New users on the decentralized social network Mastodon could soon find it easier to get started. Mastodon is conducting “onboarding experiments” to enhance the new user experience, beginning with default server recommendations. Now, when new users join Mastodon from the mobile app, they might see a button to “join” a recommended server instead of the default “join mastodon.social” button currently visible.
Unlike most other social platforms, Mastodon offers hundreds of independent servers catering to different communities and niches. The introduction of default server recommendations could aid new users in finding a server that matches their interests without overwhelming them or simply directing everyone to the general mastodon.social server.
Mastodon plans to “recommend the closest geographic server in the correct language based on data provided by the app store.” Initially, default server recommendations will only be available on the platform’s iOS and Android apps. Additionally, Mastodon is looking to expand options for classifying servers based on “demographics, interests, and geographic regions.”
While server recommendations are the most significant change Mastodon is testing, it has also launched a new help center where new users can access guides and tutorials. Mastodon recently introduced “Packs,” which suggest groups of accounts for users to follow, similar to Bluesky’s Starter Packs.
In addition to changes in its onboarding process, Mastodon announced on Thursday that it is leaving Discord and transitioning to the open-source chat app Zulip. Mastodon describes this move as “a long-term project” and part of efforts to shift its digital infrastructure to free and open-source software (FOSS). This update comes after Discord’s recent announcement of global age verification measures on its platform.