Bluesky Update: New Butterfly Logo, Public Access for Non-Logged Users

Bluesky's latest updates bring increased accessibility to its content for users who are not logged into the platform. The CEO of Bluesky, Jay Graber, announced in a recent blog post that the decentralized Twitter alternative, still operating on an invite-only basis, now allows non-logged-in users to view posts both on the web and through the Bluesky app.

Unlike before, where visibility was restricted to logged-in users, Bluesky now offers an option for account holders to discourage logged-out users from viewing their posts. This feature can be activated by toggling a setting in the account preferences. However, Bluesky emphasizes that the effectiveness of this toggle may vary across different applications, and it does not render the account private.

In a note accompanying the toggle option, Bluesky clarifies, "Bluesky is an open and public network. This setting only limits the visibility of your content on the Bluesky app and website, and other apps may not respect this setting." Graber further elaborates in the blog post that Bluesky posts have always been public through developer tooling and other third-party apps.

Noteworthy is Bluesky's new logo, which now features a butterfly. The previous logo depicted a blue sky with clouds, but the change was inspired by the organic use of the butterfly emoji 🦋 by Bluesky users. Graber explains in the blog post that the butterfly symbolizes the platform's mission to transform social media into something innovative.

The introduction of the butterfly logo is seen as a significant improvement from the previous generic blue sky design. Additionally, Bluesky now incorporates a playful animation that may resonate with Twitter enthusiasts, as pointed out by Parker Ortolani, a colleague.

Despite concerns about Bluesky potentially being left behind due to the growing popularity of ActivityPub, especially with public support from Meta's Threads, Graber remains optimistic. He notes that Bluesky, built on its AT Protocol, continues to gain traction and sees active engagement. The hope is that both protocols coexist harmoniously, paving the way for a diverse and interconnected future in social media.