The decentralized social media platform, Bluesky, has finally introduced the direct messaging (DM) feature, allowing users to communicate privately.
What Happened: On Thursday, Twitter-killer Bluesky announced that users can now send DMs by clicking on the chat icon at the bottom of their mobile screens or the chat bubble in the sidebar on their desktop.
On mobile, users simply need to tap the plus icon to start a new conversation and on the desktop, they just have to click “New chat” in the top right corner. After that, search for the user for whom the message is intended.
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The feature is currently limited to text messages, but the platform has plans to include support for images and videos. Bluesky is also working on implementing end-to-end encryption for DMs.
By default, if a user follows someone on the platform, they can DM them. However, this can be changed by going to the platform’s settings menu. Additionally, users can choose to enable or disable message notification sound.
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Moreover, Bluesky allows users to report and block other users from within their messages.
The platform also stated that “in rare cases, the Bluesky moderation team may need to open” users' DMs to “investigate broader patterns of abuse, such as spam or coordinated harassment.” However, it assured that “this would only be done when absolutely necessary.”
Why It Matters: The latest development at Bluesky comes amidst significant changes within the company.
Earlier this month, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey stepped down from the Bluesky board. His departure raised many questions, but neither Dorsey nor Bluesky has disclosed the reason behind this decision.
Meanwhile, Bluesky has been adding new features since it dropped its invite-only system in February 2024. At the time, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber said that the reason behind the invite-only system was the platform’s lack of moderation features.
She said that the company needed to stabilize its infrastructure and strengthen moderation on the platform before going beyond the closed beta. Greber also stated then that Bluesky has 1.6 million monthly users and 25,000 custom feeds.
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Read Next: Inspired by Elon Musk’s X Makeover? Bluesky Unveils Refreshed Logo, Now Offers Public Post Viewing
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