Getting Started on Bluesky? 5 Unique Features to Check Out Right Away

Bluesky has picked up steam in recent weeks as a less toxic alternative to X, but the platform has some genuinely cool features on its own, like using your own domain as a username.

Bluesky dates back to 2019, when Jack Dorsey, then Twitter’s CEO, said he was funding a small independent team at Twitter charged with developing an “open and decentralized standard for social media.” The first iteration of the Bluesky protocol arrived in October 2022, and it was a niche, invite-only social network until earlier this year.

Since then, it has added more X-like features, from direct messages to hashtags, but it’s also sought to differentiate itself from its larger competitors by pledging not to use Bluesky posts for AI-training purposes. Bluesky has some fairly robust content-moderation tools as well.

If you’re tempted to make the jump to the newest social platform, here are five unique features and tools you should know about.

1. Use Custom URL Handles

(Credit: Tyler Hayes)

If you don’t want the standard @username.bsky.social handle (or it’s not available), then you can use your own custom domain as your public persona. This has the added benefit of associated verification if the domain you use is well-known and reputable. Bluesky points to the example of NPR, where employees can identify as @person.npr.org.

The beauty of how Bluesky handles accounts is that you can switch to a domain at any time without losing any followers or posts. To get started, head to Settings in your Bluesky account. Under the Advanced section, select Change Handle, and then I have my own domain. You will need to add a bit of code to a DNS panel, but overall, the process is pretty streamlined. (Here are more detailed instructions from Bluesky.) Plus, in the future, you should be able to move your username and account to a server that isn’t bsky.social with minimal effort.

2. Browse User-Created Feeds/Algorithms

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One of Bluesky’s biggest draws is its feeds, or custom algorithms. Whereas X offers two main feeds—For You and Following—Bluesky has the standard Following feed as well as custom feeds you can pin to the top of the app.

Bluesky created a few suggested feeds, such as one featuring posts from mutual followers and another showing what’s popular with the accounts you follow. But there are many super-specific options, like feeds that are just pictures of cats, gardening-related posts, discussions about cooking, and more. It’s safe to assume there will be plenty more in the future, too.

You can check out feed options by tapping the hashtag option on the home screen. Creating your own feed requires some basic coding skills, but Bluesky has an explainer on GitHub.

3. Create Shareable Moderation Lists

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Open platforms attract all kinds of people, including those whose entire raison d’être is to bully and harass those who disagree with them. X has come under fire for loosening its content moderation under Elon Musk and largely dismantling its block function, for example. No service is perfect, but Bluesky seems to have some robust moderation tools out of the gate.

For instance, people can create and share their own lists of accounts that should be blocked en masse. Find that under Settings > Moderation > Moderation lists. The Moderation section is also where you manage muted words and accounts, blocked accounts, content filters, and more.

For example, you can hide content labeled as being a scam, rude, self-harm, extremist, or impersonation, among other types of posts.

Importantly, if one of your posts goes viral and is quoted as part of an attack, you can detach that post from another person’s quoted post.

4. Create a Bluesky Squad With Starter Packs

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A Starter Pack is a neat way to help new people get started on the service. Essentially, it’s a curated group of people and feeds to follow. But instead of typing out a bunch of people’s names into a post, a Starter Pack shows more information about each person and makes it a lot more likely the listed people get followed. To create your own Starter Pack, head to your Profile tab on Bluesky, select Starter Packs, and then Create.

Sports reporters have been notoriously slow to leave X, so I appreciate The Athletic Starter Pack from Keith Law. And don’t skip the PCMag Starter Pack for all your tech commentary needs.

5. Tweak Your Following Feed Preferences

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Mastodon, which has also benefited from the X-odus, has been criticized fors not allowing quote-posts since it “inevitably adds toxicity to people’s behaviors,” says founder Eugen Rochko. But some people prefer a cleaner feed, and Bluesky lets you choose your own adventure here.

In addition to customizing who appears on your feed, you can also determine what type of posts show up. Not a fan of re-posts, replies, or quoted posts? Turn them off under Settings > Following Feed Preferences, where can choose not to see Replies, Reposts, or Quote Posts.

About Tyler Hayes

Contributor

I’ve contributed to PCMag since 2019, covering all kinds of consumer electronics. As a self-identifying early adopter of technology, I’ve stumbled through the changing devices over the years and usually end up writing about how they work, why they’re great, or how they could be better.

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