Bluesky has finally added direct messaging (DMs), giving internet denizens just one more reason to jump ship from competitor Twitter/X.
Announced in a blog post on Wednesday, Bluesky’s DMs system is still pretty bare bones. Right now you can only send text and emoji, so no sharing images or video. You can only DM other accounts one-on-one as well, so no group chats. However, the microblogging platform has said that it’s working on adding these features in future updates.
Bluesky also plans to add more privacy and safety measures, including end-to-end-encryption. You’ll probably want to keep your sensitive conversations on a secure messaging app such as Signal though, especially since Bluesky reserves the right rifle through your DMs.
“In rare cases, the Bluesky moderation team may need to open your DMs to investigate broader patterns of abuse, such as spam or coordinated harassment,” read Bluesky’s announcement. “This would only be done when absolutely necessary to keep Bluesky safe. Access is extremely limited and tracked internally.”
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If you do want Bluesky to take a peek at your conversations, you can report DMs directly to its moderators. They’ll be able to see the reported messages as well as those surrounding it for context.
Credit: Bluesky
Fortunately, Bluesky adding DMs doesn’t mean you need to brace yourself for a deluge of inappropriate, unwanted messages. Bluesky will only let people you follow send you DMs by default, though you can change this setting to allow everyone to message you — or absolutely no one. Accounts you’ve blocked won’t be able to DM you, though those you’ve muted will still be able to drop their thoughts directly to you.
Bluesky initially revealed its plans to add direct messaging in another blog post earlier this month. While DMs were first on Bluesky’s agenda, it’s also working on a number of other features, including adding video uploads and improving its moderation tools.