Why Bluesky Is the Social Media Platform to Watch in 2024

Leaving X (Twitter) or just looking for something new, Bluesky is the new hotness.

Bluesky Social, often referred to simply as Bluesky, is a decentralized social network allowing its users to publish short posts of up to 300 characters, photos, videos, and links to web pages. Bluesky was founded in October 2021; however, the social media platform didn’t go live until two years later, in October 2023, with the debut of its iOS app.

This article covers everything you need to know about Bluesky Social, such as how to join and how it differs from its rivals.

What Does Bluesky Do?

Bluesky is essentially a short-form social media platform that works almost identically to X, formally known as Twitter. On Bluesky, users can do the following.

• Follow other users

• Follow feeds dedicated to specific topics

• Share other posts with a repost and quote post

• Write posts up to 300 characters long

• Publish photos

• Post links to video and audio files on other platforms

• Post links to other websites

• Create lists of accounts to follow

New features are regularly added to Bluesky.

How to Join Bluesky

Here are the steps for how to create a Bluesky account. These instructions can be followed on the Bluesky website in any web browser and on the official iOS or Android Bluesky apps.

You used to need an invite code to join Bluesky, but that policy ended in February 2024.

Download Bluesky Social for iOS

Download Bluesky Social for Android

Open the Bluesky website or app and tap Create a new account.

Enter your email address, set a password, and enter your birth date, and then select Next.

Put in your phone number for SMS verification, and then tap Request Code.

Bluesky will text you a code; enter it on the next screen and select Next.

Select a handle; this will be the username that will identify you on Bluesky, similarly to your @ name on X.

Tap Next.

The next step is optional, but it may help you find accounts to follow. Select topics you’re interested in, and then choose Continue.

Bluesky will suggest some popular accounts for you to follow; this is also optional. Select the checkmark next to the ones you want to follow and choose Follow All, or select Skip to continue.

Next, start customizing your feed. You can change these settings later, but here’s what they mean:

• Show replies in Following: Your default feed will include replies to and by accounts you follow.

• Show reposts in Following: You’ll see reposts (Bluesky’s equivalent of retweets) on your feed.

• Show quotes in Following: Bluesky will show quotes. Quotes are like X’s quote retweets: content that includes another person’s post with a comment above it.

On the next screen, you can choose your main feeds.

Feeds are the heart of Bluesky and let you view and create lists of users around a common theme.

The next screen shows examples of topical feeds, which is another option when you go to follow or make a feed.

Make decisions about content moderation on the next screen.

The final screen tells you you’re done; tap Let’s Go! to get started on Bluesky.

Is Bluesky Still Invite-Only?

As of February 2024, Bluesky is no longer requires invite codes to create an account. You can join the platform freely via the app or website.

How Many Users Are on Bluesky?

Removing the necessity of invite codes gave Bluesky a huge boost in membership. As of writing, 4.4 million people have accounts, and 2.1 have made posts. You can get the most current numbers from this Stats for Bluesky page.

Can You View Bluesky Without an Account?

Content on the Bluesky social network can be viewed without an account. However, freely browsing the entire platform while logged out can be difficult.

The easiest way to view Bluesky content is via a direct link to a Bluesky profile or a Bluesky post. Such links can be shared on other platforms, via email, and in direct messages. Occasionally, you may encounter a Bluesky post embedded in an online article.

Is Bluesky an Alternative to Twitter/X?

Bluesky does have most of the main features users are used to using on X. However, while one could easily jump over to Bluesky from X and feel at home with the posting style and UI, it still has a long way to go before it reaches the levels of activity and social relevance as its predecessor.

One aspect that sets Bluesky apart from X is its decentralized nature. This means a single tech giant like X and Facebook does not run it.

Bluesky’s AT Protocol also helps set itself apart from X. The AT Protocol technology will eventually allow users to move all their followers and follow account data between platforms. What that means is that, in the future, you could jump to a completely different social network that also supports the AT Protocol, and you wouldn’t lose any of your followers. You’d also automatically follow accounts you followed on Bluesky once they join the new network.

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