Bluesky introduces algorithmic opt-out for users who don't want their posts to go viral
Social network Bluesky has rolled out a new setting letting users exclude their posts from the platform's Discover feed. The feature doesn't make posts private but reduces their visibility beyond a user's existing network.
Bluesky introduced a new feature on Thursday that lets users opt out of algorithmic surfacing, preventing their posts from appearing in the platform's main Discover feed. The rollout came just a day after Bluesky added support for longer videos.
The Discover feed can currently surface any post on Bluesky's network, since posts are public by default. The company clarifies that this new option does not make posts private — support for private data at the protocol level is still being developed. Instead, the feature simply makes a user's public posts less discoverable to people outside their existing network.
Why the feature was created
Bluesky says not everyone on the platform wants to go viral. Sometimes users just want to share thoughts with their followers rather than have them exposed to a much larger audience.
How to turn it on
To stop posts from appearing in the Discover feed, users can toggle a new option in the app's Privacy and Security settings. The company notes the change can take up to an hour to fully take effect.
Works across other apps too
The feature's implementation extends beyond Bluesky's own app. The preference is recorded at the account level, meaning it follows the user even when posting through another app built on the same underlying AT Protocol. However, while those other apps can access this information, they still choose for themselves whether to honor it.
