[last updated: June 31, 026, 1430 CEST]

The most important thing you need to know is:

You can go without losing your followers

Or any of your other data really! This means you don't have to go back to Twitter or Tumblr or wherever else.

Since Bluesky was built on an open protocol (ATProto[1,2]), it's possible for communities to create their own servers (called a PDS) that are able to host the same data Bluesky currently does. There are several such instances, but the largest at the moment is Blacksky. The network of platforms built on ATProto is called the ATmosphere.

What this means for you, dear reader, is that you can move to another PDS (or "migrate"), be free⁺ of Bluesky's prudish moderation, all while retaining all your account data. You keep all the people you follow/people following you, likes, feeds, and such. The only immediately noticeable change will be your @ handle.

⁺ If you migrate, Bluesky cannot suspend you, only hide your content from people using the Bluesky Appview. You have the option to use a different client, such as deer.social or blacksky.community. Some non-Bluesky clients allow you to turn off Bluesky moderation as the default labeler off (Read as: default moderation system). For clients with this option, you can find it under Settings > Deer or something similar and check "Do not declare any default app labelers". Your content could still be hidden from users not using the Bluesky Appview, but as of now just using a different client seems okay. Several Appviews exist or are are currently in development. Please see Paul's Leaflet on upcoming changes to how moderation works across different PDSes. [pls don't ask me the difference between a client and an Appview, it's complicated okay. just know solutions are in the works]

Leaving Bluesky for another PDS means your account and your data will fall under the TOS and Privacy Policy of the PDS you move to. I highly recommend reading both before proceeding in case there's something you don't vibe with. If you migrate to another PDS, but later decide to return to Bluesky, that is an option. (didn't used to be the case, but it is now! see post here.)

Okay, so what are my options?

A few notes on this list:

Got it. Now how do I leave?

With the PDS MOOver! PDS MOOver will help you migrate all your data from any PDS to another. Another option is ATProto Airport, but I haven't used it and can't personally vouch for it. Some PDSes have their own migration services, like Move to Blacksky.

Please note, any time Bluesky moderation shows their ass (frequently), there may be a spike in folks attempting to migrate. If many folks are trying to migrate at this time, the time it takes may be longer than usual, and you may run into errors due to rate limiting. Any errors shouldn't be catastrophic, since your Bluesky account is only deactivated, not deleted, when migrating. Most migration tools now provide Recovery Keys you can use in case something goes wrong. Just in case, it can't hurt to backup your ATProto data by going to Settings > Account > Export my data. If you do run into any errors while migrating, see the tool at the end of the guide.

If you plan to migrate to Blacksky, I have a step-by-step guide you can follow here:

If you use PDS MOOver to migrate, there is a link at the top of the page with a video guide by @sharpiepls.com on how to use it, specifically for migrating to Blacksky. To migrate to a non-Blacksky PDS, you would only change the New PDS (URL) to the URL of the PDS you are moving to, New Handle to match the appropriate handle of your new PDS, and an invite code if necessary.

In short, the process of moving for any given PDS/migration tool:

If you ran into errors during the migration process, get errors when trying to update your display name or bio, or notice any images missing from your profile, you can use Missing Blobs Importer tool by @baileytownsend.dev. Another video guide by @sharpiepls.com is linked at the top of the page.

There! You should be good to go. If you run into problems that this guide or the Missing Blobs tool didn't address, you can try reaching out to the dev of whichever tool you used for help. All these lovely indie projects have lovely people working behind them and have been very responsive and willing to help in my experience.

Further notes

If your recent experiences with Bluesky got you curious about other NSFW friendly spaces, here's a few you can check out

Thanks for reading! I hope you found it helpful. Please spread this far and wide if so. Many average Bluesky users don't understand the decentralized nature of the protocol it is built upon, so I'd love to help prevent unnecessary panic by informing as many people as possible of their options.

Feel free to hmu on Bluesky if you need anything. I'm happy to help as I'm able.

<3 sprout

Changelog:

1/6/26 1430: updated links and added my own list of PDSes
30/12/25 1700: removed mention of handles.club (rip)
29/9/25 2000: i've given up trying to distinguish between
appview and client okay. i don't even understand it
26/9/25 2000: updated appview info and added more easy to
understand information for wtf atproto even is
22/9/25 1700: added peedee.es invite link and further detail
on possible errors that would need missing blob tool
20/9/25 1100: updated to better explain how moderation works
on ATProto earlier in the doc