How to Get Started on Bluesky

Bluesky is a social media platform that feels a lot like early Twitter — short posts, public conversations, and the ability to follow people who share your interests. It launched to the general public in 2024 and has grown quickly as people look for a less chaotic alternative to other platforms.

Unlike Twitter/X, Bluesky is built on an open protocol, which means no single company fully controls it. For everyday users, this mostly just means the experience is cleaner and less ad-heavy than many other social networks.

You can use Bluesky on your phone (iPhone or Android) or in any web browser at bsky.app. The mobile app is free.

One thing people like about Bluesky is that it lets you create custom "starter packs" — curated lists of accounts to follow, organized around topics like news, science, cooking, or local communities. When you first join, finding a good starter pack makes the experience much better immediately.

Your username on Bluesky ends with .bsky.social by default (for example, @janedoe.bsky.social), but you can also connect your own domain name if you have one — a feature popular with journalists and organizations.

Bluesky is worth joining if you enjoyed Twitter in its earlier days, want to follow real-time conversations about news and current events, or simply want another way to stay connected with friends and public figures.