For those tired of Elon Musk’s completely ordinary X platform, it’s easy to forget that there are other social networks besides Threads. Bluesky is a good alternative because it’s “like” Twitter. However, it lacks some of the features that once made Twitter an Internet hotspot. Now, the big one has come: the company has announced that users can now upload video content.
There are a few caveats. First, videos must be under a minute long, which is a pretty big hurdle for pretty much any content other than TikTok-style short videos. By comparison, Meta’s Threads allows videos that are five minutes long. Also, videos autoplay by default, although that can be changed in settings. Finally, there’s a strict limit of 25 videos per user per day, though the company says it could adjust this in the future.
The platform supports most major video file formats, including .mp4, .mpeg, .webm, and .mov files. Users can also attach subtitles to each video, which is a nice little bonus. There are also some guardrails in place to protect against “spam and abuse.” Only users with verified email addresses can upload videos, and illegal content is “removed” from the infrastructure. There is also a way to submit a report to the moderation team. Additionally, each video is scanned for CSAM by Hive and Thorn.
To get started, update your mobile apps to version 1.91, which also works on desktop clients. Version 1.91 is being rolled out gradually to “ensure a smooth experience,” so not all users will have access to the feature right away.
Bluesky recently added a direct messaging feature that Threads doesn’t have. The platform may still be in third place compared to X and Threads, but it’s certainly growing. A ton of Brazilian users recently joined the social media site after X was banned in Brazil.
