Our take
Activeregular commits and releases- Activity
- 83
- Community
- 91
- Issues
- 53
- Pull requests
- 83
- Merges more pull requests than 93% of the projects we track
- Releases more often than 82% of the projects we track
- More contributors than 77% of the projects we track
This is an actively maintained, cross-platform reference client for Bluesky, with a substantial contribution workflow but important asset and branding boundaries for forks.
Good fit if
- You need to work on the Bluesky app for Web, iOS, or Android using React Native and TypeScript.
- You are building an AT Protocol client and want to inspect Bluesky's app.bsky.* implementation.
- Your team can work with the documented Node.js and Ruby requirements and follow the repository's contribution process.
Look elsewhere if
- You need the AT Protocol packages themselves, which are maintained in the separate bluesky-social/atproto repository.
- You want a ready-made generic social app or plan to ship a fork without replacing Bluesky branding, support links, analytics, and restricted assets.
- Your team cannot meet the stated Node.js and Ruby requirements.
All health signals
| Last commit | 2026-10-24 (1 day ago) |
|---|---|
| Commits, last 90 days | 100+ |
| Releases, last 12 months | 34 (latest 1.136.0, 2026-10-21) |
| Contributors | 100+ (top contributor: 24% of commits) |
| Issues closed, last 90 days | 2+ |
| Pull requests merged, last 90 days | 89 (typically merged in 0 days) |
| Project age | 4 years |
Checked on 2026-10-25 with the GitHub API.
Overview
Bluesky Social is the application for the Bluesky social network, available on Web, iOS, and Android. It is built with React Native and TypeScript, uses AT Protocol TypeScript packages such as @atproto/api, and defines Bluesky-specific schemas and APIs in the app.bsky.* Lexicon namespace.
The repository contains the app code and a small Go service that returns the React Native Web application. It is intended for people building or adapting Bluesky's client, rather than as a general-purpose social networking framework; the AT Protocol implementation lives in a separate repository.
Key Features
- Provides Bluesky's social app across Web, iOS, and Android.
- Uses React Native to share application code across platforms.
- Implements the client in TypeScript and builds on AT Protocol TypeScript packages.
- Includes Bluesky-specific schemas and APIs under the
app.bsky.*namespace. - Contains a Go service for serving the React Native Web application.
- Documents build instructions, contribution guidance, and precautions for app forks.
Use Cases
- Developers can study or contribute to the client that powers Bluesky's social app.
- Teams can build a differentiated client fork for a community, provided they replace Bluesky branding and assets and supply their own support systems.
- Contributors can make focused fixes to the existing React Native and TypeScript app after discussing changes with maintainers.
- Developers building AT Protocol integrations can examine how Bluesky's own app uses its
app.bsky.*schemas and APIs.
What you need
Detected in the repository
- Node.js >=24.22.1 (from package.json)
- Ruby (from Gemfile)
- A Dockerfile, so it can run in a container
- A test suite and automated checks on GitHub Actions
License in plain words
MITpermissive
- Commercial use: yes
- Modify and redistribute: yes
- You must keep: the copyright and license notice
- Share your changes: no
A summary, not legal advice: the LICENSE file is what applies.
Getting Started
See the build instructions for setup and platform-specific steps. For the protocol packages used by the app, see the AT Protocol repository.
Alternatives
- pixelfed: Pixelfed focuses on photo sharing across the fediverse and supports self-hosting, while social-app is Bluesky’s AT Protocol social client for web and mobile.
| Project | Language | License | Stars | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| social-app | TypeScript | MIT | 18.4k | Active |
| pixelfed | PHP | AGPL-3.0 | 7.1k | Active |
Considerations
- The repository's MIT license covers source code, but not every asset. Some artwork, icons, fonts, and brand assets are third-party licensed or trademarks; review
ASSETS.mdandNOTICE.mdbefore distributing a fork. - Fork maintainers are expected to change branding and support links, replace analytics and error collection, and source their own icons and artwork.
- The project requires Node.js
>=24.22.1and Ruby. Docker is available, but the README directs developers to the build guide rather than providing a one-command setup. - The maintainers prioritize focused, discussed contributions and state that they may not respond to every issue or pull request; the repository is not a source of build support.
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