Bluesky Adds Private Bookmarks
Bluesky, the emerging microblogging platform, has introduced a highly requested feature: private bookmarks (also referred to as “Saved Posts”). This allows users to save posts for later reference without making their activity visible publicly.
🔐 A Response to Privacy Concerns
Traditionally, Bluesky activities like likes are visible to everyone.
The private bookmarks feature allows users to discreetly save posts, including sensitive or personal content, addressing growing privacy demands.
📌 How It Works
Users can click a bookmark icon under any post to add it to their private “Saved” section, accessible from the main navigation.
Available on both mobile and web versions of Bluesky.
Posts previously saved using the 📌 emoji can be migrated into this new private section.
🔄 Technical Notes
The underlying protocol, Authenticated Transfer Protocol (AT Protocol), does not yet fully support private data.
As a temporary measure, bookmarks are stored outside the protocol, similar to direct messages.
Future updates to the protocol will allow full integration of private data handling for bookmarks.
🌍 Growing Adoption
Bluesky’s popularity has surged, especially after many users left X (formerly Twitter) following Elon Musk’s acquisition.
The platform has become a hub for scientific communities; posts referencing scientific articles show higher engagement and originality than similar posts on X.
✅ Conclusion
By introducing private bookmarks, Bluesky is enhancing user privacy while expanding its feature set. This move may increase user engagement and attract individuals who prioritize online privacy.