As TikTok’s future in the U.S. hangs in the balance, social media platforms are racing to capture those potentially looking to jump ship. Enter Bluesky, a promising platform that has just added a custom feed for vertical videos to its app.
Now featuring a trending videos section in the Explore tab, Bluesky is aiming to entice users with an experience akin to popular short video apps. The new feature allows users to swipe up and discover more content effortlessly. Moreover, the app provides the flexibility to pin the feed, making it easily accessible from your home screen or including it in your curated list of feeds for a personalized touch.
In a recent announcement, Bluesky expressed its excitement about joining the video movement by saying, “We had to get in on the video action, too.” They highlighted the ability for users to customize their experience, ensuring that Bluesky remains uniquely tailored to each of its users.
Beyond its own developments, Bluesky is keeping an eye on initiatives stemming from the AT Protocol — the technology that powers Bluesky itself. Several interesting TikTok alternatives are emerging from this decentralized protocol, including Tik.Blue, Skylight.Social, and Bluescreen.Blue. These are still in the early stages, running closed tests, but they represent a budding ecosystem of innovation.
Amidst concerns over TikTok and other ByteDance apps like CapCut, Lemon8, and Marvel Snap, Bluesky has enjoyed a surge in popularity, recently surpassing 28 million users over the weekend.
Of course, Bluesky isn’t alone in seizing this opportunity. Other social media giants are making strategic moves too. Elon Musk’s platform, X, has rolled out a dedicated vertical video feed for U.S. users, while Meta has unveiled a new video editing app called Edits, clearly designed to compete with CapCut.
As the digital landscape evolves under the shadow of uncertainty for TikTok, it’s a thrilling time to see how these platforms innovate and vie for the attention of its vast user base. Stay tuned as the social media saga continues to unfold!
