Bluesky's 'Live Now' Badge Goes Live for All Users
In a move that could shake up the social media landscape, Bluesky is now making its "Live Now" badge feature available to everyone on its platform. This comes as part of the v1.114 update, which also introduces "cashtags," another type of hashtag specifically designed for collecting conversations around publicly-traded companies.
The "Live Now" badge has been in beta testing since May 2025 and was initially rolled out to a select group of accounts, including the NBA's official Twitter account. The feature allows users with Bluesky profiles to add a live streaming badge to their profile picture that links directly to their current or upcoming stream on Twitch. While this is currently limited to Twitch links, Bluesky has hinted at plans to expand support to other streaming platforms in the future.
The introduction of cashtags marks another attempt by Bluesky to differentiate itself from its competitor X, a social media platform known for restricting user behavior. Cashtags are essentially a type of hashtag that uses a dollar sign and stock abbreviation combination to mark posts, making it easy to find related content through search or by tapping on the relevant cashtag. By making this feature available to all users, Bluesky is positioning itself as a more inclusive alternative to X.
It remains to be seen how Bluesky's efforts will play out in terms of user adoption and engagement. However, with the addition of these features, the platform is taking an important step towards establishing itself as a viable competitor in the social media space.
In a move that could shake up the social media landscape, Bluesky is now making its "Live Now" badge feature available to everyone on its platform. This comes as part of the v1.114 update, which also introduces "cashtags," another type of hashtag specifically designed for collecting conversations around publicly-traded companies.
The "Live Now" badge has been in beta testing since May 2025 and was initially rolled out to a select group of accounts, including the NBA's official Twitter account. The feature allows users with Bluesky profiles to add a live streaming badge to their profile picture that links directly to their current or upcoming stream on Twitch. While this is currently limited to Twitch links, Bluesky has hinted at plans to expand support to other streaming platforms in the future.
The introduction of cashtags marks another attempt by Bluesky to differentiate itself from its competitor X, a social media platform known for restricting user behavior. Cashtags are essentially a type of hashtag that uses a dollar sign and stock abbreviation combination to mark posts, making it easy to find related content through search or by tapping on the relevant cashtag. By making this feature available to all users, Bluesky is positioning itself as a more inclusive alternative to X.
It remains to be seen how Bluesky's efforts will play out in terms of user adoption and engagement. However, with the addition of these features, the platform is taking an important step towards establishing itself as a viable competitor in the social media space.
! I think it's a great way to encourage more live streaming on their platform, and with plans to expand support to other streaming platforms, it could really give Twitch a run for its money 
. The introduction of cashtags is also a clever move, making it easier for users to find related content and conversations around publicly-traded companies 
. It's clear that Bluesky is trying to differentiate itself from X by being more inclusive and user-friendly 
. Now we'll just have to wait and see how users respond to these new features 
!
. I think it's about time they did something to make their platform more interesting, especially since X is still doing it better 
. The cashtags thing sounds useful, but we'll have to wait and see how users actually use them 
. At least Bluesky's not copying everyone else for a change... kind of 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to be able to share their gaming sessions or music streams with just a click of a button? And cashtags are so cool too! It's like having our own little corner of Twitter where we can talk about stocks and stuff 
. I'm defo gonna start using these features and seeing how the community reacts. Maybe Bluesky will finally become that alternative to X everyone's been talking about 
.
... think about it, having a "Live Now" badge can either be super cool or super distracting 
.
. And let's be real, Bluesky is basically copying X with the cashtag feature - what sets them apart now? 
. I mean, having that badge means you're basically saying "Hey, world! I'm about to stream LIVE!" and it's super easy to find the streams because of the Twitch link 
. The fact that they're making this available to everyone is like, totally inclusive, right? And cashtags are a neat little touch too 
. I'm curious to see how users respond to this update and if it'll make Bluesky the go-to platform for streaming fans...
Been using them since they came out in beta and it's amazing how easy it is to find conversations about your favorite companies or streams now. The more Bluesky expands its features, the more I'll stay on the platform 
, no question about it 
, can't they just let us old users enjoy the site in peace? I mean, who needs a "Live Now" badge when you've already got a profile pic with your Twitch stream link on it? It's like they're trying to force-feed us new features that we don't even care about 
. Can't they just simplify the platform instead of making it more cluttered and annoying to use? And what's up with all these updates in a row, can't they just give us a break for once?! 
. I'm thinking this "Live Now" badge feature could be a game-changer for streamers and gamers on their platform. It's like, if you're going live on Twitch, you can slap that badge on your profile pic and people know exactly when to tune in. And cashtags? That's just another way for Bluesky to give users more ways to discover content that interests them.
, but have you seen how clunky it looks on your profile pic? It's like they took a screenshot from Twitch and slapped it on there without any finesse 
. I mean, I guess it's better than X, but only because Bluesky doesn't have that whole " restricting user behavior" thing going on 
. Still, I'm not holding my breath for how well these new features are gonna be received...