In a significant advancement for the open social web, Bounce has unveiled a new service that enables users to transfer their follow graphs between Bluesky and Mastodon accounts, despite the platforms operating on distinct underlying protocols.
Traditionally, Mastodon users dissatisfied with their current server could migrate to another within the Mastodon network, while Bluesky was developing technology to allow users to move their accounts to a new Personal Data Server (PDS) within its ecosystem. However, the differing protocols—ActivityPub for Mastodon and the AT Protocol for Bluesky—have previously hindered seamless account migration between these platforms.
Bounce addresses this challenge by leveraging technology initially developed for Bridgy Fed, a tool that connects Mastodon and Bluesky by making users’ profiles on one service visible on the other. The migration process involves first transitioning a user’s Bluesky account to a bridged account that spans both networks, and subsequently to the user’s Mastodon account. This service also extends support to Pixelfed, an Instagram-like social application operating on the ActivityPub protocol, similar to Mastodon.
At its inception, Bounce facilitates migrations from Bluesky to Mastodon or Pixelfed, but not in the reverse direction. This limitation arises because Bluesky’s current infrastructure permits users to move off their servers but does not yet support migrations back. Once Bluesky enhances its infrastructure to allow such movements, Bounce plans to introduce reverse migration capabilities.
Prospective users should note that after migrating their account away from Bluesky, they will no longer be able to use their Bluesky credentials to access the app or other AT Protocol-based services.
Developed by the nonprofit organization A New Social, which also created Bridgy Fed, Bounce’s launch is particularly timely for Bluesky users in Mississippi. Recently, Bluesky announced it would block its service in the state rather than comply with a new age assurance law deemed overly invasive and resource-intensive for Bluesky’s small team. This development has left Bluesky users in Mississippi without access to the platform, underscoring the necessity for tools like Bounce that empower users to migrate their accounts to alternative services.
Bounce’s beta version is now available to the public, targeting early adopters and open web enthusiasts willing to test the service and provide feedback. Users are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the migration process before proceeding, especially considering the current inability to revert back to Bluesky post-migration.
