Bluesky is a social networking app that is very similar to Twitter. It launched publicly in 2023 but potential users had to initially join a waitlist for an invite code. Now anyone can join. The number of users is growing daily!
You can download the Bluesky app for iOS or Google Play, or use Bluesky via desktop.
Creating an account
You can create an account at bsky.app. Click on the Sign Up button at the top left. Then add your name, chosen handle (username), email address and create a password. You will then be prompted to add a profile picture, bio and other basic information
You can change the display settings to be light or dark mode, or to match your system settings, via Settings > Appearance.
Your profile
Username and profile picture
Users create a handle which is then represented as @username.bsky.social. You can choose to upload a photo or avatar. It can be helpful to use the same profile picture and username as other social media accounts as this will help others recognise you. There is also the option to add a header image.
Bio
When writing your bio, tell people who you are, what you do and an indication of your interests. You can also add links to other social media accounts and websites. This helps people make a decision whether to follow you or not. Accounts with both a photo and bio are far more likely to be trusted.
Building a network
You can use Search to find people by their name or handle. Once you identify people of interest you can then follow them. A helpful next step is to look at who they follow and who their followers are. You can then see if there are people you would like to follow. As soon as you follow an account, the user will get a notification. They can then opt to check out your profile and choose to follow you back.
From the Home screen you can also click on Discover to find popular posts and potential accounts to follow. Popular with Friends shows you posts thar are popular with accounts you have followed. Again periodically check who your friends are following to see if there are new connections to make.
You may see friends share a Starter Pack. Users can create these to recommend accounts to follow. This collection (of up to 150 accounts) can be given a name and then shared as a link or QR code. When you click on this, it reveals a list of accounts you can then choose to follow. It’s a great way to start building your network. (See below for more info on creating your own starter pack).
This is an example of a Starter Pack I created containing educators in higher education that have a Bluesky account: Educators in HE Starter Pack 1.
Posts
This will be familiar if you have used other social networks. Click on New Post and then type your message in the space where it prompts you with ‘What’s up?’. You have up to 300 characters of text and can add images, video, GIFs or emojis by clicking on the relevant button. Hashtags and URL links can also be added to the post.
For your first post start with an introduction. Let people know you have joined! Then engage with posts you find interesting that others have added by liking, resharing and/or commenting.
Direct Messages
These are private one-to-one messages directly within the Bluesky app. By default, your permissions allow anyone you follow to DM you. You can change these settings to allow no one or anyone to message you.
To send a direct message
- Click the Chat icon. On mobile, you can find the icon at the bottom of your screen. On desktop, this is a chat bubble on the side bar (or go to https://bsky.app/messages).
- On mobile, click the plus icon to start a new conversation. On desktop, click “New chat” in the top right to start a new conversation. Search for the user you want to message.
- Write your message, and hit send.
- If the app says a user cannot be messaged, they may have set their account to only allow messages from people they follow or from no one.
Lists
Lists are a collection of users. You don’t need to follow an account to add a user to a list.
You can create a User List by clicking on Lists in the left menu and then + New. These are public and shareable. You have the option to add a List Avatar, a List Name and Description.
To add people to your List, click on their profile and then the three dots. From here click Add to Lists and select the List you wish to add them to.
Here is a link to an example: Higher Edcuation Educators
Starter Pack
A starter pack is also a collection of users, but provides an easy way to share your favourite feeds and people with friends as it gives the option for others to Follow All or individual accounts directly from the list. This a helpful start for those new to Bluesky. Every starter pack comes with a link and QR code that you can share with your professional network or post on other social apps.
Anyone with a Bluesky account can create starter packs. You can choose to use the auto-generation tool to create a starter pack or make your own from scratch. You can create more than one starter pack.
Click the Starter Packs tab which you can find on your profile, next to your media and likes tabs. Then click Create to add users to your starter pack.
Another example of a starter pack is the one created by Alex Spiers (@alexspiers.bsky.social) ALTC24 Learning Technology & Digital Education.
Blocking and Muting
To mute or block and account click on their profile and then the three dots on the top right. Click either Block Account or Mute Account.
Muting
Muting prevents you from seeing any notifications or top-level posts from an account. If they reply to a thread, you’ll see a section that says “Post from an account you muted” with an option to show the post. The account will not know that they have been muted.
Blocking
Blocking prevents interaction. When you block an account, both you and the other account will no longer be able to see or interact with each other’s posts.
How to flag abuse?
You can report posts by clicking on the three-dot menu. You can also report an entire account by visiting their profile and clicking the three-dot menu there.
If you would like to connect with me on Bluesky you can find my profile here: @suebecks.bsky.social
