Bluesky Launches Group Chats and Announces Reddit-Style Communities Feature
Bluesky has launched group chat functionality supporting up to 50 participants and announced plans to introduce Reddit-style communities later this year, according to statements from the platform's head of product Alex Benzer. The features represent a strategic shift toward community-focused social networking as Bluesky competes with larger platforms like X and Meta's Threads. These moves aim to differentiate Bluesky by offering users more control and ownership over their online community experience on its open-source AT Protocol.
Bluesky has rolled out group chat support in its latest app version (v1.124), allowing up to 50 people to communicate privately with customizable participation controls and shareable invite links. The platform's head of product, Alex Benzer, simultaneously announced that Reddit-style communities will launch later this year, featuring customizable landing pages, dedicated handles that serve as URLs, and the ability for community owners to build custom experiences using AT Protocol tools. Communities will appear in users' Discover feeds or dedicated community feeds, with optional alerts for new posts. This strategic pivot toward community-focused features comes as Bluesky's growth has slowed to 44.8 million registered users compared to X's 600 million monthly active users. The timing is notable given X's April announcement that it was shutting down its Communities feature due to low usage and spam, suggesting Bluesky is positioning itself to capture users seeking more control over their community experience on decentralized platforms.
What different sources said
- TechCrunchCenter
Bluesky launches group chats, as company shifts focus to community features
- EngadgetCenter
Bluesky will launch Reddit-style communities this year
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