Seamlessly Move Followers from Bluesky to Mastodon with News Bounce

Navigating the decentralized social media landscape just got easier with News Bounce, a new tool designed to bridge the gap between Bluesky and Mastodon. These platforms operate on different protocols—AT Protocol for Bluesky and ActivityPub for Mastodon—making cross-platform user migration a technical challenge.

Developed by A New Social, News Bounce builds upon the existing Bridgy Fed tool, which allows users to broadcast posts across both networks. However, News Bounce takes a step further by enabling users to move their entire account from Bluesky to Mastodon without losing followers or posting capabilities on Bluesky.

This migration leverages the shared 'move' functionality inherent in both ActivityPub and AT Protocol, shifting personal data servers seamlessly. According to Anuj Ahooja, CEO of A New Social, Bluesky users won’t even notice when someone has 'Bounced' to Mastodon, as their follower base remains intact and synchronized.

Here’s how News Bounce benefits users:

• Preserves follower and following relationships during migration.
• Maintains posting capabilities on Bluesky even after moving to Mastodon.
• Automatically bridges followers who also use News Bounce, eliminating the need to refollow.

However, there are some caveats to consider. Interactions from Bluesky users who haven’t bridged their accounts won’t appear on Mastodon, though a feature to notify users of such 'off-bridge' interactions is in development. Additionally, the current beta only supports migration from Bluesky to Mastodon, not the reverse, due to Bluesky’s restrictions on third-party tools entering their data servers.

The team behind News Bounce is actively collaborating with Bluesky to expand these capabilities, signaling a future where cross-platform social media experiences become more fluid and user-friendly.

Why This Matters for Developers and Users

For developers, News Bounce exemplifies how leveraging protocol interoperability can enhance user retention and platform flexibility. It’s a practical case study in building tools that respect user autonomy and data portability—key principles in decentralized social media.

For users, it means freedom to explore different social networks without the fear of losing their community or content. In an era where platform lock-in is common, News Bounce offers a refreshing alternative.

As decentralized social media continues to evolve, tools like News Bounce will be essential in shaping a more interconnected and user-centric digital ecosystem.