Bluesky adds videos to the platform to take on Elon Musk’s X

Bluesky has launched the one major feature that was missing from the platform, keeping it from being a total replacement for Elon Musk’s X for social media users.

On Wednesday, Bluesky announced that it has finally added native video to the site. Bluesky users can now upload videos directly to the platform to embed in their posts.

“Bluesky now has video!” the platform’s official account posted. “Update your app to version 1.91 or refresh on desktop! We’ve begun gradually rolling out the ability to post video. Thanks for your patience!”

Bluesky had promised that the long-requested feature was on the way in an update last month. On Tuesday, the official Bluesky account warned users that they might see video posts show up on their feed as they tested native video and put the “final touches” on the feature.

Just one day later, Bluesky’s video feature is now live across the platform for all users.

Bluesky’s video feature details

As a brand new feature, there are some limitations to video uploads on Bluesky as further detailed in a post by the company. 

According to Bluesky, each video can be up to 60 seconds long, and posts can only contain one video. Users can currently upload 25 videos or 10GB of video per day. Bluesky says it may tweak those limits in the future. Video uploads support .mp4, .mpeg, .webm, and .mov file types. 

Bluesky says users can add subtitles to their videos as well as labels, such as ones that denote adult content. Videos will also auto-play by default, although Bluesky says auto-play can be turned off in Settings.

Users will be required to verify their email address before uploading videos if they haven’t already. The platform also shared content moderation details and noted that each video will be scanned for content that requires a warning, or illegal content that needs to be removed completely, such as child sex abuse material.

Bluesky takes on Elon Musk’s X

Since acquiring X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk has pushed hard for a pivot to video on the platform.

Some users looking for an X replacement due to Musk’s leadership found a new home in Bluesky. However, the lack of native video on the platform was a common frustration among new Bluesky users.

By launching video features, Bluesky has solved this problem. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. Last week, Bluesky shared that it had gained 3 million new users in just one week as a result of Musk’s feud with Brazil’s Supreme Court and X’s subsequent ban in the country.