Bluesky will immediately allow you to restrict replies to “followers only”

Social network BlueSky gives users more control over who can reply to their posts right away. Checked by Bluesky developer Paul Frazee, Bluesky adds a new “followers only” setting that users can configure to restrict replies. Additionally, he says Bluesky creates a way for users to set default replies settings. This means that if you want to always limit your replies to just followers, for example, you can.

These changes will help you further distinguish your app from its biggest competitor, Elon Musk’s X and Meta threads.

In X, users can select a set of replies controls, such as “Everyone”, “Accounts You Follow”, “Valid Accounts”, and “Only Accounts to Refer”. You can also post to a specific community that you are a member of. This limits reach.

On the other hand, in threads, users can choose “Anyone”, “Profile to Follow”, and “Only Remarks”.

Bluesky has so far adopted a similar set of settings as its rivals, with users posting replies to their posts to “all,” “nobody,” “referred users,” and “follow users.” can be restricted. (In addition, the latter two options can be combined with a created list.)

Offering the “followers only” reply option is a new twist, saying Frazzy can “make it viral” while reducing “context breakdown.” This refers to cases where the viral post expands its reach far beyond the original target audience.

Developers point out that this change is limited to those who can respond to posts. That doesn’t affect who can see it.

For some time, the “followers only” reply option has been suggested by Bluesky users. Frazee himself was discussing follower options. December 2023.

The underlying protocols that enhance Bluesky have also been upgraded to support features that go even further than this.