Mastodon, the decentralized social media platform often seen as a rival to X (formerly Twitter), has announced a significant update that brings a host of new features and improvements to its service.
The update introduces a revamped notification system, which now groups similar notifications together. This change allows users to get a clearer overview of their post's engagement, displaying a summary of boosts and likes rather than individual notifications for each interaction.
A new filtering system for notifications has also been implemented, giving users greater control over what they see. Users can now customize how they receive notifications from accounts they don't follow, recently created accounts, or unsolicited private mentions.
In a move towards increased transparency, Mastodon has introduced new moderation insights. Users will now be notified if moderation decisions affect their follower count or their ability to follow others from different servers. They'll also have the option to export a list of affected profiles.
To improve user onboarding, Mastodon has refined its follow recommendations. New users will now see suggested accounts to follow above older posts in their home feed, aiming to create a more engaging experience from the start.
The platform's web app has received a visual refresh, including a redesigned post composer and updated iconography and color palette. A new feature allowing users to preview links by hovering over account names has also been added, mimicking a popular feature from X.
In support of journalists and writers, Mastodon has officially launched clickable author bylines on link posts. This feature aims to increase exposure for content creators and help users stay informed about news sources.
Looking ahead, Mastodon plans to introduce highly anticipated features such as quote posts and the ability for server operators to subscribe to managed blocklists.
This comprehensive update demonstrates Mastodon's commitment to evolving its platform while maintaining its core principles of decentralization and user empowerment.