Mastodon is finally addressing its biggest user onboarding problem by borrowing directly from Bluesky's playbook. The decentralized social network with 8 million accounts announced plans for "Packs" - curated collections of accounts to follow that mirror Bluesky's wildly successful starter packs feature. The move signals how even open-source platforms can't ignore viral features that solve real user problems.
The social media wars just got more interesting. Mastodon, the open-source Twitter alternative that's been around since 2016, is finally admitting what everyone already knew - Bluesky figured out something important about user onboarding.
The decentralized platform announced plans for "Packs," a feature that lets users create curated collections of accounts for others to follow. Sound familiar? That's because Bluesky launched starter packs last year to massive success, solving what the industry calls the "cold start" problem.
Here's the thing about joining new social networks - it sucks. You sign up, stare at an empty feed, don't know who to follow, and usually bounce within days. Bluesky's starter packs changed that game by letting existing users package up themed collections of accounts. Want to follow climate scientists? There's a pack for that. Crypto traders? Yep. Even niche communities like "Academics who tweet about their cats" have dedicated starter packs.
The feature was so effective that Meta rushed to copy it for Instagram Threads late last year. Now Mastodon's joining the party, but with some key differences that reflect its privacy-first philosophy.
While Bluesky users can add anyone to a starter pack without permission, Mastodon's approach puts control back in users' hands. The new Packs feature will tie into existing privacy settings - if you've disabled "Feature profile and posts in discoverability algorithms," you're automatically opted out of being included in Packs. More importantly, users will get notified when someone adds them to a Pack and can easily remove themselves.
That's a meaningful improvement over Bluesky's current system, where getting removed from an unwanted starter pack requires reporting it or blocking the creator - neither ideal solutions for maintaining community relationships.
The timing isn't coincidental. Mastodon has struggled with user retention despite waves of Twitter refugees during various platform controversies. With nearly 700,000 monthly active users across its 8 million total accounts, the platform clearly has an engagement problem that better onboarding could help solve.
Mastodon gGmbH, the nonprofit behind the software, is taking a collaborative approach by working with other fediverse developers on a Fediverse Enhancement Proposal. The technical specs are already available on GitHub, suggesting this isn't just vaporware.
The feature should land in Mastodon 4.6, though no timeline was provided. Currently running version 4.4.5, the platform has been steadily adding features to compete with both centralized platforms like X and decentralized rivals like Bluesky.
This move highlights how even ideologically driven platforms can't ignore features that clearly work. Bluesky's rapid growth - it's consistently ranked among the top social apps - has forced competitors to acknowledge that user experience sometimes trumps philosophical purity. The question now is whether Mastodon's privacy-focused implementation will resonate with users who've already embraced Bluesky's more permissive approach.
Mastodon's decision to copy Bluesky's starter packs represents a pragmatic shift for the open-source platform. While the privacy improvements are welcome, the real test will be execution and adoption. With competition intensifying in the Twitter alternative space, platforms that can solve user onboarding while maintaining their core values will likely emerge as long-term winners. For users tired of empty feeds on new social networks, this convergence around curated discovery tools is unquestionably good news.
