As Bluesky grows, so does the volume of notifications. While Direct Messages (DMs) are a fantastic way to connect with friends and collaborators, an open inbox can quickly become a source of spam, unwanted pitches, and distraction.

Your attention is your most valuable asset. To protect it, you need to set boundaries.

Whether you want to completely close your DMs or just restrict them to people you know, Bluesky gives you the controls. Here is how to manage your privacy settings and why taking control of your inbox is a smart move for your growth strategy

How to Change Your DM Settings

By default, Bluesky often sets DMs to "Everyone" or "Users you follow." If you are feeling overwhelmed, here is how to tighten security:

  1. Open Settings: On mobile, tap your profile picture in the top left, then tap Settings. On desktop, click Settings in the left sidebar.

  2. Navigate to Chat: Scroll down to the Chat section (sometimes labeled "Chat Settings").

  3. Select "Allow messages from": You will see three main options:

    • Everyone: Anyone on Bluesky can send you a message. Messages from people you don’t follow will go to a "Message Requests" folder first.

    • Users you follow: Only people you follow can send you messages. This is the "Mutuals only" approach and is great for creators who want to stay accessible but filter out cold outreach.

    • No one: This effectively disables DMs. The chat icon may disappear from your profile for others.

Pro Tip: Even if you allow messages from "Everyone," you can individual block or mute users who abuse the privilege without changing your global settings.

Why Restricting DMs May Help You Scale

It sounds counterintuitive—don't you want to talk to your audience?

Yes, but you want to do it on your terms.

When you leave your DMs wide open, you spend hours reacting to incoming noise. By restricting DMs to "Users you follow" or "No one," you force interactions into the public timeline (replies and quote posts). This public engagement signals to the algorithm that your account is active and interesting, actually helping your growth more than private chats do.

Control the Conversation with SkyPilot

If you restrict your DMs to protect your peace, how do you ensure you still build deep connections with new followers?

You switch from "Defense" to "Offense" with SkyPilot.

While you lock the front door to keep out spammers, SkyPilot allows you to proactively welcome the guests you actually want.

  • The Welcomer (Auto-DM): For Premium users, SkyPilot can automatically send a friendly, pre-written DM to new followers. This allows you to initiate the conversation on your terms, sharing your newsletter, a helpful resource, or just a simple "thanks."

  • Smart Lists: If you turn off DMs, you need to stay active in the feed. SkyPilot's Lists and Audience Cloning let you segment your high-value connections so you never miss a public post from a VIP, even if you aren't chatting privately.

Reclaim Your Focus

You don't have to be available to everyone, everywhere, all the time.

Use Bluesky’s native settings to build a wall against the noise, and use SkyPilot to build bridges to the people who matter.