What is Bluesky? Everything to know about the X competitor.

Is the grass greener on the opposite aspect? We’re undecided, however the sky is most actually bluer. It’s been over two years since Elon Musk bought Twitter, now X, main folks to arrange store on different platforms. Mastodon, Publish, Pebble (two of which have already shuttered operations) and Spill have been introduced as potential replacements, however few other than Meta’s Threads have achieved the pace of development Bluesky has reached.

As of February 2025, Bluesky has surpassed 30 million customers. Its development stems from a number of coverage adjustments at X, together with a closely criticized change to the block function and permitting third celebration firms to coach their AI on customers’ posts, which helped the app soar to the highest of the U.S. App Retailer. Bluesky additionally noticed an enormous increase following the outcomes of the 2024 U.S. presidential election (which additionally contributed to an X exodus by Taylor Swift followers). However whereas the quantity is promising, the expansion has slowed — and the community has numerous catching as much as do to compete with Threads’ 275 million month-to-month energetic customers.

Beneath, we’ve compiled the solutions to a few of the most typical questions customers have about Bluesky. And in case you’ve made the change, you possibly can comply with TechCrunch right here in addition to our group with our Starter Pack.

What’s Bluesky?

Bluesky is a decentralized social app conceptualized by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and developed in parallel with Twitter. The social community has a Twitter-like person interface with algorithmic selection, a federated design and community-specific moderation.

Bluesky is utilizing an open supply framework constructed in-house, the AT Protocol, that means folks outdoors of the corporate have transparency into how it’s constructed and what’s being developed.

Dorsey launched the Bluesky challenge again in 2019 whereas he was nonetheless Twitter CEO. On the time, he stated Twitter could be funding a “small impartial group of as much as 5 open supply architects, engineers, and designers,” charged with constructing a decentralized commonplace for social media, with the unique aim that Twitter would undertake this commonplace itself. However that was earlier than Elon Musk purchased the platform, so Bluesky is totally divorced from X.

As of Could 2024, Dorsey is now not on Bluesky’s board. Bluesky is now an impartial public profit company led by CEO Jay Graber.

How do you employ Bluesky?

Upon signing up, customers can create a deal with which is then represented as @username.bsky.social in addition to a show title that seems extra distinguished in daring textual content. In case you’re so inclined, you possibly can flip a site title that you just personal into your username — so, for instance, I’m identified on Bluesky as @amanda.omg.lol.

The app itself capabilities very similar to X, the place you possibly can click on a plus button to create a put up of 256 characters, which may additionally embrace photographs. Posts themselves could be replied to, retweeted, favored and, from a three-dot menu, reported, shared by way of the iOS Share Sheet to different apps, or copied as textual content.

You’ll be able to seek for and comply with different people, then view their updates in your “Dwelling” timeline. Beforehand, the Bluesky app would function standard posts in a “What’s Sizzling” feed. That feed has since been changed with an algorithmic and customized “Uncover” feed that includes extra than simply trending content material. 

For brand new customers, Bluesky launched a “Starter Pack” function, which creates a curated record of individuals and customized feeds to comply with with the intention to discover fascinating content material proper out of the gate. You will discover TechCrunch’s Starter Pack proper right here.

Consumer profiles include the identical form of options you’d anticipate: a profile pic, background, bio, metrics and the way many individuals they’re following. Profile feeds are divided into two sections, like X: posts and posts & replies. In January 2025, Bluesky additionally added a brand new video tab to person profiles.

There may be additionally a “Uncover” tab within the backside middle of the app’s navigation, which presents extra “who to comply with” strategies and a operating feed of just lately posted Bluesky updates. In January 2025, Bluesky additionally launched a vertical video feed to compete with TikTok.

We’ve additionally put collectively a useful information on easy methods to use Bluesky right here.

Who’s on Bluesky?

By the start of July 2023, when Instagram’s Threads launched, Bluesky topped 1,000,000 downloads throughout iOS and Android. Notable figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mark Cuban, Quinta Brunson, Dril, Bizarre Al Yankovic, Guillermo del Toro, Barbra Streisand, and Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have migrated to Bluesky.

Bluesky can be dwelling to information organizations like Bloomberg, The Washington Publish, and naturally, TechCrunch! Since August 2024, Bluesky can be now permitting heads of state to enroll and be a part of the platform for the primary time.

