Bluesky reaches 1 million users

One of the most popular post-Twitter apps reached a milestone on Tuesday.

Bluesky strategy and operations manager Rose Wang posted a screenshot on X, formerly Twitter. The X competitor famously only allowed app access through a waitlist and user invitations, keeping the platform’s population small as it scaled.

https://x.com/iamrosewang/status/1701735196679356887?s=20

Bluesky passed 1 million installs in July, but not users until now. Wang told on X that more people downloaded the app than had invite codes to log in. Bluesky’s new milestone means 1 million people created accounts, not just downloaded the app.

Meta’s X/Twitter competitor Threads took the opposite approach. Meta’s cross-promotion to Instagram users boosted signups for that app on launch day. It’s no surprise Threads had 30 million signups in 24 hours with its smooth onboarding. Threads reached 100 million in five days.

Threads may struggle to keep the 100-million-plus people who downloaded the new app in its early days, while Bluesky’s tiny but enthusiastic cohort appears to be doing well.

Threads usage has dropped, and it’s unclear what culture the platform might foster beyond corporate culture. Bluesky’s subculture, opposite Threads in almost every way, quickly defined itself with surreal memes, dedicated shitposting, and whimsical, pervasive horniness.