Mastodon offers two distinct ways to control who sees your posts: direct messages and followers-only visibility. Many users confuse these two options and accidentally send a private message to all their followers or limit a public post to a single person. This article explains the exact difference between a Mastodon direct message and a followers-only post. You will learn when to use each visibility setting and how to avoid common mistakes.
Key Takeaways: Direct Message vs Followers-Only Visibility
- To create a direct message: Set the post visibility to “Direct” and include @username of each recipient in the post text. Only those mentioned can see the post.
- To create a followers-only post: Set the post visibility to “Followers-Only.” All your current followers can see the post, but it will not appear in the public or federated timeline.
- To switch visibility before posting: Click the globe icon below the compose box and select Direct, Followers-Only, Unlisted, or Public. This setting applies to the entire post.
Understanding Mastodon Post Visibility Options
Mastodon gives you four visibility levels for every post you create. The two most private options are Direct and Followers-Only. Direct messages are visible only to the users you explicitly mention in the post. Followers-only posts are visible to everyone who follows you, but not to the general public or users on other instances. The other two options, Unlisted and Public, make your post visible to anyone who has the link or appears in the federated timeline respectively.
The key difference is the audience scope. A direct message is like an email sent to specific people. A followers-only post is like a private newsletter sent to your entire subscriber list. Neither option is encrypted, so Mastodon server administrators can still read the content. You should never share sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers through either method.
When to Use Direct Messages
Use direct messages when you need to communicate with one person or a small group privately. For example, you might send a direct message to coordinate a project with two colleagues. The post will appear in the recipients’ direct message inbox, not on their public timeline. Direct messages are also useful for reporting abuse to a moderator, as the message stays between you and the moderator.
When to Use Followers-Only Posts
Use followers-only posts when you want to share content with all your followers without making it public. This is ideal for personal updates, behind-the-scenes content, or discussions that should not appear in search engines or public timelines. Followers-only posts still appear in your followers’ home feeds, but they are not boosted or federated to other instances.
Setting Visibility Before Posting
You set the visibility for each post individually. The default visibility is usually Public, but you can change it per post. Follow these steps to select the correct option.
- Open the compose box
Click the compose button, usually a quill icon or a plus sign, in the Mastodon web interface or mobile app. - Locate the visibility icon
Look for a small globe icon below the text input field. Click it to open the visibility menu. - Select the desired visibility
Choose Direct for a private message to specific users. Choose Followers-Only for a post visible only to your followers. The icon changes to a lock for Direct or a person icon for Followers-Only. - Add recipients for direct messages
If you chose Direct, type @username for each recipient in the post text. Mastodon will autocomplete usernames from your instance. You must mention at least one person for the direct message to work. - Post the message
Click the Publish button. The post will be sent with the visibility you selected.
How Direct Messages Appear to Recipients
When you send a direct message, it appears in the recipient’s direct messages timeline. In the Mastodon web interface, you can access this timeline by clicking the envelope icon in the navigation bar. The post also appears in the recipient’s home feed if they follow you, but it is marked with a lock icon. The recipient can reply to a direct message, and the reply will also be a direct message to you and any other mentioned users.
If you mention multiple users in a direct message, all of them can see the entire conversation. Mastodon does not support separate private groups. Every participant sees the full thread. Be careful when replying to a direct message that includes other people. Your reply will go to everyone in the original message unless you remove some mentions.
How Followers-Only Posts Appear
Followers-only posts appear in the home feeds of your current followers. They do not appear in the public timeline, the federated timeline, or search results. New followers who join after you post will not see those older followers-only posts unless they scroll back through your profile. The posts are still visible on your profile page to anyone who visits it, but only if they are logged in and follow you. Users who do not follow you see a message that the post is only available to followers.
Common Mistakes and Limitations
Accidentally Posting a Direct Message as Public
If you forget to change the visibility from Public to Direct, your message will be visible to everyone. Mastodon does not have an undo feature for posts. The only way to fix this is to delete the post immediately and resend it with the correct visibility. To avoid this mistake, always check the visibility icon before clicking Publish.
Direct Messages Are Not Encrypted
Mastodon direct messages are not end-to-end encrypted. Server administrators and moderators can read them if they access the database. You should never share passwords, financial information, or other sensitive data through Mastodon direct messages. For truly private communication, use a dedicated encrypted messaging app like Signal.
Followers-Only Posts Are Still Visible to Server Admins
Like direct messages, followers-only posts are stored in plain text on the server. Your instance administrator can read them. If you are on a small instance run by a friend, this may be acceptable. On a large public instance, consider that your posts are not truly private.
Replying to a Followers-Only Post Changes Visibility
When you reply to a followers-only post, your reply automatically inherits the same visibility setting. However, if you manually change the visibility of your reply to Public, the reply will be visible to everyone, even though the original post is followers-only. This can accidentally expose the conversation. Always check the visibility of your replies.
| Item | Direct Message | Followers-Only Post |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Only users mentioned in the post | All current followers |
| Visibility on profile | Not visible on profile | Visible to logged-in followers |
| Appears in home feed | Yes, for recipients who follow you | Yes, for all followers |
| Appears in public timeline | No | No |
| Can be boosted | No | No |
| Encrypted | No | No |
You now know the difference between Mastodon direct messages and followers-only visibility. Use direct messages for one-on-one or small group conversations. Use followers-only posts for sharing content with your entire follower base privately. Always verify the visibility icon before posting. For advanced privacy, consider creating a separate Mastodon account on a private instance for sensitive discussions.