How to use it
- Read the live status above. It tests Bluesky from outside your network.
- Open the official Bluesky Status page for confirmed incidents.
- If Bluesky is up, work through the fixes below, cheapest first.
- Press the report button if it still fails, so other visitors see it.
Is Bluesky down for everyone or only for you?
Bluesky is built on the AT Protocol. The app you use is one client. Behind it sit your account's data server, and shared services that build feeds and search across everyone. The Bluesky status page reflects this with two groups, Website and App, and Network Infrastructure. A problem in one group does not always affect the other.
That design means odd partial failures. Your own profile may load while a popular custom feed does not, or the app opens while posting fails. Our check requests bsky.app and bsky.social from outside your network. If they answer, the platform is reachable and the cause may be your app version, your handle, a feed host or a rate limit.
The live check on this page requests bsky.app and bsky.social from our servers every few minutes. A normal answer from those addresses means the service is reachable from outside your network. It does not prove that every feature inside Bluesky works, which is why the problem reports and the fixes below matter.
What usually breaks with Bluesky
Feeds not loading
Following loads, but Discover or a custom feed shows errors. Custom feeds are run by third parties and can fail alone.
Posting and uploading
A post stays pending or an image fails to upload. Writing to your data server is different from reading feeds.
Login and handle problems
The app rejects your sign in, or a custom domain handle shows as invalid. Handle checks rely on DNS or a file on your domain.
Notifications delayed
Likes and replies arrive late. This is usually a lag in the shared network services.
Heavy traffic messages
During a surge, the app can show a rate limit or heavy traffic message, especially on popular feeds.
How to fix Bluesky when it only fails for you
Start at the top. The first steps are the cheapest and fix most cases that are not a real outage.
- Check the status page. Open status.bsky.app and compare Website and App with Network Infrastructure.
- Pull to refresh. In the mobile app pull down on the feed. On the web press Ctrl+Shift+R.
- Switch to the Following feed. If a custom feed fails, open Following. If that works, the feed host is the problem, not Bluesky.
- Update the app. Install the latest Bluesky app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store, or use bsky.app in a browser.
- Log out and back in. Open Settings and sign out. Sign in again. Use an App Password for third-party clients, never your main password.
- Fix your handle. For a domain handle, check your DNS TXT record for _atproto or the file on your site, then retry in Settings, Change handle.
- Slow down automated posting. Bots should add delays and back off after a 429 response.
- Try another network. Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data to rule out a local DNS or filter problem.
If none of this helps and the live check above shows the service as up, read our guide on why a website is not loading, or see how to flush DNS.
Common Bluesky error messages
| Message or code | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 429 Too Many Requests | Bluesky developer docs say requests that cross a rate limit usually receive this status. | Wait a few minutes and slow your requests. |
| Request rate limit exceeded | A heavy-traffic message that news reports showed on feeds during a major load event. It does not always mean your account did anything wrong. | Wait and retry, and check the Bluesky status page. |
| Invalid handle | A custom domain handle that does not pass verification. | Recheck the DNS record or file, then retry changing the handle in Settings. |
Official Bluesky status and support
The company itself has the final word on outages. Check Bluesky Status for confirmed incidents and use Bluesky Support if your account has a problem that is not an outage. We are not affiliated with Bluesky.
Facts and menu names on this page were checked against the official sources below on October 25, 2026. Apps change their menus, so a setting may sit in a slightly different place in your version.
Other services people check
Frequently asked questions
Is Bluesky down or only my feed?
Run the live check, then try the Following feed. If that works, a custom feed host is likely the problem.
Where is the official Bluesky status page?
status.bsky.app. It shows Website and App and Network Infrastructure.
Why do I see a rate limit message?
Either the service is busy or your account or app sent too many requests. Waiting a few minutes usually clears it.
Does Bluesky work on mobile and web?
Yes. Use the app or bsky.app. If one fails, test the other.
Can third-party clients break while Bluesky is up?
Yes. Check that you use an App Password and that the client is updated.