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After Elon Musk bought Twitter (now X) a little more than three years ago, people started searching for alternative social networks. The goal was to find a platform similar to Twitter but without the dysfunction and toxicity. In response, a few new social media platforms popped up. One such service is Bluesky Social.
Since officially launching as an invite-only beta in February 2023 and then expanding to everyone in February 2024, Bluesky has seen its audience steadily increase. By November 2023, the platform had reached 2 million people. Cut to November 2024, and the number had grown to 20 million. At last count, Bluesky currently is home to 40 million registered users.
Also: How to migrate from X to Bluesky without losing your followers
Along the way, Bluesky has tried to keep innovating by adding and improving key features. These include such items as custom feeds, direct messages, pinned posts, support for video attachments, an in-app music player, and more effective tools for dealing with inappropriate posts and accounts.
How Bluesky compares to X
Bluesky looks and works a lot like X. And that's no coincidence. Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey initially backed the company, though he left its board in 2024. But Bluesky also differs from X in several ways.
Unlike X, which is a closed platform owned by one person, Bluesky is a decentralized social network with no central authority. Built on the AT protocol, Bluesky is an open-source platform that allows different social media apps to talk with each other. Bluesky users can share posts on networks that use the same protocol, such as Mastodon.
Many Bluesky users also like the platform because it generally offers a less noxious and combative environment compared with X. Bluesky feels like a friendlier social network where people can express their opinions without being blasted by trolls.
Also: How to manage Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads all from one free app
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