Bluesky Gains Twitter-Like Message Reactions and New Search Page

Bluesky is rolling out a new update introducing features that might ease the transition for social media users coming over from X (Twitter).

bluesky
First up, version 1.100 adds emoji reactions to Bluesky's direct messaging system. Users can now respond to messages with quick emoji reactions by holding down on a message and selecting from common options like hearts, thumbs up, and laughing faces. For those wanting more expression, the three-dot menu provides access to a full emoji keyboard.

The app's search page has also been completely revamped and renamed "Explore." This new discovery hub prominently displays trending topics labeled with tags like "Hot" or "New," along with timestamps showing when topics started gaining traction.

bluesky emoji reactions
Beyond trends, the Explore page now recommends accounts to follow across various interest categories such as Art, Sports, Music, and Politics. Users can also personalize their experience by selecting specific interests that inform what appears on their Explore page.

bluesky explore
Meanwhile, for newcomers, Bluesky has added curated "Starter Packs," or pre-made lists of accounts focused on specific topics that users can follow with a single tap.

bluesky explore page 2
The features are designed to make the transition easier for users migrating from other platforms while improving content discovery within Bluesky.

Bluesky has over 34 million active users, according to the company. That's still a lot less than Meta's Threads in total users, but the platform continues to gain popularity as an alternative to X. The update is available now on the App Store [Direct Link] for iPhone users running iOS 15.1 or later.

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...

Top Rated Comments

Ctrlos Avatar
14 weeks ago

Today on MacRumors: A platform run by a few billionaires looks more like a platform run by a billionaire now. Hilarious.
The CEO of Bluesky is worth about $5m. She and the rest of the staff are a bunch of ex-Twitter software engineers who span off at the behest of ex-CEO Jack Dorsey to look at creating a federated platform. The company is ran as a public benefit and not purely for shareholder gain.

Its also a nice breezy social networking platform :)
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
it wasnt me Avatar
14 weeks ago
Today on MacRumors: A platform run by a few billionaires looks more like a platform run by a billionaire now. Hilarious.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lsutgr Avatar
14 weeks ago
X has become really good. Don't see the reason for Blue Sky's existence.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrRadon Avatar
14 weeks ago

Oh, sorry. Millionaires.



Mastodon is run as a public benefit. I'm sure Bluesky's venture capitalist funding will have to paid back some day.
Imagine taking part in a Apple discussion forum and complaining about capitalism.

And Bro. Everyone is a millionaire these days. If you are capable of building a product that 35 million people use it’s ok that you can buy a house and go out for dinner. That’s perfectly within reason of wealth generation.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
richpjr Avatar
14 weeks ago

Fostering kindness and preventing harm is a higher good than freedom of speech
Reading some of the posts on Bluesky shows anything but kindness and preventing harm. It is merely a platform that moderates certain points of view and not others.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheMacDaddy1 Avatar
14 weeks ago
I never used Twitter/X. Not going to use this thing. The world does not need another social media dumpster.

It will be gone in a couple years at most.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)