Bluesky now allows anyone to sign up.
The social network has become one of the main alternatives to X, formerly known as Twitter, as some users choose to leave that site after the acquisition by Elon Musk.
But until now new users could only join with an invitation code. A limited number of these codes were provided to existing users, who could choose when and if they wanted to share them.
Bluesky has now said it is “ready for everyone to join the conversation”.
It said the update came at a time when Bluesky had reached over three million users in its beta version for invitees only. This period also allowed for the introduction of a range of new features, including personalized feeds and moderation features.
These personalized feeds are intended as an alternative to hidden algorithms on other platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. Instead, users can choose to join over 25,000 personalized feeds focusing on topics of interest, from cats to Formula 1.
Bluesky also highlighted the fact that it offers an accessible experience, with “no need for technical knowledge”. Apparently, the intention was to differentiate it from Mastodon, another open-source alternative that has sometimes struggled to grow due to the complexity of its sign-up process.
“We built Bluesky so users could easily discover interesting content in a vibrant network of communities,” said Jay Graber, Bluesky’s chief executive. “During our beta period, we used an invite system to manage growth as we built our infrastructure and were thrilled to see people starting to create their own community on Bluesky. Now, we are welcoming everyone.”
Bluesky was born within official Twitter, as part of a plan by co-founder and then CEO Jack Dorsey. He said he wanted to build a new “decentralized social network protocol” that would free users from the control of centralized platforms like Twitter.
In 2021, Bluesky was spun off to become an independent app and company, and hired its own employees. It not only runs its own app, but also a decentralized protocol on which it was built.
It began to grow more rapidly after Elon Musk took over Twitter in October 2022. Alongside Mastodon and Instagram’s Threads, it has become a key alternative to the platform run by Musk and has been favored by users wanting to protest against the changes to the site.