Tired of Musk? Mastodon’s ‘decentralized Twitter’ has just launched on Android
The microblogging kingpin has a new challenger
What is Mastodon?
Mastodon consists of independent communities spread across different servers, which means no single company — or billionaire — can control them.
Instead, anyone can create and run their own version of Mastodon with its own set of rules. Each is then owned, operated, and moderated by the community that made them, but members can still follow users of other servers.
Mastodon says that this approach means the network can’t go bankrupt, get sold, or be blocked by governments.
The costs of running the network are offset by crowdfunding and volunteers.
Another compelling difference from Twitter is Mastodon’s feed, which is chronological, ad-free, and non-algorithmic.
The social network also offers anti-abuse tools that users can deploy as they see fit.
Free speech absolutists, however, may balk atMastodon’s code of conduct, which prohibits a broad range of bigotry.
What’s the app’s future?
Mastodon already had aniPhone app, web version, and several third-party services, but Android users were cruelly overlooked until now.
I gave the new app a spin — and was fairly impressed by the potential.
The platform combines an interface that apes Twitter with federated communities that are more evocative of subreddits.
It’s straightforward to use and the UX seems smooth, but it’s fairly drab in appearance and lacks some of the bird app’s features.
The biggest issue, however, is the quantity of content. While Mastodon says it has more than 4.4 million users, the Android app remains pretty desolate for now.
The project should attract moreMuskhaters and decentralization fans, but it may soon face competition frombig-moneyrivals.
Nonetheless, Mastodon’s future looks brighter than that ofDonald Trump’sTwitter knock-off — which even the former presidentcan’t be bothered to use.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.
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