Now Everyone Can Use the “Online” Status in Bluesky, and I’m Incredibly Happy About It.
The user-generated video industry is valued at over $4 billion , reflecting the evolution of tastes: from reading articles and watching TV reviews to scrolling vertical videos and live streaming. As a reader, writer, and editor of an article-focused tech site, I sometimes find the rise of user-generated video and streaming difficult to come to terms with. But as a longtime fan of live streaming, I’m glad to see the media space starting to take it more seriously. For example, on January 16, Bluesky announced the launch of a feature that provides a more seamless connection for users to live streams—a feature that has the potential to become widespread.
In the latest Bluesky update, version 1.114, streamers can display their “Live” status directly on social media. This feature was launched for beta testers back in May 2025. Now widely available, it simplifies social media engagement across platforms: users can click on a Bluesky profile’s “Live” status and be taken directly to the corresponding Twitch stream. (The feature is currently only available on Twitch, but is expected to expand to other live streaming platforms soon.)
Other social apps penalize links, but we believe that posting external links should be easy. Live Now is part of how we implement this. During the beta phase, Live Now is limited to links to Twitch. Support for other streaming platforms may be added later, as we learn more from the beta.
— Bluesky ( @bsky.app ) January 15, 2026, 2:00 pm
The “Live Now” feature arrives just as Bluesky saw a surge in users this week following a major X server outage and intense scrutiny over the platform’s ongoing deepfake porn problem . Regardless of what this means for Bluesky’s overall growth, I’m optimistic that any feature that facilitates content discovery can be rolled out more broadly. I can envision a future where more websites direct their users to livestreaming platforms. Imagine a Gmail avatar notifying me when a YouTuber is online, a Spotify artist page pointing to a musician’s stream, or an article caption pointing to a Substack livestream. I hope the connection between my social media feed and livestreams becomes increasingly narrow.
How to enable the “Online” icon on Bluesky
To enable the “Live” badge on your Bluesky avatar, click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of your profile page on your computer or mobile device. Select “Start Streaming” from the list and paste the link to your Twitch profile page. The “Live” badge’s duration can be customized, from 5 minutes to 4 hours. Select your desired duration and click “Start Streaming.”