Social network Bluesky will soon give its users more control over who can reply to their posts. Confirmed by Bluesky developer Paul Frazee, Bluesky will add a new “followers only” setting that users can configure to limit replies. In addition, he says, Bluesky will create a way for users to set their default reply settings. That means if you want to always limit your replies to followers only, for instance, you could.
These changes will help to further differentiate the app from its largest competitors, Elon Musk’s X and Meta’s Threads.
On X, users can choose between a set of reply controls, including “Everyone,” “Accounts you follow,” “Verified accounts,” and “Only accounts you mention.” You also can post to specific Communities you’re a member of, which also limits their reach.
Meanwhile, on Threads, users can pick between “Anyone,” “Profiles you follow,” and “Mentioned only.”
Bluesky so far has adopted a similar set of settings as its rivals, allowing users to limit replies to their posts to “Everybody,” “Nobody,” “Mentioned Users,” and “Followed Users.” (In addition, you can combine the latter two options with any lists you’ve created.)
Offering a “followers only” reply option is a new twist, and one that Frazee says could help make “going viral less intense” while also reducing “context collapse.” That refers to when a viral post expands its reach far beyond the original target audience, who may then misunderstand the post or be confused.
The developer notes that the change will only limit who can respond to a post — it doesn’t impact who can view it.
A “followers only” reply option has been suggested by Bluesky users for some time. Frazee himself was discussing a followers option with a user back in December 2023.
The underlying AT Protocol that powers Bluesky will also be upgraded to support the feature further down the road.