Bluesky just added one of its most requested features: bookmarks, now called Saved Posts. It’s a simple addition with big impact, giving users a private way to save content without signaling it publicly.
Here’s how it works:
– Tap the new bookmark icon under any post, next to the heart.
– Your Saved Posts live in a dedicated Saved section in the app’s main navigation, so you can revisit them anytime.
Why this matters: likes on Bluesky are public because account activity is public by default. That can make people hesitant to like something they want to read later, research quietly, or keep personal. Saved Posts solve that by being private. Think of it as a reading list for things you don’t want to advertise—useful for journalists collecting sources, anyone tracking topics discreetly, or users who simply prefer privacy.
Under the hood, Bluesky runs on the AT Protocol, which doesn’t yet support private data. To keep bookmarks private, Bluesky stores them off-protocol for now, similar to how its private messages work. If the protocol adds private data support in the future, the implementation could change, but your bookmarks remain private today.
This move mirrors a broader shift in social platforms. Public likes can dampen engagement because people worry about how their activity looks. That’s one reason another major platform hid likes last year—to reduce friction around interacting with “edgier” or sensitive content.
Saved Posts should also cut down on the pushpin-emoji workaround many Bluesky users relied on to “save” posts by replying to themselves. There’s even a handy migration tool to bring those pinned replies into your new Saved list.
The update arrives alongside other recent improvements to the app, including a single button for both photo and video uploads, new feedback tools for creators of custom feeds, and the ability to add people to a Starter Pack—a curated set of recommended accounts anyone can create.
Bottom line: Saved Posts give Bluesky a clean, private way to keep track of what matters to you, boost engagement without pressure, and make the platform easier to use for research, inspiration, and everything in between.
