Bluesky rolls out Communities and Group Chats to boost user

Bluesky is adding new community‑focused features, including Reddit‑style “Communities” and group chats for up to 50 participants, as part of a broader shift away from a single public square model [1].

Key takeaways

• Communities will have unique handles that double as URLs (e.g., community-name.bsky.social) and can be public, invite‑only, or private [4].
• Users will be able to create, join, post in, and receive updates from Communities, with posts appearing in the Discover feed [1].
• Group chat support arrives in version 1.124, allowing up to 50 members per chat and offering invite‑link sharing [2].
• Community creators can add custom experiences using the AT Protocol’s open‑source tools [1].
• Bluesky’s growth has slowed to about 44.8 million registered users, prompting the push for more niche social structures [2].

Communities: Smaller spaces inside the larger Bluesky network

Head of product Alex Benzer has described Communities as “smaller spaces inside” the existing Bluesky platform, giving users dedicated places to discuss shared interests [1]. Each Community receives a handle that also serves as its URL, such as community-name.bsky.social or community-name.bsky.space, leading to a custom landing page where owners can embed apps and tools built on the AT Protocol [1][4]. Three privacy levels are planned: public (anyone can find, read, and post), invite‑only (discoverable but requires approval), and private (access by link only) [4]. When a user joins a Community, its posts will appear in their Discover feed, and they can opt into alerts for new activity [4]. Benzer says the team will continue consulting developers and community organizers as the feature rolls out later this year [1].

Group chats: Adding private conversation to the protocol

Bluesky’s latest app update (v1.124) introduces group chats that support up to 50 participants, a modest size compared with X’s 1,000‑member limit [2]. Creators can manage membership, generate shareable invite links, and set default invitation rules—by default, only people you follow can add you to chats [2]. Media sharing is not yet available, pending additional safety and moderation systems [2]. The group chat capability builds on Bluesky’s earlier messaging support added in 2024 and reflects the company’s broader community‑centric strategy [2].

Why it matters

Bluesky’s move toward Communities and group chats signals a strategic pivot from a broad “public square” to more niche, user‑controlled spaces, aiming to attract users seeking ownership over their online interactions. With roughly 44.8 million registered users, the platform is attempting to differentiate itself from larger competitors like X and Threads by leveraging the open AT Protocol and offering customizable community experiences [2]. The rollout of these features will likely shape how decentralized social networks compete for engagement, and future updates may expand chat limits, media support, and discoverability options as the ecosystem matures.