Until should you’re actually within the find out about nascent platforms, you in all probability didn’t know what Mastodon was till Elon Musk purchased Twitter and renamed it X. Within the preliminary aftermath of the acquisition, as customers fretted over what course Twitter would take, thousands and thousands of customers hopped over to Mastodon, a fellow microblogging web site. As time went on, customers would additionally check out Bluesky, or Instagram’s Threads app — however as a result of Mastodon was based in 2016, it had years to develop its personal identification as extra than simply an alternate Twitter.
What’s Mastodon?
Mastodon was based in 2016 by German software program developer Eugen Rochko. Not like Twitter, Fb, Reddit or another fashionable social media web site, Mastodon is a nonprofit, that means that, ideally, its purpose is to learn the general public, slightly than shareholders.
Mastodon would possibly appear to be a Twitter clone at first look, however the underlying system behind the microblogging platform is way extra complicated. The service is decentralized (no, not in a blockchain method), describing itself as a “federated community which operates in an analogous approach to electronic mail.”
While you first create your account, you select a server — much like the way you select to open an electronic mail account on Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo or wherever — which generates your profile’s tackle. So, for instance, should you join Mastodon through the local weather justice server, then your tackle might be @[your username]@climatejustice.social. However irrespective of which server you enroll with, it is possible for you to to speak with customers from another server, identical to how Gmail customers electronic mail Hotmail customers and vice versa. Nevertheless, some servers may need blocked different servers (maybe if it’s an unsavory group), which might imply you possibly can’t talk with anybody from the blocked server.
The Mastodon lingo
Mastodon customers typically consult with particular person communities as “instances” or servers. These Mastodon servers could be run by people, teams or organizations that every have their very own algorithm concerning how customers can enroll, in addition to their very own moderation insurance policies. Some servers let anybody be a part of, whereas others are invite-only or require approval by an admin. For instance, a server for skilled scientists asks candidates to incorporate a hyperlink to their analysis to reveal that they’re, certainly, professionals.
Selecting which server to register your account with might sound traumatic, however it’s attainable to maneuver your account later, so don’t fear. Plus, you possibly can comply with individuals no matter which server they’re on.
You may additionally hear Mastodon described as a part of the “Fediverse,” or an interconnected net of assorted social media companies. You understand how having a Twitter account doesn’t imply you need to use that account on Instagram? By the Fediverse, your single Mastodon account additionally grants you entry to different decentralized social networks, if that pursuits you.
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It’s possible you’ll ocassionally see Mastodon’s equal of tweets being known as “toots,” however that is fading out of favor (because it’s form of foolish!). Many individuals are simply calling them “posts” nowadays, however “toot” is usually discovered referenced in older third-party shoppers.
Mastodon helps quite a lot of Twitter conventions like replies, retweets, favorites, bookmarks and hashtags. For some time, Mastodon made an intentional choice to not make a quote tweet-like function, since it might probably encourage dogpiling criticism, however the platform relented and rolled out that function in 2025.
As well as, Mastodon lists work barely in a different way from Twitter as you possibly can solely add individuals to a listing should you’re already following them. And Direct messages on Mastodon are simply @username posts, not non-public messages coming to a DM inbox — simply bear in mind to alter the visibility settings in order for you that message to remain between the 2 of you.
What does it imply that Mastodon is open supply?
Anybody can obtain, modify and set up Mastodon on their very own server — plus, the builders of the platform don’t personal the copyright.
That doesn’t imply which you can seize Mastodon’s code with out acknowledging the supply, although. Former President Donald Trump’s social media platform, Fact Social, initially launched with Mastodon code and handed it off as if it had been authentic software program. Mastodon did not take kindly to that.
How do you create a Mastodon account?
While you arrive on the Mastodon web site, you possibly can click on a button known as “create account,” which directs you to a page listing servers to choose from. You’ll be able to filter these by varied components, like area, language, matter, sign-up pace and extra. There, discover a server that piques your curiosity and be a part of — if it’s a server that requires you to be accepted, you would possibly want to attend a bit. From there, you can begin discovering individuals to comply with, no matter whether or not they’re registered through your similar server.
In effort to reduce confusion on new customers choosing a server, Mastodon made modifications amid the “Twitter exodus” in order that it might simpler to create an account. Now, whenever you go to enroll, it’s going to give a simple choice to create an account on mastodon.social as an alternative of selecting a server.
How do you determine which Mastodon server to hitch?
Mastodon’s web site has helpful resources — however it’s nonetheless a bit overwhelming and difficult to discover a house base that aligns together with your pursuits. Ask mates who’re already on Mastodon if they’ve solutions! Or simply be a part of someplace random, as a result of you possibly can all the time change your server affiliation later when you get into the swing of issues.
Are you able to discuss to individuals on different Mastodon servers apart from your personal?
Sure, you possibly can comply with individuals exterior of your native server and reply to their posts. Nevertheless, whenever you need to comply with somebody on a special server, it’s a must to enter their username within the search field in your server to search out them first, then comply with them. You’ll be able to’t simply go to their profile and click on the comply with button as you’ll on Twitter.
What’s the distinction between the House, Native and Federated timelines?
