Jack Dorsey’s decentralized Twitter rival enters App Store

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of the online microblogging work Twitter, is progressing with Bluesky, a decentralized Twitter alternative, arsenic its mobile exertion is present being tested successful backstage beta.

Bluesky has hit the App Store arsenic an invite-only app, allowing definite persons to effort retired the caller societal acquisition by creating an relationship via an invitation code.

According to a study by TechCrunch, the Bluesky iOS app debuted connected Feb. 17 and has amassed astir 2,000 installs arsenic of Feb. 28. The app is reportedly not yet disposable for Android testers connected Google Play.

As 1 tin spot connected Bluesky’s App Store preview, the rival app looks precise overmuch similar Twitter, with the interface having a batch of Twitter-like features, including the mode handles, followers arsenic good arsenic posts and replies are represented. The Bluesky app’s provender besides reflects likes, comments and reposts successful a akin mode to Twitter.

Bluesky iPhone screenshots. Source: App Store

According to TechCrunch, the app allows users to make a station of up to 265 characters, oregon conscionable a fewer little than Twitter’s 280 characters. Instead of Twitter’s “What’s happening?,” Bluesky asks “What’s up?” Bluesky users tin share, mute and artifact accounts, portion much precocious tools, similar adding them to lists, are not yet available.

Bluesky’s provender and notifications interface connected backstage beta. Source: TechCrunch

Despite resembling Twitter truthful much, Bluesky is seemingly acceptable to person immoderate method features designed to marque it precise antithetic from Elon Musk’s societal media giant. The level aims to supply a decentralized societal web protocol, which is expected to marque its idiosyncratic information escaped from power by immoderate authorities oregon corporation.

Bluesky is built connected apical of the AT protocol, a caller federated societal web that integrates ideas from the latest decentralized technologies. Originally known arsenic Authenticated Transfer Protocol, oregon ADX, the AT protocol is Bluesky's main effort that aims to alteration a caller mode for servers to pass with each other, allowing individuals and businesses to self-host and person aggregate websites alternatively of one.

Related: Web3 connection app goes aft Twitter with $12.5M effect funding

As antecedently reported, Bluesky released its archetypal batch of code successful aboriginal May 2022, a fewer weeks earlier Dorsey exited Twitter’s committee of directors. In October, officially introduced the Bluesky societal app and the AT protocol, which came astir 3 years aft Dorsey launched the task with enactment from Twitter successful 2019.

The quality comes amid Dorsey reportedly moving immoderate Bitcoin (BTC) utilizing his different societal protocol known arsenic Nostr. Damus, the archetypal mobile app to leverage the protocol, was published connected the App Store successful February 2023.