X alternative Bluesky bags a few hundred thousand new users in a week

Bluesky, the decentralized social network gaining ground as an alternative to Elon Musk’s X, just saw a massive spike in new users. In the past week alone, it added over 700,000 users, pushing its total to 14.5 million. Bluesky’s COO, Rose Wang, told The Verge that most of these newcomers are from the U.S., as people increasingly seek a different social experience than what’s offered on X.

The recent surge follows Bluesky’s rapid growth over the past few weeks, especially after some unpopular changes over at X. Just last month, when X announced that blocked users could still view posts from the person blocking them, Bluesky saw a flood of interest, adding 500,000 users in a single day. Now, amid a contentious political landscape and escalating issues around hate speech on X, many Americans, and notably, Taylor Swift fans, seem to be exploring new spaces like Bluesky.

Bluesky’s popularity is also riding on recent updates that make it feel more familiar to users coming from X. The app now supports features like pinned posts, video sharing, and direct messaging — basics that users expect. Bluesky even allows people to create and curate their own feeds, giving users algorithmic choices instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all “For You” feed, a common frustration on other platforms. In the U.S. App Store, Bluesky is currently the #2 free social networking app, just behind Meta’s Threads.

Bluesky is now the #2 social app in the US, Canada, and #3 in the UK 🦋

On bsky, ~30% of y’all are posters compared to the 1% main characters on other platforms. Turns out there’s more chattiness & connection when you have algorithmic choice 🤭

— Rose 🌹 (@rose.bsky.team) November 11, 2024 at 11:49 PM

However, Bluesky has had its own share of quirks. The app’s Discover page has been criticized for pushing furry and anime pictures, a choice that doesn’t appeal to everyone. But that hasn’t stopped it from attracting a steady flow of people curious about alternatives to the big players like X and Threads.

Bluesky’s recent $15 million Series A funding round, led by Blockchain Capital, has also provided the platform with resources to expand its network and features. For now, Bluesky is still far behind Threads’ 275 million monthly users, but it’s clearly making a name for itself in a crowded social media landscape. Whether this momentum will last remains to be seen, but for now, Bluesky’s rise reflects a clear demand for alternatives that prioritize community-driven engagement over rigid algorithms.