Taking Another Cue From X, Bluesky Adds Message Reactions

Contents

Discovering new accounts and related content is now easier

Summary

Bluesky, a decentralized social network gaining traction with former X users, has released version 1.100 of its app.
The update introduces chat reactions in direct messages, mirroring a popular X feature, with a selection of initial emojis and access to the full library.
Bluesky’s search page has been revamped into an “Explore” page, offering trending topics, suggested accounts based on interests, and more.

Born as a decentralized alternative to popular social media platforms, BlueSky first went into invite-only beta for iOS users in 2023. It subsequently expanded to Android in the same year, with public availability in the following.

Bluesky has since crossed the 30 million user mark, and without a doubt, a significant portion of those are disgruntled former X (Twitter) natives that fled the Elon Musk-owned platform to seek alternatives. But users aren’t the last of what Bluesky is adopting from X — it is borrowing some features too.

As announced by the platform in a new post, Bluesky app version 1.100 is out now, and it finally brings chat reactions to your DMs.

Normally, reacting to messages on most platforms works by long-tapping said message and choosing from a list of emojis. On X’s web version, each message features a dedicated React button, while the mobile apps feature a React button and long-tap-to-react functionality. Bluesky seems to be following X web’s lead.

The initial reaction sheet features 5 commonly used emojis, including Thumbs Up, Grinning Squinting Face, Red Heart, Eyes, and Cry. Users can tap the three-dot menu to access the full emoji tray.

Elsewhere, Bluesky’s Search page has now been revamped to a full-fledged Explore page that does a lot more than simply allowing you to type in what you’re looking for. Right at the top of the new ~~Search~~ Explore page, you’ll now see a new ‘Your interests’ section that can be edited at any time, allowing your feed to stay relevant, even when your hobbies and interests change.

Following interests is a ‘Suggested Accounts’ section that, as its name suggests, highlights accounts that Bluesky thinks are worth following based on your interests.

There’s also a new ‘Trending topics’ page that highlights discussions that have recently garnered widespread attention, alongside contextual ‘New’ and/or ‘Hot’ labels and how long ago said topic began trending. Below is the familiar doom scroll-worthy feed full of posts that match your interests.

The changes are live now for you to try out on Android, iOS and the web.