Bluesky now lets you view profiles and posts without logging in
Bluesky gets a new logo.
Bluesky has just made it easier for anyone to check out specific posts. Courtesy of the latest update to the website and app, you can now view Bluesky posts without being logged in or using an account. The new capability rolled out late last week, according to a blog post from Bluesky CEO Jay Graber.
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The only limitation is that you can't just browse different profiles and posts from the home page without being logged in. You need to know the specific profile name or post link that you want to see. However, you can search for a particular user by full name or handle to view their profile and all their posts.
With the new option, all posts are accessible to anyone. Don't want your posts to be seen by the public? Head to the Moderation tab on the website or in the app and turn on the switch for "Discourage apps from showing my account to logged-out users." Doing so will keep your profile and posts visible only to logged-in Bluesky users; however, other apps may not respect this setting, according to the switch's description.
A new beta feature also allows you to hide an individual post if you don't want to see it again. Available in the ellipsis icon menu, the "Hide Post" command will remove it from your feeds and put a mask behind it if you visit it directly through a link.
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With Bluesky still available only through invitation or waitlist, the developers need a way to help people experience it without an account. Though you can't like, repost, or reply to a post without being logged in, you can still fully read a post and access any links it contains. Plus, you can translate the post to another language, copy the text of the post, and copy any links in the post.
And there's more on tap for Bluesky users. There's now an embedded video and music player for the website and app that can play video or audio from such services as YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Twitch via a link. Just click or tap the Play button to watch or listen.
Finally, Bluesky has a new logo, namely a blue butterfly. Why a butterfly? In his post, Graber called it a symbol of change and transformation.
"Early on, we noticed that people were organically using the butterfly emoji to indicate their Bluesky handles," Graber said. "We loved it, and adopted it as it spread. Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, we are starting to open up. Posts on Bluesky have been public from the start through the open protocol, but today we're making them publicly accessible through the app. We're unfolding a little bit at a time, and are excited to bring you along on this journey of metamorphosis!"