How to Stop Seeing Posts From a User Without Blocking Them

If you want to stop seeing posts from a specific user on Bluesky but do not want to block them, you can use the mute feature. Blocking a user removes them from your followers and prevents them from interacting with you entirely. Muting is a less aggressive option that simply hides their posts from your feeds and notifications. This guide explains how to mute a user and what happens when you do.

What Muting Does on Bluesky

Muting a user on Bluesky hides their posts, reposts, and replies from your Home feed and from your notifications. The muted user does not receive any notification that you have muted them. They can still see your posts, reply to you, and follow you. Muting is one-way: it only affects what you see, not what the other person sees or does.

This feature is useful when you want to avoid someone's content without starting a conflict or losing a follower. For example, you might mute an acquaintance who posts too often or a brand whose promotions you find annoying. Muting is reversible, and you can unmute the user at any time.

Steps to Mute a User on Bluesky

1. Open the user's profile
   Tap or click the user's display name or avatar anywhere in Bluesky. This can be from a post in your feed, a reply, or a search result.
2. Open the profile menu
   On the user's profile page, look for the three-dot icon or the ellipsis button. On the web version, this is located near the Follow button. On the mobile app, it is in the top-right corner of the profile header.
3. Select Mute Account
   From the dropdown menu, choose Mute Account. A confirmation dialog may appear. Tap or click Mute to confirm.
4. Verify the user is muted
   After muting, the profile page will show a muted indicator. You will no longer see that user's posts in your Home feed or notifications.

How to Mute a User From a Post

1. Open the post menu
   On any post by the user you want to mute, tap or click the three-dot icon usually located at the top-right of the post.
2. Select Mute Account
   From the menu that appears, choose Mute Account. Confirm the action if prompted.

How to Unmute a User

1. Go to Settings
   In the Bluesky app or web, open the left sidebar and click Settings.
2. Open Moderation settings
   Under the Moderation section, click Muted Accounts.
3. Find the user to unmute
   A list of all muted accounts appears. Tap or click the user's name.
4. Tap Unmute
   On the user's profile, tap or click Unmute. Their posts will reappear in your feeds and notifications.

What Muting Does Not Do

Muting has several limitations you should understand before using it.

Muted users can still see your posts

Muting does not prevent the muted user from viewing your profile or posts. They can still reply to your posts, mention you, and interact with your content. You simply will not see their replies in your notifications unless you visit their profile.

Muted users can still follow you

Muting does not remove the user from your followers list. They remain a follower and can continue to see your public posts. If you want to remove them as a follower, you must block them.

Muting does not apply to custom feeds

If you use a third-party custom feed or a feed that shows all posts from people you follow, the muted user's posts may still appear in that feed. The mute filter only applies to the default Home feed and notifications.

Mute vs Block: Key Differences

Feature	Mute	Block
User sees your posts	Yes	No
User can follow you	Yes	No
User can reply to you	Yes	No
User notified	No	No
User removed from followers	No	Yes
User sees your posts in their feed	Yes	No
Reversible	Yes	Yes

When to Use Mute Instead of Block

Mute is the better choice in these situations:

• You want to avoid someone's content but do not want to escalate the situation.
• The user is a colleague, family member, or acquaintance where blocking would cause social friction.
• You want to keep the user as a follower but stop seeing their posts.
• You are testing a moderation strategy and want to reverse the action later.

Common Mistakes When Muting

Muting instead of blocking for harassment

If a user is harassing you, muting is not enough. They can still see your posts and reply to you. For serious harassment, use the block feature or report the account to Bluesky moderation.

Expecting mute to work on all feeds

As noted earlier, mute does not filter custom feeds or algorithmic feeds. If you use a feed like "Popular With Friends," you may still see muted users there. To avoid this, stick to the default Home feed or use the "Following" feed.

Forgetting to unmute

If you later want to see a muted user's posts again, you must manually unmute them from the Muted Accounts list. The mute does not expire automatically.

Conclusion

Muting a user on Bluesky is a simple way to hide their posts without blocking them. You can mute from the profile menu or directly from a post. The muted user remains unaware of the action and can still interact with you. Use the Muted Accounts list in Settings > Moderation to manage your muted users. For persistent harassment, always use the block feature instead of mute.