Your House timeline reveals you posts from individuals that you simply comply with, much like Twitter. The Native timeline reveals posts from all customers in your server, whereas the Federated timeline reveals you all public posts from customers that individuals in your server comply with. (Trace: You’ll be able to activate “Sluggish Mode” in Preferences –> Look to cover timeline updates behind a click on if issues are coming at you too quick!)
What’s Mastodon’s moderation coverage?
Particular person server admins set their very own moderation insurance policies, so it is best to learn the coverage on the server you select to make sure it matches up together with your values.
What are the drawbacks of Mastodon compared with Twitter/X?
Mastodon’s consumer base is a fraction of a proportion of the dimensions of Twitter’s consumer base. It’s additionally far much less intuitive to navigate, because it hasn’t been designed for a large world viewers like Twitter. That might change in time as extra builders be a part of the undertaking within the wake of the Twitter takeover.
What are the advantages of Mastodon in contrast with Twitter/X?
Properly, for one factor, Mastodon will not be owned by Elon Musk… nevertheless, it’s going to be tough within the near-term for Mastodon to copy the identical “watercooler of the world” vibe that Twitter was outlined by. Some customers would possibly desire Mastodon to X, although, because it’s extra customizable by nature. Not like X, particular person communities have totally different content material tips, which give quite a lot of totally different consumer experiences. And whereas the consumer base on Mastodon is smaller, this may result in extra private and direct conversations, at instances, in contrast with tweeting into the void, so to talk.
Is Mastodon safer than Twitter?
Mastodon is what you make of it. As a result of its decentralized nature, in case you are on the lookout for a extra managed on-line expertise, you possibly can be a part of a server with stricter guardrails in opposition to harassment. Some Mastodon options are additionally constructed with mitigating harassment in thoughts. For instance, you possibly can solely search by hashtag, not by phrases that seem in a toot. So in order for you your put up to be discoverable, you possibly can tag it — should you’d slightly restrict the viewers, nobody can discover your tweet in regards to the Crimson Sox by merely looking out “pink sox” should you haven’t tagged it.
Nevertheless, a text-based search can floor the posts you’ve written, favorited, boosted or have been talked about in, which could be helpful.
Can I put up photographs and video?
As famous above, Mastodon helps many Twitter conventions, however its help for media is extra restricted. The place Twitter helps quite a lot of media and different information appended to tweets, together with its audio-only social “Areas,” plus pictures, video, GIFs, polls, exact location and experimental “Standing” tags, Mastodon merely helps photographs, movies, audio and polls.
You’ll be able to add up to four images to a post, as much as eight megabytes in dimension. Video and audio could be any size, however with a file dimension restrict of 40 megabytes.
Can I put up privately to mates?
Mastodon gives the flexibility to set your put up’s privateness on the time of writing. Posts could be set to be public to be seen by all; unlisted to make them public however opted out of discovery options; solely seen to your followers; or solely seen to these customers you’ve talked about.
Can I get verified on Mastodon?
No. There’s no common verification system like on Twitter. Some servers might vet their consumer sign-ups and you may self-verify, in a method, by including hyperlinks to your Mastodon profile which have a selected attribute (rel=”me”) as a way to show you might be who you say you might be.
Some servers are having enjoyable with the thought of verification in a less-than-official trend. For instance, the mstdn.social server lets you add blue-and-white checkmarks and different emoji to your show identify should you’d like, which make you look verified, though these don’t imply something. (Kind of like Twitter’s new verification system! However totally free!)
Is Mastodon right here to remain?
As of summer season 2025, Mastodon has beneath a million month-to-month lively customers, and round 10 million registered customers — that is to say, Mastodon is way smaller than X which had an estimated 132 million every day lively customers. Nonetheless, not all social networks are created equal, and also you would possibly discover that you simply desire tooting about TTRPGs in a devoted server, versus tweeting right into a realm of insanity. Or, you would possibly discover that this decentralized system is complicated, and also you’ll simply trip out the Muskening on X, or change to Bluesky, Threads, or one thing else fully. Select your personal journey!
I’m undecided I need to go away X. Can I cross-post from X to Mastodon?
Sure, that is attainable by the use of third-party instruments. These require you to authorize your account with Twitter and Mastodon and arrange parameters. We’ve had success with Moa Party, which lets you get particular as to which tweets or retweets are cross-posted. However different instruments can be found, together with Mastodon Twitter Crossposter, which can be obtainable right here on GitHub.
Can I discover my Twitter mates on Mastodon?
Sure, that is additionally attainable with third-party instruments. We’ve seen many Mastodon customers attempting out instruments like Fedifinder, Twitodon and Debirdify, for instance.
Does Mastodon work with Bluesky and Threads?
It’s a no for Bluesky — not until Bluesky chooses to undertake the ActivityPub protocol Mastodon makes use of. However Bluesky will not be planning to combine with ActivityPub, having decided to build its own networking protocol. There’s some skepticism among the many developer and open supply group about whether or not or not Bluesky’s resolution to go its personal method is actually about its personal protocol’s benefits or if it’s extra about producing a spec it might ultimately management.
Threads, nevertheless, supports ActivityPub. Customers on Threads can select to share their posts with different Exercise Pub servers, together with Mastodon.
