Bluesky Rolls Out Chat Reactions and Revamped Explore Page to Woo Former X Users

Bluesky, the fast-growing decentralized social media platform, is continuing to bridge the feature gap between itself and X (formerly Twitter). This week, Bluesky launched a fresh update that introduces chat emoji reactions and an enhanced Explore page, both of which are clearly inspired by tools longtime X users have grown accustomed to.

With more than 34 million users now active on the platform, Bluesky is refining its interface to support discoverability, customization, and real-time interaction — while still maintaining its decentralized philosophy.

For users who love to add a little emotional flair to their messages, Bluesky now supports emoji reactions in direct messages. Like X’s version, which debuted in 2020 and was later expanded to support any emoji, Bluesky offers a set of quick reactions — including the heart, thumbs up, laughing face, and more. Want to go beyond those? Just hit the three-dot menu and pick from the full emoji library.

It’s a small but welcome change that improves the chatting experience and brings familiarity to users transitioning from X.

Arguably more significant is the complete overhaul of Bluesky’s search functionality, now rebranded as Explore.

The new Explore page is designed to help users tap into trending discussions, discover niche communities, and personalize their feed. Topics are marked with dynamic labels like “Hot,” “New,” or “5h ago” — creating a real-time map of what’s gaining momentum across the platform.

For example, users can browse through popular discussions about news events like Trump’s tariffs, or find niche communities such as BookSky for readers.

Beyond trends, the Explore page now includes:

Bluesky CTO Paul Frazee credited the design improvements to Darrin Loeliger, a recent hire, joking that he “showed us the upside of hiring a designer.”

While the new additions might seem small, they’re strategically significant. As more users leave X due to changes in content moderation, monetization, or platform direction, they’re seeking alternatives that feel intuitive. By offering similar user-friendly tools — but in a safer, decentralized environment — Bluesky increases its appeal as a long-term alternative to X.

At TweetDeleter.com, we continue to track the evolution of Bluesky as it mirrors, modifies, and improves upon the foundations laid by legacy social platforms. For many users burned out by algorithmic chaos, these updates may offer just enough familiarity — and control — to make the switch stick.