Bluesky is now in the top 5 downloads in the US App Store

The growth is organic and global

Bluesky’s growth was confirmed by Appfigures as organic, with no use of App Store Search Ads.

The start-up’s expansion is not limited to the US market. Several countries reported a four-digit increase in downloads compared to last Wednesday.

This has helped Bluesky secure a spot among the top 10 apps in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, South Korea and Singapore.

Bluesky’s appearance on Google Play

While we’re still waiting for data on Bluesky’s growth on Google Play, early signs point to a similar upward trend.

As of 4:00 a.m. EST, the app jumped from #100 in the Android App Store to #5 in the Social Networking category and continues to climb.

Appfigures has yet to confirm Bluesky’s claim of half a million new users in one day, but confirms significant growth with 197,000 new installs in the App Store last Thursday alone.

User dissatisfaction with X

Bluesky’s rise in popularity is believed to be due to a combination of factors, including user frustration with changes made by X.

The latter has changed its blocking feature and makes public account posts visible to everyone, including those it has blocked.

This change has raised security concerns among users dealing with harassment and abuse.

Additionally, this week, X updated its terms of service and privacy policy, allowing user data to be shared with third parties, including companies that develop AI models.

The Brazil ban on X and thread moderation issues

Other factors driving Bluesky’s growth include the fallout from the temporary ban on X in Brazil, which resulted in some active users from that region switching to Bluesky.

The startup could also benefit from moderation issues in threads where users were banned or their posts downvoted without explanation.

Despite these challenges,