s imaginative and prescient of a platform the place consumer company and respectful engagement are on the forefront, making a uniquely adaptive and thoughtful digital neighborhood.
Customization options
Bluesky customers are allowed a stage of customization on their profile not usually seen on different social media.
Starter pack
Bluesky’s Starter Pack is certainly one of my favourite options of the platform. These are curated collections of accounts designed that will help you shortly discover customers with shared pursuits With a single click on, you’ll be able to observe (or block) all accounts throughout the chosen pack. This is certainly one of mine:
Go right here for a tutorial on creating your individual starter pack and right here for a listing of each starter pack on the platform.
Customized domains
Bluesky gives the distinctive characteristic of Customized Domains, which permits customers to personalize their handles with their very own area title.
This characteristic provides a layer of personalization and identification to the consumer expertise on the platform. To arrange a customized area, go to your account settings, choose the ‘Change deal with’ choice after which “I’ve my very own area.” Then, observe the directions to hyperlink your area to your Bluesky account This lets you use your customized area as your deal with on Bluesky.
For extra detailed directions, Examine right here.
Improved feed and thread alternative
Bluesky permits customers to customise their feed and thread viewing preferences, offering a extra tailor-made consumer expertise. You could find customized feeds to affix by clicking the # image within the menu or on the backside of the app.
Within the app settings, customers can alter preferences for viewing their feeds and threads, similar to sorting by most up-to-date or hottest
“Conceal Posts” characteristic
The ‘Conceal Posts’ characteristic permits customers to take away undesirable content material from their feed. If you happen to see a put up that you just now not wish to see, click on on it and choose the ‘Conceal Put up’ choice. The put up will then be eliminated out of your feed.
Person expertise options
Bluesky has made a number of enhancements designed for contemporary social media fans to enhance the consumer expertise.
In-app video and music participant
Bluesky features a video and music participant for media content material from platforms like YouTube and Spotify. While you come throughout a video or music hyperlink in a put up, click on it to play the content material instantly throughout the Bluesky app.
“Preferences” tab
The ‘Favorites’ tab permits customers to view their favourite posts, facilitating quick access to favourite content material Entry your profile and choose the ‘Favorites’ tab to see all of the posts you have appreciated
Recommended references
This characteristic prompts customers to say “@” whereas typing, making it simpler to tag others in posts Begin typing “@” in a put up, and a listing of recommended customers will seem so that you can select from
Emoji Picker
An emoji picker is included within the internet model of Bluesky, including expressiveness to posts. When composing a put up on the internet, click on the emoji icon to pick and add emoji to your put up
Notification help
Bluesky’s cell app now helps notifications, notifying customers of related exercise similar to new follows and content material engagement. Allow notifications in app settings to start out receiving alerts for exercise like mentions, likes, and replies
price restrict
Price limits are carried out to stabilize community visitors and guarantee a clean consumer expertise. This characteristic works within the background to handle information move and may restrict the variety of actions (similar to put up or observe) that you would be able to shortly carry out.
Direct Messages (DMs)
Bluesky’s DM characteristic permits for personal, one-on-one textual content conversations throughout the platform. Customers can customise who can message them and report inappropriate DMs on to moderators
Bluesky vs Twitter/X vs Thread characteristic comparability
If you happen to’re questioning how related (or completely different) Bluesky is to related apps, here is a high-level characteristic comparability.
With its X-like interface, Bluesky is finest for customers searching for a well-recognized expertise however with extra management over their information and neighborhood engagement. Being extra established, Twitter/X gives wider options and a bigger consumer base. Threads, whereas much like a Twitter/X-like interface, is much less full however supported by Meta’s sturdy infrastructure.
