I’ve been on Bluesky for a while now (@jlwallen.bsky.social) and found it to be exactly what the Social Networking Doctor ordered. There are several reasons why I’ve found Bluesky to be a perfect respite from the chaos of the times, and one of them is a feature called Feeds.
Essentially, feeds are lists you can follow to see posts, updates, and interactions from specific users or a selected topic. For instance, you could add feeds for Linux, gardening, books, writers, running, cycling, or whatever topic piques your interest.
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Feeds are also very easy to find, add, and remove (when you no longer wish to see them); overall, they make Bluesky an even easier platform to interact with. Because, in the end, that’s what it’s all about — interaction.
But how do you add a feed to your Bluesky account?
I’m here to show you.
How to add your first feed in Bluesky
What you’ll need: First, you’ll need a valid Bluesky account. If you’ve not already signed up, head over to the site and do so. You can manage feeds from either the web-based version or the mobile app (Android/iOS). That’s it! Let’s get to the feeds.
The first thing to do is open Bluesky either on your desktop web browser or the mobile app.
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On the web-based version of Bluesky, Feeds are found in the left sidebar, under Chat. On the mobile app, you can access Feeds by tapping the # character in the upper right corner of the app.
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The left sidebar is where you’ll find Feeds.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
In either the web or mobile app, scroll down until you see the Discover New Feeds section, where you’ll find a search field. Type a topic in the field and it should auto-populate with related feeds.
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You can search for anything within Feeds.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
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When you find a feed you like, click (or tap) + to add it to your Feeds section. You should immediately see it appear under My Feeds. You can add as many feeds as you like. Don’t worry if you’re on either the mobile app or web-based version; all you have to do is click Feeds (in the left sidebar of the web-based version) or the # character (on the mobile version), and simply scroll down to find what you’re looking for.
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You’ll find an endless supply of feeds to add on Bluesky.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
You can also remove feeds as needed. To do that, access the Feeds section again, tap (or click) the feed in question, tap (or click) the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of the feed, and then tap (or click) “Remove from my feeds.”
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You can also report a feed from here (if necessary).
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Adding feeds makes it exponentially easier to view the posts you want. When you click on a feed, you’ll only see posts related to that topic. I will say this: It’s not a perfect system. I’ve found random, unrelated posts in my feeds. It doesn’t happen often, but they can sneak in under the radar.
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If you feel it’s become a nightmare to navigate around X’s deluge of randomness, Bluesky is a fine alternative to that. With Feeds, you can make it easy to view only what you want to view. Give Feeds a try and see if they don’t make the skies even bluer.