In 2025, some distinguished U.S. political figures arrange accounts on the platform, like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Does Bluesky work similar to X?

In some ways, sure. When it first began, Bluesky was rather more pared down and didn’t even have DMs, however this key function has since been applied, even with emoji reactions. However DMs on Bluesky are at the moment restricted to one-to-one messages, not group messages. Bluesky has additionally stated it’s considering implementing one thing much like X’s Neighborhood Notes function. Moreover, X doesn’t use a decentralized protocol like ActivityPub or AT. Bluesky has additionally been testing a Trending Matters function and creating its personal picture sharing app known as Flashes, which is anticipated to be launched in beta quickly.

In October 2024, Elon Musk introduced that X’s block function would work in another way than it has up to now. The brand new block performance permits customers you’ve got blocked to view your posts and your profile, however not the power to work together together with your posts. Some customers consider this replace to be a security concern, resulting in an inflow in Bluesky sign-ups as its block function is extra conventional.

In one other transfer that separates Bluesky from X, the social community stated it has “no intention” of utilizing person content material to coach generative AI instruments as X applied a brand new phrases of service that enables the platform to coach AI fashions on public posts. However that doesn’t cease third events from doing so.

Whereas Bluesky was initially kicked off as a challenge convened by Jack Dorsey in 2019 when he was CEO of Twitter, the social app has been an impartial firm since its inception in 2021.

Is Bluesky free?

Sure, and it’s now open to the general public.

How does Bluesky earn a living?

Bluesky’s aim is to seek out one other means to maintain its community outdoors of promoting with paid companies, so it could actually stay free to finish customers. On July 5, 2023, Bluesky introduced extra seed spherical funding and a paid service that gives customized domains for finish customers who need to have a singular area as their deal with on the service. Bluesky has additionally emphasised that it doesn’t need to “require promoting person information for adverts” with the intention to monetize its platform.

In November 2024, Bluesky introduced it raised a $15 million Sequence A spherical and is creating a subscription service for premium options. Bluesky, nonetheless, famous its subscription mannequin is not going to comply with within the footsteps of X’s “pay to win” premium choices. Customers have noticed mockups teasing the subscription function, dubbed Bluesky+, which might embrace options like larger high quality video uploads and profile customizations.

In December 2024, Peter Wang introduced a $1 million fund, dubbed Skyseed, that may supply grants to these constructing on Bluesky’s open supply AT Protocol.

Is Bluesky decentralized?

Sure. Bluesky’s group is creating the decentralized AT Protocol, which Bluesky was constructed atop. In its beta part, customers can solely be a part of the bsky.social community, however Bluesky plans to be federated, that means that countless individually operated communities can exist inside the open supply community. So, if a developer outdoors of Bluesky constructed their very own new social app utilizing the AT Protocol, Bluesky customers might leap over to the brand new app and port over their present followers, deal with and information.

“You’ll at all times have the liberty to decide on (and to exit) as a substitute of being held to the whims of personal firms or black field algorithms. And wherever you go, your mates and relationships will probably be there too,” a Bluesky weblog put up defined.

What third-party apps are constructed on the AT Protocol?

Many builders are constructing consumer-facing apps on Bluesky or its underlying AT Protocol. These apps are constructed on open know-how, versus being siloed inside massive tech’s centralized, opaque possession.

Some social apps embrace Flashes, a photograph viewing consumer; Spark, a TikTok-like app; and Skylight Social, which is backed by Mark Cuban.

Try our extra complete record at varied apps constructed inside this ecosystem, together with cross-posting apps, music apps, feed builders, and livestreamers.

Is Bluesky safe?

In October 2023, Bluesky added electronic mail verification as half of a bigger effort to enhance account safety and authentication on the community. The addition is a vital step ahead when it comes to making Bluesky extra aggressive with bigger networks like X, which have extra strong safety controls. In December 2023, Bluesky allowed customers to choose out of a change that will expose their posts to the general public internet following backlash from customers. 

Is Bluesky customizable?

Sure. In Could 2023, Bluesky launched customized algorithms, which it calls “customized feeds.” Customized feeds enable customers to subscribe to a number of totally different algorithms that showcase totally different sorts of posts a person could need to see. You’ll be able to pin customized feeds that may present up on the high of your timeline as totally different tabs to select from. The feeds you pin, or save, are situated beneath the “My Feeds” menu within the app’s sidebar.

