Bluesky adds swipeable carousels and boosts photo resolution

Late Wednesday, the social network company Bluesky announced the release of version 1.121 of its mobile application, introducing a series of updates focused on upgrading the quality of images in user posts. The release represents a direct effort to improve the platform’s media capabilities, specifically targeting both the maximum file size and the resolution of uploaded photos. Previously, Bluesky capped photo uploads at a limit of 1MB or less, which restricted the quality of images users could share. With the launch of version 1.121, this upload limit has officially doubled to 2MB. Alongside the increased file size limit, the update also raises the maximum rendering resolution for photos. Images on the platform will now render at up to 4000px, a significant increase from the previous resolution limit of 2000px.

Beyond the technical specifications of file sizes and resolutions, the update introduces a major change to the user interface. Bluesky has replaced its old image grid system with a new swipeable carousel. This carousel is designed to handle mixed aspect ratios without cropping the images, allowing for a more flexible visual display. While the change represents a structural shift in how media is consumed on the platform, it has met with mixed reactions. Early feedback from some Bluesky users indicates that they would prefer to have a choice between posting images as a grid or as a carousel, rather than having the carousel replace the grid entirely.

These technical and interface changes could make Bluesky’s app more competitive with other established social networks, specifically X and Meta’s Threads. Platforms like Threads have historically positioned themselves as strong environments for photo sharing, utilizing features such as carousels and support for various aspect ratios to attract visual creators. By doubling its upload limits to 2MB and increasing image resolution to 4000px, Bluesky is working to close the feature gap with these larger incumbents. The adjustments represent an incremental step for the platform as it seeks to retain active users and appeal to communities that prioritize high-quality media sharing.

Why it matters

Bluesky is iterating on its media capabilities to close the feature gap with larger incumbents. The updates aim to retain users who prioritize high-quality visual sharing on social platforms.