Bluesky Now Lets You Privately Bookmark Posts

Bluesky Introduces Saved Posts Feature

The social networking platform, Bluesky, has begun implementing a highly requested feature for its users – Saved Posts, rather than an edit function.

New Feature Details

The company announced this new addition on Monday. Access to Saved Posts is provided through a dedicated bookmark icon located beneath each post, positioned adjacent to the existing "like" or favorite button.

Users can access their saved content at any time via the newly added “Saved” section within the app’s primary navigation menu.

Why Bookmarks Matter

Although both likes and bookmarks allow users to mark posts for future reference, bookmarks provide a private alternative to public likes. On Bluesky, user accounts and associated data are publicly visible, meaning likes are also public.

This lack of privacy isn’t ideal for all users. Some content is personal, or simply doesn’t align with a user’s desired public image.

Lessons from X (formerly Twitter)

Elon Musk at X (formerly Twitter) observed that the public nature of likes could negatively impact user engagement. This led to the company hiding users’ likes last year.

X employees at the time explained that public likes could encourage undesirable behavior. Users might be hesitant to like content considered “edgy” or potentially damaging to their online reputation.

Technical Considerations & The AT Protocol

Currently, the AT Protocol – the technology underpinning Bluesky and other social applications – does not support private data. Consequently, hiding user likes isn’t possible.

As a temporary solution, Bluesky has developed a method to store bookmarks off-protocol, ensuring user privacy, similar to the platform’s Direct Messages (DMs).

Future updates to the AT Protocol that incorporate private data support could alter this approach.

Impact on User Engagement

The introduction of Saved Posts on Bluesky is expected to encourage greater user interaction with content. It also provides a curated space for revisiting posts of specific interest.

This feature offers an alternative to the common practice of replying to posts with the red pushpin emoji, which many Bluesky users previously used as a workaround for saving content. A migration tool is available for users who utilized this method.

Recent Updates to the Bluesky App

This addition follows a recent update to the Bluesky app, released just days prior. This update included a button enabling both photo and video uploads, tools for providing feedback to custom feed creators, and the ability to add users to a Starter Park – a curated list of recommended accounts.

Starter Parks can be created by anyone.