Bluesky is a great alternative to platforms like X, especially in 2025. The platform offers most everything you'd expect from a social media site, from serious discussions, to copious memes, to DMs, minus the rage-baiting algorithms. But Bluesky DMs aren't perfect, particularly if you care about your privacy. Despite launching in early 2024, the app has yet to roll out encryption for its messaging services.
And encryption is important, particularly for chat functions—end-to-end encryption (E2EE) ensures that only the accounts and/or devices of the people involved in the conversation can read the messages sent and received. Without E2EE protections, you leave your chats open to interception—consider the recent news of a massive leak involving the viral social media app Tea, which exposed the contents of users' private messages. Right now, Bluesky's DMs are fine for casual conversation—assuming you're okay with the possibility of those conversations being read by a third party—but not for text threads including sensitive or private information. (But please, never use any chat apps to send classified information, encrypted or otherwise.)
While we wait for Bluesky to add its own encryption to DMs, there appears to be a promising option that will let you chat with your Bluesky friends with E2EE. As reported by 404 Media, “Germ” is an E2EE chat app that is currently working on integration with AT Protocol, the open-source standard Bluesky is built on.
How does Germ work with Bluesky?
The idea is this: You download the Germ app separately from Bluesky. You sign in with your Bluesky or AT Protocol handle (your “identity card,” as Germ puts it). Once you're set up, you look for a Germ link in someone's Bluesky bio. Tap it, and it takes you to the Germ app, where you can begin an E2EE conversation between your two handles.
The chat doesn't happen within the Bluesky app, but it's also not quite asking people to switch to a new chat app entirely—you might not have any luck getting your iMessage or Messenger friends on Signal, but maybe your Bluesky friends will adopt Germ if it ties into their existing handle.
What do you think so far?
How to sign up to try Germ when its ready
The thing is, Germ is still a work in progress. Germ for Bluesky/AT Protocol isn't available yet, and there are still holes to patch—such as getting an independent security audit to confirm its safety.
However, you can sign up to be among the first to try out the Germ beta when its ready—at least on iOS. The company hasn't offered a timeline yet, but if you head to their website, you can share your first name and email to be notified when it's available. Once you hit the arrow to confirm, look out for an email from the company—you'll need to click a button within it to secure your place on the waitlist.
