Here’s something you’ve never seen on Big Tech social platforms: Decentralized open social network Bluesky has incorporated new technology from a startup called Network of microbes in order to bring end-to-end (E2E) encrypted messages to the Bluesky app. The move makes Germ DM the first private messenger that can be launched natively in the Bluesky app.
At the same time as the release, the Germ new guidance which would allow other applications built on the underlying AT Protocol that empowers Bluesky to do the same thing.
The move is a notable example of how open social networking ecosystems work differently than the Big Tech platforms that dominate the space today, as new features and capabilities can be developed by the community, not just the company itself.
Bluesky was announced integration with Germ earlier this month, noting that the experimental integration will allow Germ users to add a button to their profile so others can message them on Bluesky in an encrypted E2E environment.
Meanwhile, Germ’s standalone app is also available in public beta on iOS in North America and Europe. This app had seen thousands of downloads so far, but after the official integration announcement, daily active users increased by 5 times, the team said.
California-based Germ is a startup founded by Tessa Browna communications scholar who previously taught at Stanford and Mark Xuewho worked as a privacy engineer at Apple on technologies like FaceTime and iMessage. The idea, as the company previously explained to TechCrunch, was to offer an alternative to other encrypted E2E platforms like iMessage, Signal, and WhatsApp that relies on newer technologies.
Today, Germ takes advantage of Messaging Layer Security (MLS), a new standard approved by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and the AT protocol (or ATProto), which powers Bluesky, Skylight, and a growing number of other social apps.
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Instead of requiring a user’s phone number, Germ integrates with ATProto to enable its encrypted chats. This means that Germ’s messages cannot be decrypted by any other service, including itself or Bluesky.
To use the new messenger, you’ll simply click the badge on a friend’s Bluesky profile, which opens an iOS app clip — a lightweight, temporary app. You click “open” on this app experience and then authenticate by connecting to the ATProto handle. You can then send a message to a friend instantly. They will also prompt you to download the full Germ DM app, but this is optional.
If you want to add the badge to your own profile, you’ll download the Germ DM app on iOS and authenticate your Bluesky credentials there. (Note: We had to force close the Bluesky iOS app and restart it before the Germ signal appeared.)
The company has been developing the official Bluesky integration for several months, starting with a private beta in August that was released using “magic links” shared in users’ bios. Now, users who have Germ set up to work on Bluesky will get a new badge displayed on their profiles, allowing them to remove the link-in-bio option they used before. (The links will still work, but the signal is easier and more noticeable, of course.)
Germ told TechCrunch that their startup has been in conversation with the ATProto developer community, including Bluesky’s application and protocol teams, since ATmosphere Conference in Seattle last year.
“We’ve been transparent about our design and roadmap, and our private beta shipment in August generated valuable feedback from users and developers about wanting to replace our bios links with a native UI,” said Xue, who serves as CTO at Germ Network. “Both our team and Bluesky saw value in AppView’s better support for the Germ link.”
Bluesky’s app changes were made by head of product Alex Benzer, as was the company look to experiment with the implementation of third-party services within Bluesky.
“Working directly with the Bluesky team has been a pleasure,” Brown, CEO of Germ, told TechCrunch. “They ship fast, prioritize user experience, and care about their users’ access to end-to-end encrypted messaging. We’re excited to be the first secure messenger they’ve brought natively to their app.”
While it is true that the AT Protocol could eventually implement E2E encryption, that is not the focus today. As Bluesky protocol engineer Daniel Holms recently explained, the company has several reasons not to design a system itself.
“The reality is that E2EE is hard,” he said he wrote in a blog post. “And that inherent complexity isn’t something Bluesky’s protocol team can just handle — it’s pushed to every developer trying to build a client that works with encrypted data,” Holms said.
Xue agreed, adding: “We align with ATProto’s ethos that people should be able to communicate using the apps and tools of their choice. We believe that by solving difficult problems for ATProto users in secure, transparent and user-friendly ways, they will continue to choose us,” he said.
Shortly after Bluesky added support for the Germ token, another Client based on AT protocol, Blackskyhe did too.
Brown noted that the team is currently focused on shipping more daily messaging features, not monetization. But further down, Germ can test paid features.
“We expect that our first paid features will focus on the needs of power user investors, such as creators, journalists and politicians – for example, support for multiple handles and AI-powered private screening for the first messages from new connections,” he said.
