It’s been a while since we last covered Bluesky, the decentralized X (formerly Twitter) alternative that made waves last year. The app focuses on fostering open discussions and conversations, a feature that X has recently moved away from. To make it easier for users to discover trending topics, Bluesky is rolling out two new features with its latest update.
The official Bluesky account recently announced the release of version 1.100, which introduces support for emoji reactions in direct messages. Now, you can react to someone’s message with a heart, a smiley, or any other emoji of your choice by long-pressing the DM.
The standout feature in this update is the revamped search page, now called the Explore page. It introduces “Hot” and “New” tags to give you a quick look at trending stories and emerging topics. The Explore page will also feature improved trends, personalized account suggestions, and starter packs for newcomers to the platform.
The new update is available for both the iOS and Android versions of the Bluesky app. If you haven’t received it yet, head to your app store and update to the latest version.
These changes significantly enhance the user experience, especially for those transitioning from X. Trends were one of the features I was hoping Bluesky would adopt, and I’m glad they not only included it but also improved it. It’s a step in the right direction, avoiding the mistakes made by Instagram Threads.
