New Tool Enables Social Network Follower Migration Across Platforms

The open social web just took a giant leap forward with the introduction of Bounce, a new project unveiled at FediForum by the creators of Bridgy Fed. This innovative tool allows users to migrate their social network followers across different decentralized platforms, such as Mastodon and Bluesky, which operate on distinct protocols (ActivityPub and the AT Protocol respectively).

Unlike traditional social media giants like Meta or TikTok, which lock users into their ecosystems, open social networks have struggled to offer seamless migration of accounts and followers across platforms. While Mastodon users can move between servers within its network, and Bluesky users can migrate between Personal Data Servers, cross-platform follower migration was previously impossible.

Bounce acts as a sophisticated bridge, leveraging Bridgy Fed’s technology to enable users to "move" their Bluesky accounts to their Mastodon profiles and vice versa. This is achieved through custom servers that handle the complex differences in migration protocols, effectively serving as a middleman to replicate follower relationships across networks.

Currently in beta and primarily a proof-of-concept, Bounce is not yet ready for casual users. Some limitations remain, such as the inability to move back to Bluesky’s Personal Data Server and missing notifications for interactions from non-bridged users. However, the development team is actively working on solutions, including alerts for off-bridge interactions and tools to help users re-follow bridged accounts.

The vision behind Bounce is to simplify the open social web experience, allowing users to choose their preferred apps without losing their social graphs. Beyond Mastodon and Bluesky, Bounce also supports Pixelfed, an ActivityPub-based photo-sharing platform, and aims to extend compatibility to other open social protocols like Ghost, Nostr, and Farecaster.

This project is part of a broader mission by the nonprofit A New Social to empower users by shifting control away from centralized platforms back to individuals. Their motto, “People not Platforms,” reflects a commitment to tools that enable account portability, follower migration, and data ownership—critical steps toward a truly open social web.

In a digital landscape dominated by closed ecosystems, Bounce represents a promising breakthrough. Imagine being able to switch social networks as easily as changing apps on your phone, without losing your community or starting from scratch. This could redefine how we think about social media ownership and interoperability.

As Bounce evolves beyond its proof-of-concept stage, it could become a vital tool for developers, platform creators, and users eager to embrace a decentralized, user-centric social web. The open social web is no longer just a theoretical ideal—it’s becoming a practical reality.