Decentralized social network Bluesky has launched support for group chats, marking a significant strategic pivot for the platform as it shifts its focus from broad public broadcasting to intimate community building. The feature, which supports groups of up to 50 people, arrived in Bluesky app version 1.124 on Thursday, June 11, 2026 and it signals a new chapter for one of tech’s most closely watched social media challengers.

What’s New: Group Chats on Bluesky

Bluesky’s group chat feature allows users to create private group conversations with up to 50 participants. Group creators have full control over who can join and participate, and can generate shareable invite links that display as embedded cards in Bluesky posts. Users can also control who is allowed to invite them to group chats everyone, only people they follow, or no one with the default set to “only people you follow.”

The feature is built on Bluesky’s underlying AT Protocol, the open decentralized protocol that powers the platform. This means third-party developers can also build community features on top of the same infrastructure, potentially expanding the ecosystem significantly.

Media sharing in group chats is not yet supported, as Bluesky says it requires additional safety and moderation systems to be built first.

A Strategic Pivot: From Public to Community

The group chat launch is part of a broader strategic shift at Bluesky. The company’s head of product, Alex Benzer, outlined the vision in a series of posts: “Today, Bluesky is one big space. Communities will be smaller spaces inside that where you can go deeper and hang out with people who care about the same stuff.”

This pivot comes as Bluesky’s overall growth has slowed. The platform currently has approximately 44.8 million registered users a respectable number, but still far behind X’s 600 million monthly active users and Meta’s Threads. By focusing on community features rather than competing head-to-head with larger platforms on scale, Bluesky is betting that quality of connection matters more than quantity.

Filling the Void Left by X

The timing of Bluesky’s community push is particularly strategic. X (formerly Twitter) shut down its Communities feature in April 2026 due to low usage and rampant spam. Bluesky is now positioning itself to capture users who want a more controlled, community-oriented social experience one that X has abandoned.

Meanwhile, X has been doubling down on private messaging with the launch of its standalone XChat app in April 2026, which supports groups of up to 1,000 members. Bluesky’s 50-person limit is more modest, but the company says it may increase this cap in the future.

What’s Coming Next for Bluesky

Beyond group chats, Bluesky has outlined an ambitious roadmap for community features. Upcoming additions include:

Dedicated community spaces with their own handles (e.g., community-name.bsky.social)
Public, invite-only, and private community settings similar to Facebook Groups or Reddit
Community-specific posting and update feeds
Developer ecosystem support via AT Protocol for third-party community tools

The updated version of Bluesky also introduces personalized QR codes for profile sharing, making it easier for users to connect in real-world settings.

Why This Matters

Bluesky’s community pivot reflects a broader trend in social media: users are increasingly seeking smaller, more curated online spaces rather than the chaotic, algorithm-driven feeds of major platforms. With Meta’s AI moderation controversies, X’s ongoing turbulence, and growing concerns about social media’s impact on mental health, Bluesky’s open, community-first approach could prove to be a compelling alternative especially for the 44.8 million users already on the platform.

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