Bluesky, the decentralized social media app, has surpassed Meta’s Threads and OpenAI’s ChatGPT to become the most popular free download on Apple’s app store in the United States. This surge in popularity can be attributed to a recent influx of users who are turning away from Elon Musk’s social media platform due to his political ambitions. Since the 2024 US presidential election, over a million new users have joined Bluesky, which was originally launched as a project within Twitter in 2019 before gaining independence and being acquired by Musk.
In 2023, Bluesky caught the attention of ex-tweeters when new users could only sign up through an invite system. However, now anyone can join without needing a code. If you’re interested in trying out Bluesky, here’s some advice for getting started, finding people to follow, and customizing your profile.
You can access Bluesky through your browser at bsky.app or through the mobile app for Android and iOS. When creating an account, you’ll be presented with various options, such as hosting your own server. While this keeps the platform decentralized, it may be more complicated than what the average user is looking for. It’s recommended to stick with Bluesky Social as your hosting provider.
After entering your email, creating a strong password, and verifying your age, you’ll need to come up with a unique user handle. Keep in mind that this will be expanded to @examplehandle.bsky.social. Complete your profile by adding a bio and photo or avatar. Before following anyone, enable two-factor authentication in the Settings for added security. You can also choose to mute certain words and block adult content in your feed.
One of the best features of Bluesky is the ability to curate your own feed. The Discover and Following feeds are similar to those on X, showing popular posts and posts from people you follow in reverse-chronological order. As a new user, you’ll be presented with a list of popular accounts to follow. You can also create and follow shareable lists of users or follow lists curated by other Bluesky users.
