Bluesky keeps taking off

The social networking platform Bluesky has experienced explosive growth in recent days, driven in large part by the massive influx of Brazilian users following the shutdown of X (formerly Twitter) in the country. In just four days, more than 2 million new users joined the platform, a significant jump from the 500,000 users registered the previous Friday. This massive influx of Brazilians has even overwhelmed the company’s servers. Blueskycausing occasional errors that warned of a lack of “Sufficient Resources” to handle requests while the technical team worked to stabilize the system.

Number 1 in Brazil

The impact of the entry of Brazilians was so great that the Bluesky quickly became the number 1 app in Brazil over the weekend, beating out heavyweight competitors like Meta’s Instagram Threads. According to app analytics firm Appfigures, Bluesky’s total downloads soared 10,584% over the past weekend, with a spectacular 1,018,952% increase in Brazil specifically. This impressive growth in Brazil also had a ripple effect, with downloads outside the country increasing 584%, including in 22 countries where the platform had not yet had a large penetration.

Other countries

Brazil was the main driver of this global growth, and the massive uptake of Brazilians made the country the clear leader in new registrations. Other countries that recorded high numbers of downloads included the United States, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Canada and Spain. However, in terms of percentage growth, countries such as Portugal, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Romania also saw a significant jump, demonstrating the impact of Brazilian migration.

Brazilians active on social media

Brazilians who migrated to the Bluesky Not only have they joined the platform, they’ve also been extremely active. Over the four-day period, the number of likes on the social network has soared to 104.6 million, a huge jump from 13 million the previous week. Connections between users have also exploded, rising from 1.4 million to 100.8 million, while reposts have jumped from 1.3 million to 11 million. These numbers reflect not only the volume of new users, but also the enthusiasm with which they’re using the platform.

over 2 million in 4 days

On Monday, the Bluesky announced that it had added 2.11 million new users in the last four days, an impressive increase compared to the 26,000 added in the same period the previous week. The company also reported an increase of more than 100% in the number of daily active users, evidencing the massive engagement of Brazilians on the platform.

The fever Bluesky in Brazil has continued to grow, and on Tuesday the company told TechCrunch that the total number of new users had already reached 2.4 million and was continuing to increase rapidly “by the minute.” That growth shows no signs of slowing down, especially with Brazilians continuing to join the network.

Ease of platform

One of the factors that may be attracting so many Brazilians to Bluesky is the familiarity of the platform, which is very reminiscent of the old Twitter, now under the command of Elon Musk. Initially developed within Twitter itself, Bluesky became an independent company, but maintained much of the aesthetics and functionality of the original social network.

THE Bluesky not only replicates popular X features like likes, reposts, and direct messages, but also introduces significant improvements. As a decentralized network, users have more control over their experience, being able to set up their own servers, customize feeds, and even use third-party moderation services. In a future update, the company plans to add support for videos, further expanding the platform’s functionality.

Users rule the game

This combination of Twitter familiarity and greater control over moderation may be appealing to Brazilians, especially at a time when political issues have led to the shutdown of X in the country. Unlike centralized platforms, where moderation decisions are made by the owners, on Bluesky users themselves can determine the rules, which could be a big draw for those seeking greater freedom of expression.

Summary for those in a hurry:

• Bluesky attracts more than 2 million Brazilians in four days after the closing of X in the country.
• Brazil drives Bluesky to the top of the most downloaded apps, surpassing Instagram Threads.
• Downloads in Brazil increased by more than 1,018,952%, reflecting mass migration.
• Brazilians demonstrate high engagement, with significant increases in likes, connections and reposts.
• Familiarity with Twitter and greater moderation control make Bluesky attractive to Brazilians.
• Platform continues to grow rapidly, with new user numbers rising every minute.