The most important thing you need to know is:

Or any of your other data really! This means you don't have to go back to Twitter or Tumblr or wherever else.

Since Bluesky was built on an open protocol (ATProto[1,2]), it's possible for communities to create their own servers (called a PDS) that are able to host the same data Bluesky currently does. There are several such instances, but the largest at the moment is Blacksky. The network of platforms built on ATProto is called the ATmosphere.

What this means for you, dear reader, is that you can move to another PDS (or "migrate"), be free⁺ of Bluesky's prudish moderation, all while retaining all your account data. You keep all the people you follow/people following you, likes, feeds, and such. The only immediately noticeable change will be your @ handle.

Leaving Bluesky for another PDS means your account and your data will fall under the TOS and Privacy Policy of the PDS you move to. I highly recommend reading both before proceeding in case there's something you don't vibe with. If you migrate to another PDS, but later decide to return to Bluesky, that is an option. (didn't used to be the case, but it is now! see post here.)

Index has a handy list of currently open PDSes. [have we decided how to pluralize PDS yet?]

A few notes on this list:

witchcraft.systems has been said to take an Anti approach to their moderation policies ("no weirdos" and "anime porn is illegal" type shit), so if you're leaving Bluesky because of their stance on NSFW, that PDS will be no better for you.

blacksky.app does have a space specifically for non-Black individuals, using the handles .myatproto.social and .cryptoanarchy.network. Please consider contributing to Blacksky if you migrate there as a non-Black person.

Northsky can be found here if you'd like to go ahead and look into them and join their waitlist. They have both a high and low priority waitlist.

peedee.es is open, but you need an invite code. You can get one here. Their moderation stance appears to be legality.

Please thoroughly research a PDS and consider the current dynamics of global politics while deciding where to go. My goal is to provide you information to make an informed decision. I try to keep my info up to date, but things are in flux. Please see the date at the bottom of the doc.

With the PDS MOOver! PDS MOOver will help you migrate all your data from any PDS to another. Another option is ATProto Airport, but I haven't used it and can't personally vouch for it. Some PDSes have their own migration services, such as tektite.cc for Blacksky.

Please note, many folks will be trying to migrate at this time. The time it takes may be longer than usual, and you may run into errors due to rate limiting. Any errors shouldn't be catastrophic, since your Bluesky account is only deactivated, not deleted, when migrating. Just in case, it can't hurt to backup your ATProto data by going to Settings > Account > Export my data. If you do run into any errors while migrating, see the tool at the end of the guide.

If you plan to migrate to Blacksky, I have a step-by-step guide you can follow here:

If you use PDS MOOver to migrate, there is a link at the top of the page with a video guide by @sharpiepls.com on how to use it, specifically for migrating to Blacksky. To migrate to a non-Blacksky PDS, you would only change the New PDS (URL) to the URL of the PDS you are moving to, New Handle to match the appropriate handle of your new PDS, and an invite code if necessary.

In short, the process for moving for any given PDS/migration tool:

If you have Two-factor Authentication on, turn it off

Login with your Bluesky credentials

Include the email associated with your Bluesky account

Choose a handle on your new PDS

Provide an invite code (if necessary)

Begin migration process and wait, do not close tab

Provide verification code sent to your email

Login to Bluesky using the URL of the new PDS as the host

You can do so by clicking the pencil under "Hosting provider", going to Custom and typing in the correct URL. Be sure it's the full URL, with https://

If you ran into errors during the migration process, get errors when trying to update your display name or bio, or notice any images missing from your profile, you can use Missing Blobs Importer tool by @baileytownsend.dev. Another video guide by @sharpiepls.com is linked at the top of the page.

There! You should be good to go. If you run into problems this guide or the Missing Blobs tool didn't address, you can try reaching out to the dev of whichever tool you used for help. All these lovely indie projects have lovely people working behind them and have been very responsive and willing to help in my experience.

If you want a cute free handle like .writes.fyi or .loves.yaoi.fyi or .pookie.gay and many more, check out handles.club.

If your recent experiences with Bluesky got you curious about other NSFW friendly spaces, here's a few you can check out

Pillowfort

If you'd like to dip your toes into the Fediverse, you can find me on the Mastodon instance retro.pizza. (it's a nice, chill but punky instance full of nerds ime)

I've been building a webpage on nekoweb for funsies. As far as free hosted static sites go, they seem to be the most NSFW friendly.

For a NSFW image (and other file) host, check out catbox.moe.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found it helpful. Please spread this far and wide if so. Many average Bluesky users don't understand the decentralized nature of the protocol it is built upon, so I'd love to help prevent unnecessary panic by informing as many people as possible of their options.

Feel free to hmu on Bluesky if you need anything. I'm happy to help as I'm able.