Bluesky has introduced a new privacy-focused control that gives users more say over how widely their posts are seen across the platform. The new feature allows people to opt out of having their public posts appear in Bluesky’s main Discover feed, reducing the chances of their content being shown to users outside their existing audience.
The update arrives shortly after Bluesky expanded support for longer videos, showing that the social network is continuing to refine both its content tools and user controls.
Bluesky’s Discover feed is an algorithmic timeline designed to surface posts from across the network. Since posts on Bluesky are public by default, the feed can currently recommend almost any public post to a broader audience. For users who enjoy reaching new people, that can be useful. But for others, unexpected visibility can feel uncomfortable, especially when a casual post is pushed beyond its intended circle.
The new opt-out setting does not make Bluesky posts private. Public posts remain public, and people may still be able to view them in other ways. Instead, the feature is meant to make posts less discoverable through Bluesky’s algorithmic recommendations. In simple terms, it gives users a way to avoid being amplified by the Discover feed.
Bluesky says the feature was created because not everyone wants their posts to gain widespread attention. Many people use social media to communicate with friends, followers, or smaller communities, not to go viral. This new setting gives those users a better way to keep their posts closer to their own network without changing the public nature of the platform.
Users who want to turn off Discover feed visibility can find the option in the Privacy and Security section of the Bluesky app. Once enabled, the setting may take up to an hour to fully apply.
One of the more notable parts of this update is that the preference is tied to the user’s account, not just the Bluesky app itself. Bluesky is built on AT Proto, the decentralized protocol that can also power other social apps. Because the opt-out choice is recorded at the account level, it can follow users across other apps using the same protocol.
However, other apps are not automatically required to honor the preference. They can access the information, but each app must decide whether to respect the user’s choice.
The update reflects Bluesky’s broader push to give users more control over their online experience. While the platform is still working on deeper privacy features, including support for private data at the protocol level, this Discover feed opt-out is a meaningful step for users who want public posting without unwanted algorithmic exposure.
For people who enjoy open conversations but prefer not to be suddenly pushed into a much larger spotlight, Bluesky’s new setting offers a practical middle ground: posts can remain public, while algorithmic discovery becomes easier to avoid.