In March 2024,​​ the corporate introduced “AT Protocol Grants,” a brand new program that may dole out small grants to builders with the intention to foster development and customization. One of many recipients, SkyFeed, is a customized software that lets anybody construct their very own feeds utilizing a graphical person interface. 

Is Bluesky on iOS and Android?

Sure. Bluesky has rolled out to Android customers after it was initially launched to iOS customers. Customers can entry Bluesky on the internet right here.

How does Bluesky deal with misinformation?

After an October 2023 replace, the app will now warn customers of deceptive hyperlinks by flagging them. If hyperlinks shared in customers’ posts don’t match their textual content, the app will supply a “probably deceptive” warning to the person to alert them that the hyperlink could also be directing them someplace they don’t need to go.

In December 2024, the Bluesky Security group posted that the corporate up to date its impersonation coverage to be “extra aggressive,” including that “impersonation and handle-squatting accounts will probably be eliminated.” The corporate stated it is usually exploring options to its present area deal with verification course of.

Has Bluesky had any controversies?

Bluesky has been embattled with moderation points since its first launch. The app has been accused of failing to guard its marginalized customers and failing to average racist content material. Following an issue in regards to the app permitting racial slurs in account handles, pissed off customers initiated a “posting strike,” the place they refused to interact with the platform till it established guardrails to flag slurs and different offensive phrases in usernames.

In December 2024, Bluesky additionally confronted criticism when author and podcast host Jesse Singal joined the platform. Singal has been cataloged by GLAAD’s Accountability Challenge for his writings on transgender points and different issues. Bluesky customers have reported Singal’s account en masse, main the corporate to ban him, reinstate him, after which label his account illiberal by its moderation service.

What moderation options does Bluesky have?

In December 2023, Bluesky rolled out “extra superior automated tooling” designed to flag content material that violates its Neighborhood Pointers that may then be reviewed by the app’s moderation group. Bluesky has moderation options much like ones on X, together with person lists and moderation lists, and a function that lets customers restrict who can reply to posts. Nevertheless, some Bluesky customers are nonetheless advocating for the power to set their accounts to non-public. 

In March 2024, the corporate launched Ozone, a software that lets customers create and run their very own impartial moderation companies that may give customers “unprecedented management” over their social media expertise. In October 2024, Bluesky joined Instragram’s Threads app in an effort to court docket customers who had been pissed off by Meta’s moderation points.

In January 2025, Bluesky revealed its 2024 moderation report that stated it noticed a 17x improve sparsely studies following the speedy development on the platform. The report additionally famous that the most important variety of studies got here from customers reporting accounts or posts for harassment, trolling, or intolerance — a problem that’s plagued Bluesky because it’s grown. To fulfill the calls for brought on by this development, Bluesky elevated its moderation group to roughly 100 moderators and can proceed to rent.

Bluesky revamped its Neighborhood Pointers in August 2025, with a few of the adjustments representing an effort by Bluesky to purposefully form its neighborhood and the habits of its customers.

What’s the distinction between Bluesky and Mastodon?

Although Bluesky’s structure is much like Mastodon’s, many customers have discovered Bluesky to be extra intuitive, whereas Mastodon can come off as inaccessible: Selecting which occasion to hitch seems like an not possible activity on Mastodon, and longtime customers are very defensive about their established posting norms, which may make becoming a member of the dialog intimidating. To stay aggressive, Mastodon just lately simplified its sign-up movement, making mastodon.social the default server for brand new customers.

Nevertheless, the launch of federation will make it work extra equally to Mastodon in that customers can decide and select which servers to hitch and transfer their accounts round at will. 

Who owns Bluesky?

Although Jack Dorsey funded Bluesky, he isn’t concerned in day-to-day growth and now not sits on the corporate’s board. The CEO of Bluesky is Jay Graber, who beforehand labored as a software program engineer for the cryptocurrency Zcash, then based an event-planning website known as Taking place.

If in case you have extra FAQs about Bluesky not lined right here, go away us a remark beneath. 

This story was initially revealed in Could 2023 and is up to date frequently with new data.