Bluesky launches group chats as it shifts to community features

Bluesky has added support for group chats in version 1.124, offering private spaces for up to 50 people. The feature follows the app’s 2024 messaging rollout and the more recent addition of encrypted chats via the third-party service Germ. The change is one of the first to deliver on Bluesky’s plan to focus more on communities rather than posting primarily to a wide public audience, a shift that comes as overall growth has slowed; the network counts about 44.8 million registered users compared with X’s 600 million monthly active users.

Group chat creators can manage membership and generate invite links that appear as embedded cards in Bluesky posts. Participants can control who is allowed to invite them — everyone, only people they follow, or no one — with the default set to “only people you follow” unless a different DM setting is chosen.

Sharing media in group chats is not yet supported while Bluesky builds additional safety and moderation systems.

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