A new startup called Germ is launching encrypted messaging for users of the Bluesky social network.
This new feature gives people a more secure option than the current direct messaging system on Bluesky. After more than two years of development, Germ is now available in beta. The team plans to slowly invite new testers before making the service public.
Germ is different from popular encrypted messaging apps like iMessage, Signal, and WhatsApp. Instead of using a phone number, Germ connects to Bluesky through the AT Protocol, or ATProto. This is the same open technology that powers Bluesky and other apps like Flashes and Skylight. Germ also uses a new encryption standard called Messaging Layer Security, or MLS, which was recently approved by the Internet Engineering Task Force.
With Germ, users have more control over who can send them messages. You can choose to receive messages only from people you follow, or set it so that only you can start conversations. If you block someone, you can block them just in Germ or across all ATProto apps. This gives users more flexibility and control compared to traditional messaging platforms.
Germ was created by co-founders Tessa Brown and Mark Xue. Brown is a former Stanford teacher who studied online communication. She believes private conversations are important for building healthy relationships online. Xue worked at Apple on FaceTime and iMessage and wanted to build a modern, secure messaging platform without relying on old phone technology.
Germ works through a special “magic link” that users can add to their Bluesky bio. When someone clicks the link, they can start chatting without downloading a full app. This is possible because Germ uses Apple’s App Clips, which allow small parts of apps to run instantly. Users can later install the full Germ app for more features like a friends list and extra controls.
In tests, the pairing feature had some issues, but that may be due to running the latest iOS developer beta. The app is currently only available on iOS, but the team plans to launch an Android version in the future.
Germ is free for now, but the startup may offer a paid version later with more features such as private AI tools and personalization options. The company has received pre-seed funding from angel investors, including a co-author of the MLS standard, and from institutional backers like Mozilla Ventures and K5 Global.
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Germ’s team hopes that Bluesky and other ATProto apps will adopt its technology in the future to bring better privacy and security to social media.
