Bluesky social network adds emoji picker and way to see your own likes

Bluesky users can now tap into several new and improved features to the Twitter-like (I mean, X-like) social network. In a post published on Friday, the Bluesky team highlighted four options available with the latest update to the platform for its website and mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Tops on the list is the new emoji picker. Clicking the smiley face icon in the composer window for a new post displays a menu with hundreds of emoji icons across such categories as Smileys & People, Animals & Nature, Food & Drink, Activity, Travel & Places, Objects, Symbols, and Flags.

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Just click the icon for the emoji you like and you can add as many as you want to your post. The only drawback is that the emoji feature is limited to the Bluesky website and is not available in the iOS or Android app.

Next is a way to see the posts that you’ve liked. For this one, head to your Profile page on the website or in the mobile apps. Tap the new tab for Likes and swipe down the page to see all the ones you’ve liked. The posts you’ve liked are public on Bluesky, so anyone can potentially see them. However, the tab itself is not visible from other accounts, and API access is required to view your likes through third-party apps.

Here’s another cool new feature: Browse to the profile page of an account you follow and tap the New Post button. The composer window will suggest an @ symbol followed by the account’s name in case you want to reference the account in your post.

Finally, notifications are now fully accessible in the iOS and Android apps. Tap the bell icon at the bottom of the screen and you’ll be able to see who now follows you, who has liked one of your posts, and who has commented on one of your posts.

Officially launched in February 2023, Bluesky is backed by Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey. As such, the platform looks and feels a lot like Twitter, now X. Though it offers a Musk-free experience, it does lack many of the advanced capabilities of X, such as direct messaging. The Bluesky team has been gradually rolling out new and enhanced features to beef up the service.

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Bluesky is still in beta mode, which means it’s available only through special invite codes that are difficult to score. You can join a waitlist to snag an invite if available or more quickly and easily ask an existing Bluesky user if they can send you a spare code.