Bluesky and X Just Launched TikTok-Style Video Channels
So it was a big weekend, but TikTok is back , right? Well, not so fast. The law banning the popular short video app from app stores is still in effect, new users are still unable to download it, and Trump’s order to delay enforcement of the ban gives Bytedance only 75 days to find a solution. On that note, both X and Bluesky have entered the ring as potential TikTok replacements.
Technically, both sites already supported video, and X even had the ability to jump from one video to another. What’s new, aside from the fact that Bluesky is also getting swipeable video, are new video streams.
New Bluesky video channel
Bluesky has gained the most features, so let’s start there. Previously, videos in Bluesky worked the same way as in old Twitter, where they could be attached to messages, but they did not have their own viewing interface. Users can now create their own video channels , which will be populated with swipeable videos related to that channel’s specific topic.
It works much like a text message feed, where you can attach a specific timeline to your Bluesky homepage, either created by the site itself or by users, and that timeline will be filled with relevant messages. But where text channels like the default Discover and Follow timelines will display a more traditional scrolling web page format, video channels will look more like… well, TikTok. Simply select a video to start with from the list of recent options, then swipe to watch as you’re probably used to in another app.
For starters, you can access a feed of trending videos directly from the search bar (which can be turned off entirely in Settings > Content & Media if you don’t like short videos), but users have already been hard at work creating pins. decent curated channels like #BookSky Vids that focus on specific topics.
This should give Bluesky a unique approach compared to TikTok, where what users see is largely up to the algorithm (with the exception of the Follows and Friends tabs). Instead, these custom channels will only show videos from specific accounts selected by the creators of said channels.
New Video Tab X
For a while, X videos already performed similarly to TikTok videos, but now they have become much more prominent. There’s now a small circular play button at the bottom of the X mobile app that immediately starts playing a TikTok-style “personalized feed of recommended videos.” You can like, repost, comment and share these videos, but there is currently no way to access the channel, which only shows videos from creators you follow and little information about how Algorithm X works. It really is Elon’s Roulette , but for what it’s worth, the feed seems to take inspiration from the rest of your X-activity. Mine started with harmless pet videos and then quickly moved on to absurd Godzilla and Vtuber content that I don’t think most people will enjoy as much as I do.
However, the tape definitely has room to grow. For example, the only way to access your browsing history is to download an archive of your X data .
Are Bluesky and X ready to take TikTok by storm?
Since TikTok is on standby for now, and if you already have it downloaded, it will likely be a while before any replacement gets a chance to pose a serious threat to it, especially since Instagram is still trying to implement Reels . But both are clearly still in the early stages, so maybe they could use some baking time. For example, neither currently works properly on the desktop: Bluesky simply shows your video feeds as a traditional text message timeline with videos attached, and X doesn’t show its new video tab on the desktop at all. However, Bluesky may have an advantage here, as indie developers are already working on creating their own alternatives to TikTok using the AT protocol technology that Bluesky runs on.