Bluesky Now Lets You Hide Private Messages From Strangers
Bluesky’s latest update adds several more useful options to its impressive arsenal of anti-harassment tools . The changes make it easier to hide private messages (DMs) from strangers and mute accounts even faster. You also don’t have to do anything to get these features. If you are using the latest version of Bluesky apps or logging into the site on any browser, you should see them. Here’s everything that’s now available in the Bluesky 1.99 update .
Block private messages from strangers
Nobody wants to receive a bunch of private messages from strangers, and Bluesky has now recognized this. If you’ve completed a targeted stalking campaign, you should now be able to tell DMs apart from strangers fairly easily. Go to the Chat tab in the Bluesky apps or website and you’ll see a new Chat Requests button at the top. This is where all DMs from strangers now go by default. You can accept these requests to allow the people behind them to send you private messages on a case-by-case basis, or reject them so they don’t ping you again.
Faster account muting
Bluesky now lets you mute accounts directly from any message. If you’re scrolling through your feed and see a post you don’t like, simply click the three-dot button next to the post and select Disable Account . This will mute the account until you decide to unmute it. This is useful if you come across accounts that post things you don’t want to see, such as spoilers, political content, or incendiary posts. It’s much faster than going to their profile to mute them.
Longer videos on Bluesky
Bluesky has increased the length of videos that can be published on the service. Previously, you could post videos up to 60 seconds long, but with the 1.99 update, you can now post three-minute videos. This brings Bluesky closer to its competitors. Threads allows you to upload individual videos up to five minutes long, while X (formerly Twitter) has a two-minute and 20-second limit for people who don’t pay for a premium subscription.
Other notable improvements
There are several other improvements in this update, including translation into three new languages - Esperanto, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh. It also has better layouts for those accessing the Bluesky site from tablets. The company also says it has improved the process for sending messages to moderators and the error reports you see when you encounter an issue during the registration process.