Trying to get off billionaire-owned social media but don’t know where to start? A new app called Indigo is launching today to let users explore the open social web across multiple services, all under one roof.
Decentralized social media is having a moment, as more people realize they want control over their algorithms, feeds, moderation choices, and other aspects of participating in online communities. However, there are multiple paths to choose from. Users can opt for decentralized servers that make up the social network Mastodon, built on the older ActivityPub protocol (also now used by Meta’s Threads), or they can join the newer social network Bluesky, which runs on the AT Protocol.
Indigo doesn’t force people to choose. Instead, the app brings the separate social networks together in one seamless experience, with a unified timeline that syncs across devices and a composer that lets users cross-post to both services at once.
The app is designed by Soapbox Software — the same team that developed the cross-posting tool Croissant, which offers an easy way to post to Mastodon, Bluesky, and Threads from one interface. Indigo co-creator Ben McCarthy, who also developed the Obscura apps and others, noted to TechCrunch that the new app was built on the team’s previous experience with Croissant, while also adding new features that make it a great stand-alone app for users of both open social networks.
When using Indigo, you can distinguish Bluesky from Mastodon posts in your timeline: Bluesky profiles are outlined in blue, while Mastodon profiles appear in purple.
The app also includes other tools and features, including options that let users automatically scroll to the top as new posts arrive, hide NSFW content, mute users or keywords, filter which replies you see, enable a dark mode, and more.
Plus, you can access all your custom feeds and lists from across both social networks through the app’s “more” menu, track your notifications across both services, and search across Bluesky and Mastodon using Indigo’s universal search.
The ability to cross-post, sync timelines across devices, and track trends across the networks requires a paid subscription of either $4.99 per month or $34.99 per year. (There’s also a $119.99 one-time purchase option for those dedicated to the open social web.) Currently, Indigo works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Topics
Apps, Bluesky, decentralized social media, Exclusive, Indigo, Mastodon, Social, social mediaWhen you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Sarah Perez
Consumer News Editor
Sarah has worked as a reporter for TechCrunch since August 2011. She joined the company after having previously spent over three years at ReadWriteWeb. Prior to her work as a reporter, Sarah worked in I.T. across a number of industries, including banking, retail and software.You can contact or verify outreach from Sarah by emailing sarahp@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at sarahperez.01 on Signal. View Bio
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