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Tapbots teases a new Bluesky app, Phoenix, saying it can’t ‘survive on Mastodonalone’
Tapbots, the developer behind Mastodon's Ivory app, is launching a new Bluesky app called Phoenix to cater to the platform's over 32 million users. While developing Phoenix, Tapbots will temporarily slow Ivory's updates. They emphasize the necessity of supporting both platforms for business sustainability and plan cross-posting features for users on both networks. Phoenix is set for a summer 2025 launch with a potential subscription model.
Key points
- Tapbots, known for its iOS apps, is launching a Bluesky app named Phoenix.
- Bluesky has over 32 million users, prompting Tapbots to develop a dedicated client.
- Ivory, Tapbots' Mastodon client, will experience slowed development during Phoenix's creation.
- Tapbots highlights the need to support both Bluesky and Mastodon for business survival.
- Cross-posting features will be implemented for users active on both platforms.
- Phoenix is expected to enter a limited alpha phase before its summer 2025 launch.
- Monetization for Phoenix will likely follow a subscription model similar to Ivory.
Why it matters
- The emergence of alternative social networks like Bluesky and Mastodon follows Twitter's transformation post-Elon Musk's acquisition.
- Tapbots' strategy reflects the trend in 2025 where developers are seeking multi-platform support to ensure revenue in fragmented social media landscapes.
- The increasing popularity of the fediverse and decentralized applications highlight a shift towards user autonomy in social networking.
Tapbots' development of the Phoenix app signifies a growing trend towards multi-platform support in social media, driven by user demands for varied networking experiences, especially post-Twitter's rebranding.