Bluesky has a new setting to help you avoid accidentally going viral

Bluesky is adding a new feature that could be especially useful for anyone worried about inadvertently becoming a "main character." The app introduced a new privacy setting that allows users to prevent their posts from being shown to non-followers in the algorithmic "discover" feed.

The new tool, which is available in the app's privacy settings, is an account-level control not a per-post filter. So enabling the setting will prevent all your posts from being shown in discover to people that don't already follow you.

The feature won't, however, make your posts entirely private or undiscoverable. Bluesky, unlike X and other platforms, doesn't allow people to have private accounts. And even if you check the new "ask apps to hide my posts from algorithmic recommendations" box, there's still a chance that your posts could appear in other algorithmically curated feeds or services that use its AT Protocol.

At the same time, Bluesky's Discover feed is still one of the main places users find posts from accounts they don't follow. And, as the company alludes to, that can occasionally come with unintended consequences if you go viral without meaning to. So being able to limit your visibility there could be a useful tool for people worried their bad takes might be taken out of context.

While it seems unlikely Bluesky will ever support fully private accounts, it sounds like the company could add more privacy-protecting features. It said the change is "one of a few updates we're working on to give you more control over your experience and help you find your people."