Bluesky
The source code for the Bluesky social app, which runs on web, iOS, and Android.bluesky-social/social-app
- Stars
- 18.4k
- Forks
- 2.9k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
This repository holds the code for the Bluesky social network app, built with React Native and TypeScript so one codebase can produce web, iOS, and Android versions. It uses the AT Protocol, an open decentralized social media protocol, and the README notes that you do not need to understand AT Protocol to work with the app. The public apps are available at bsky.app and in the App Store and Play Store.
- Read the React Native and TypeScript code to see how the app is structured
- Follow the build instructions in docs/build.md to run the app locally
- Study how the app uses the @atproto/api TypeScript package
- Create a fork with your own branding, following the forking guidelines and ASSETS.md
Great for
- Developers who want to read how a production React Native app targets web and mobile from one codebase
- Developers studying a real-world client for the AT Protocol
- People who want to build a fork of the app, provided they follow the forking guidelines
- Contributors willing to open an issue for discussion before sending a pull request
Not ideal for
- People who just want to use Bluesky: the README points to bsky.app and the app stores instead, since this is the source code
- Anyone wanting quick support for build problems, because the README says build issues will not get support
- Anyone planning a fork who ignores the asset rules, since some artwork, icons, fonts, and brand assets are not covered by the MIT license
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bluesky-social/social-app - 2
Run it
- Read docs/build.md in the repository for the build instructions
- Follow those instructions to set up and run the app locally
- Open the app in a browser or simulator once the build completes
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read the AT Protocol guides at atproto.com/guides/overview to understand the network the app talks to
- Read ASSETS.md before shipping any fork, since some assets are not covered by the MIT license
- Read the Lexicons in the app.bsky namespace to understand the app's schemas and APIs
- Ask questions in the GitHub Discussions of the atproto repository, which the README recommends
Downloads
Strengths
- MIT licensed source code, with a separate notice for third-party assets
- One TypeScript codebase targets web, iOS, and Android
- Builds on open atproto packages that live in a separate public repository
Trade-offs
- Not all files are MIT licensed; artwork, icons, fonts, and brand assets have separate terms in ASSETS.md
- The maintainers say they may not respond to issues or pull requests and may close them without feedback
- The README does not describe the install steps in detail; it points to docs/build.md
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| social-app (this) | 18.4k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers who want to read how a production React Native app targets web and mobile from one codebase |
| element | 54k | Library | beginner | 2.2 years ago | Developers maintaining an existing Vue 2.x web application |
| lens | 23.2k | App | beginner | 1.7 years ago | Developers who want a visual view of their Kubernetes workloads |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.