Bluesky Now Supports Group Chats and Threaded DM Replies: What’s New and How to Use Them

What did Bluesky add in the version 1.124 update?

Bluesky version 1.124, released on June 11, 2026, adds 3 new features to the app. They are group chats inside the Chat tab, threaded replies for both group chats and one-to-one DMs, and personalized QR-code profile sharing. The feature set arrives in version 1.124 of the app and represents one of the first concrete deliveries on Bluesky’s stated plan to focus more on communities rather than a network where people post solely to reach a wide public audience.

Bluesky had already added direct messaging, but the company’s messaging roadmap has been gradual. It launched DMs in 2024 as a one-to-one feature, and group chats now extend that private conversation layer into a more collaborative format. The three additions together shift the app’s private-communication capability from a basic inbox into something closer to the group-messaging experience most users already expect from platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram, though the feature set remains early-stage in some respects.

How do Bluesky group chats work?

Bluesky’s group chat feature allows users to create private, DM-style conversations directly from the Chat tab, with support for up to 50 participants per chat. To start one, open the Chat tab at the bottom of the screen, tap the compose or add button, and select the contacts you want to include. The conversation then appears as a separate thread inside Chat, distinct from your one-to-one DM threads.

Group chat creators can manage their chats and decide who is allowed to participate. They can generate an invite link that can be shared across the web, including in Bluesky posts where it appears as an embedded card. This means a creator can post the invite link publicly on Bluesky to recruit members organically, or share it privately through an existing DM. Group chat creators can control privacy options and manage members at any time.

The 50-person limit is a meaningful constraint for anyone expecting large-community use. This is much smaller than the group messaging feature of X, which allows for 1,000 users, and Bluesky says it may raise the limit in future releases. For small teams, friend groups, and topic-focused circles, 50 participants is sufficient for many practical use cases.

How do the new privacy and invite controls work?

Bluesky group chats offer 3 levels of incoming-invite control. Users can set who is allowed to invite them: everyone, only people they follow, or no one. The default setting is “only people you follow,” unless a user selects a different choice for DMs. This default is a reasonable starting point for users who want to avoid unsolicited group additions while still allowing their existing connections to reach them.

Privacy remains a central focus of the new system. By giving users control over who can add them to group chats, Bluesky is attempting to address one of the most common issues in messaging platforms: unwanted group invitations. This approach aligns with the platform’s broader emphasis on user autonomy and transparent control settings. Users who want stricter separation can set their preference to “no one,” which means they can only join groups by following a creator-shared invite link rather than being added directly by another member. To adjust your invite preference, open Settings in the Bluesky app, navigate to your messaging or privacy preferences, and choose the appropriate incoming-invite option before joining or creating group chats. Because other messaging apps are also rethinking identity and access controls, Bluesky’s approach reflects a broader industry shift toward user-defined contact permissions.

What are threaded DM replies and how do you use them?

Bluesky has added the ability to reply to specific messages in DMs and group chats. To use it, swipe a message to reply. The reply appears linked to the original message, keeping context visible even when a conversation has moved on to other topics. This is the same threaded-reply pattern used in iMessage, WhatsApp, and Telegram, and it solves one of the most common friction points in busy group chats: losing track of which reply corresponds to which original message.

Threaded replies are available in both the new group chats and in existing one-to-one DM conversations, so users do not need to start a new group to access the feature. The behavior works on both iOS and Android as long as the app is updated to version 1.124 or later. Bluesky’s DM feature now includes a “reply to specific messages” function, which represents a meaningful usability improvement for anyone who uses the Chat tab regularly rather than only for casual check-ins.

How does the new QR-code profile sharing work?

Alongside group chats, Bluesky is adding a new way to share profiles. The updated app includes personalized QR codes for sharing profiles, similar to features already seen in other social apps. To generate a QR code, open your profile in the Bluesky app and tap the new share button that appears on the profile screen. The app then displays a scannable code unique to your account.

If the person scanning has the Bluesky app installed, your profile screen opens in the app; if they do not have it installed, your profile page opens in a browser. This dual behavior makes the QR code practical in in-person settings such as conferences, meetups, and events, where one party may not yet have the app. The share button creates a personalized QR code other people can scan to more easily find you, according to Bluesky’s official announcement. Because the QR code links directly to a profile URL on Bluesky’s AT Protocol infrastructure, the destination does not change even if the user later updates their display name.

What is still missing from Bluesky’s group chats?

