Mastodon, a decentralized social network boasting over 8 million accounts and nearly 700,000 monthly active users, is gearing up to launch a new feature called “Packs.” This feature aims to simplify the process of discovering curated collections of users to follow, particularly for newcomers to the platform.
The concept behind Packs is reminiscent of a feature introduced by Bluesky, another open social platform, last year. Starter packs are designed to tackle the challenge of the “cold start” problem often faced by new users on social networks. Upon joining a new platform, users may struggle to identify who to follow and find content relevant to their interests.
Bluesky addressed this issue with Starter Packs, enabling regular users to curate a selection of recommended accounts to follow. Today, Starter Packs cover a wide range of topics and also feature top users on the platform, among other suggestions.
The popularity of this feature prompted Meta to implement a similar function on Instagram Threads toward the end of last year.
Mastodon is now set to introduce its own take on Packs, with some notable distinctions. The platform emphasizes user control, allowing individuals to choose whether they appear in Packs on Mastodon. This feature will be an extension of the existing account discoverability tools, with users able to opt out by disabling the relevant setting.
Furthermore, Mastodon plans to notify users when they are included in a Pack. Unlike Bluesky, where users had to report or block a user to be removed from a Starter Pack, Mastodon aims to provide a simpler method for users to opt out, similar to how they can remove their posts from Quote Posts.
The nonprofit organization behind Mastodon software, Mastodon gGmbH, is collaborating with other fediverse developers on a Fediverse Enhancement Proposal (FEP), which is currently available on GitHub. The initial version of Packs and other enhancements for user onboarding are expected to be part of the upcoming Mastodon 4.6 release, with the platform currently running on version 4.4.5.
