Bluesky Opens to Public: Is It a Twitter Killer?

For over a year, the social media platform Bluesky was the digital equivalent of an exclusive nightclub. You could only get in if you knew someone who had an invite code. That velvet rope has finally dropped. As of February 2024, Bluesky is open to the public, allowing anyone to sign up without a referral.

This transition marks a critical test for the platform originally incubated by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. With millions of users now flooding the gates, the app is trying to prove it is more than just a clone of “Old Twitter.” It aims to be a sustainable, decentralized alternative to Elon Musk’s X and Mark Zuckerberg’s Threads. If you are tired of algorithmic confusion and bot armies, here is what you need to know about the user experience on the newly public Bluesky.

The "Old Twitter" Feel with Modern Tech

When you first log into Bluesky, the interface feels incredibly familiar. This is by design. The layout features a vertical timeline, a navigation bar on the left (on desktop) or bottom (on mobile), and a “Post” button that functions exactly like the “Tweet” button used to.

However, the similarity is mostly cosmetic. The engine running Bluesky is the AT Protocol. Unlike X or Facebook, which are “walled gardens” where the company owns your data and your audience, the AT Protocol is decentralized.

What Decentralization Means for You

In simple terms, Bluesky operates more like email than like Instagram.

  • Portability: The long-term goal is that you can move your account to a different server without losing your followers or data.
  • Identity: One of the most popular specific features is the ability to use a website you own as your handle. Instead of being @john.bsky.social, you can verify your domain and become @john.com. This provides instant identity verification without paying a monthly fee for a blue checkmark.

The Killer Feature: Custom Feeds

The primary reason users are sticking with Bluesky is the “Custom Feeds” feature. On X or Threads, you are largely at the mercy of a central algorithm that decides what you see. It might show you rage-bait, political arguments, or viral videos you do not care about.

Bluesky flips this model. By default, you get a “Following” feed. This feed is strictly chronological. It shows posts from people you follow, in the order they posted them. No hidden tricks.

Beyond that, you can subscribe to user-created algorithms.

  • The “Discover” Feed: A general mix of trending content.
  • Specific Interests: You can add feeds like “Science,” “Cat Photos,” “Moss,” or “Black Sky.”
  • Safety Feeds: There are feeds designed specifically to hide posts with certain keywords or images.

This marketplace of algorithms means you choose your experience. If you want a quiet timeline of art and nature, you simply subscribe to those feeds and pin them to your home screen.

Content Moderation and Safety

Safety on social media is a major concern, especially for users leaving X due to rising hate speech and spam. Bluesky CEO Jay Graber has implemented a system called “Composable Moderation.”

The platform performs basic moderation to remove illegal content. However, they also allow third-party “Labelers.” These are independent groups that create moderation lists. For example, if you do not want to see spiders, you can subscribe to a labeler that flags images of spiders and blurs them automatically. If you want to block crypto-scams, you can subscribe to a moderation list that maintains a database of known spammers.

This approach prevents one single company from being the sole arbiter of what is “acceptable,” while giving users powerful tools to curate their own safety.

Growth and The "Twitter Killer" Question

Is Bluesky actually a “Twitter Killer”? The numbers suggest it is a viable alternative, but it has a long way to go to overtake the giants.

  • Bluesky: Roughly 6 million users (as of mid-2024).
  • Threads (Meta): Over 150 million monthly active users.
  • X (Twitter): Over 500 million monthly active users.

While Bluesky is smaller, the engagement is often reported as higher quality. The culture is currently reminiscent of “Early Twitter”—playful, text-heavy, and conversational. It lacks the massive reach of X, but it also lacks the overwhelming noise and advertising density.

Recent Updates and Missing Pieces

If you join today, you should know that the platform is still building core features.

  • Direct Messages (DMs): These were recently introduced but are basic compared to Messenger or WhatsApp.
  • Video: Video support is currently limited compared to the robust video hosting on X.
  • GIFs: There is a built-in GIF picker, which helps the platform feel feature-complete.

The Jack Dorsey Connection

It is important to clarify Jack Dorsey’s current involvement. While he funded the project and sat on the board, Dorsey announced his departure from the Bluesky board in May 2024. He has recently been more vocal about his support for Nostr, a different, even more decentralized protocol.

Bluesky is now a Public Benefit Corporation led by CEO Jay Graber. This structure allows the company to pursue profits to stay alive, but legally binds them to their mission of keeping the network open and decentralized.

How to Get Started

Since the invite code requirement was removed in February 2024, joining is simple:

  1. Download the Bluesky Social app on iOS or Android, or visit bsky.app on a desktop.
  2. Create a username. You will default to the .bsky.social suffix.
  3. (Optional) Go to Settings and set your domain as your handle if you own a website.
  4. Browse the “Feeds” tab and pin a few that look interesting to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bluesky free to use? Yes. The platform is currently free. They plan to make money through premium services (like selling custom domains through the app) rather than selling user data or aggressive advertising.

Can I cross-post from Threads or X? There is no native tool to do this inside the app. However, third-party tools like Buffer or Fedica are beginning to support Bluesky, allowing social media managers to post to multiple platforms at once.

Is it safe for brands? Many brands are hesitant because the audience is smaller. However, the lack of an unpredictable algorithm makes it a safer, more controllable environment for brand messaging compared to the volatility of X.

Does Bluesky use my data for AI training? Bluesky has stated they do not sell user data to third parties for AI training. This is a significant differentiator from X, which recently updated its terms of service to allow user posts to be used to train its Grok AI model.