Media sharing is the most significant feature absent from the current group chat release. Bluesky has acknowledged that many users want to send media in DMs and group chats. The team confirmed it could not include that in the version 1.124 release and stated that new safety and moderation systems will need to be built before media sharing can be added. This means group chats are currently text-only, which limits their utility for use cases that depend on quickly exchanging screenshots, images, or video clips.

The 50-participant cap is also a practical limitation compared with competing platforms. On X, discussion groups can accommodate up to 1,000 members, while platforms like Discord or Telegram operate in an entirely different league. Bluesky has indicated the cap may increase, but no specific timeline or target number has been confirmed. Users who need larger private spaces or media-rich group communication should plan to use a dedicated messaging service alongside Bluesky for now. This is a relevant consideration for anyone managing a community, since competing messaging platforms are actively expanding their sharing capabilities in the same period.

How do these features fit into Bluesky’s broader strategy?

The group chat feature is one of the first to deliver on Bluesky’s plan to focus more on communities rather than trying to be a social network where people post solely to reach a wider public audience. Bluesky’s Head of Product, Alex Benzer, shared plans for the creation of specific areas that allow users to connect around common interests, not just the primary public feed. This strategic direction is a meaningful shift for a platform that built its initial user base primarily around public, chronological posting.

The strategy shift arrives as Bluesky’s overall growth has slowed. The network currently reaches approximately 44.8 million registered users, compared with X’s 600 million monthly active users, as reported on X’s official business blog. The group chat launch and the communities roadmap together represent an acknowledgment that growth alone is not working, and that depth of engagement may matter more than breadth. That reasoning explains why Bluesky is investing in features that keep existing users more active rather than exclusively chasing new sign-ups. This shift toward private community spaces mirrors a pattern that has also influenced how other major social platforms are restructuring their feeds and community tools.

Future plans include dedicated community handles, options for public, invite-only, or private settings, and greater support for developer contributions through the AT Protocol. X announced earlier in 2026 that it would shut down its Communities feature due to low usage and excessive spam. Bluesky’s move into community products now suggests it is aiming to meet demand from users seeking greater control and a more stable community experience. The AT Protocol, which underpins Bluesky’s infrastructure, is an open standard documented at atproto.com, meaning third-party developers can build compatible clients and community tools on top of the same protocol.

How does Bluesky group chat compare to competing platforms?

The table shows that Bluesky’s group chat is functional but notably constrained on participant count and media sharing relative to every major competitor. The incoming-invite control system is the area where Bluesky’s implementation is currently more granular than most alternatives, which is a practical advantage for users who want to manage who can reach them in private conversations. Users who need features Bluesky does not yet support should be aware of how other social and messaging platforms are also evolving their community tools at the same time.

FAQ

Do Bluesky group chats support end-to-end encryption?

Bluesky group chats in version 1.124 are not described by the company as end-to-end encrypted. Bluesky only more recently began offering encrypted chats, and only by integrating the third-party messaging service Germ. Standard group chats created through the Chat tab are a separate feature from Germ’s encrypted channel, so users who require end-to-end encryption for sensitive conversations should use Germ integration or a dedicated end-to-end encrypted messaging app instead.

Can anyone add me to a Bluesky group chat without my permission?

Chat participants can control who is allowed to invite them to chats: everyone, only people they follow, or no one. The default setting is “only people you follow,” unless the user selects a different choice for DMs. Adjusting this setting to “no one” prevents unsolicited group additions entirely, though you can still join any group voluntarily by following a creator-shared invite link.

Is media sharing available in Bluesky group chats?

Media sharing is not available in Bluesky group chats as of version 1.124. Bluesky announced that media sharing is not currently available in group chats and will be developed and added in the future for moderation purposes and to ensure safety. No release date for media sharing has been confirmed, so users who depend on sending images or video inside a group conversation will need to use a different platform for that function in the meantime.

How do I share my Bluesky profile using the new QR code?

To generate a QR code, tap the chat button at the bottom of the screen, then locate the new share button on your profile. The app displays a unique scannable code linked to your profile. If the person scanning has the Bluesky app installed, your profile screen opens in the app; if they do not, your profile page opens in a browser. The feature requires app version 1.124 or later, so update the app before looking for the share button.

Will the 50-person group chat limit increase?

Bluesky has confirmed it may raise the 50-participant cap in the future, but the company has not specified a target number or a release timeline. Bluesky says it may raise the limit in future releases. For now, groups are capped at 50 members, which is substantially smaller than the 1,000-member limit on X’s group messaging. Users organizing large communities should plan around the current cap and monitor Bluesky’s official Bluesky account for announcements about limit changes.