Hurry up and go claim your social media handles, as Bluesky is the rising text-based app on the block, and it’s giving Elon Musk’s X a run for its big-name celebrity users.
The rising Twitter-like social media app started by Jack Dorsey has become a haven for A-listers looking for an alternative to the Musk-controlled X. The mass exodus from X amid Musk’s reign and his devout support of President-elect Donald Trump has sent several notables soaring over to Bluesky.
Most recently, actress and producer Gabrielle Union announced she’d be ditching the bird for clearer skies in her final X post.
“Platforms like X were founded on authentic connections, true engagement and creative expression, all anchored in respect for user privacy and trust,” Union wrote on Friday in a post she captioned with: “end of an era.” “Yet with the recent and upcoming changes to the terms of service — and the return of volatile figures — I find myself at a crossroads, facing a direction I can no longer fully support.”
As you decide whether or not to sign up for another social media app, here’s everything you need to know about Bluesky and the popular folks you can follow on the platform.
What is Bluesky?
Bluesky is a text-based, micro-blogging app with a format similar to the layout tech giant Jack Dorsey created for Twitter, which has since been renamed to X after Elon Musk’s acquired the platform in April 2022 for a whopping $44 billion. It started off as a research initiative at Twitter, but Musk cut off its associations and business dealings with Bluesky after he purchased Twitter.
Who owns Bluesky?
Software engineer Lantian “Jay” Grabe is the majority owner of Bluesky and also serves as the platform’s CEO.
What celebrities are on Bluesky?
- Lizzo
- Barbra Streisand
- Quinta Brunson
- James Gunn
- John Cusack
- Guillermo del Toro
- Ben Stiller
- Flavor Flav
- Chuck D
- Alex Winter
- Carrie Coon
- Scott Derrickson
- George Takei
- Mike Flanagan
- Mike Shur
- Patton Oswalt
- Lilly Wachowski
- Franklin Leonard
- Tim Heidecker
- Akilah Hughes
- Yvette Nicole Brown
- Andy Richter
- Weird Al Yankovic
- Titus Welliver
- Jon Cryer
- Ed Solomon
- Jeri Ryan
- Ken Jennings
- Gale Ann Hurd
- Marc Bernardin
- Duncan Jones
- Kumail Nanjiani
- Dionne Warwick
- Colson Whitehead
- Mara Wilson
- Kashana Cauley
- Megan Amram
- Brian Duffield
- Robert Kirkman
- Stephen King
- Joy Reid
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)
- Mark Cuban
- Gabrielle Union
Who created Bluesky?
Bluesky was originally started by tech giant Jack Dorsey in 2019, the creator and former owner of Twitter, which was renamed to X after Musk’s acquisition. It started off as a research initiative at Twitter. In August 2021, Bluesky hired Graber to oversee the app and its development.
When did Bluesky officially launch?
After launching as an invite-only beta in February 2023, Bluesky went public in February 2024, opening its doors for any and all to sign up.
