Mastodon is implementing a redesign of user profiles intended to simplify the decentralized social network and enhance its appeal for mainstream users and organizations.
This initiative seeks to address complexities cited as barriers to broader adoption, as the platform records approximately 800,000 monthly active users, a decline from 1 million during late 2022. The updates aim to streamline the user experience, making Mastodon a more viable alternative to centralized platforms like X or Threads.
The redesign consolidates post visibility into a single “Activity” tab with a dropdown menu, permitting users to filter posts, replies, and “boosts.” Hashtags now appear at the top of this tab for direct content filtering.
Mastodon removed the pinned posts carousel. Users with multiple pinned posts will now feature one, with additional posts accessible via a “View all pinned posts” button.
An informational pop-up now explains Mastodon’s two-part handle structure to new users. Users gain more control over profile visibility, with options to hide “Media” or “Featured” tabs and replies within the “Media” section.
Custom fields, used for links and other information, now display side-by-side, increasing vertical screen space. These fields are now editable on iOS and Android, in addition to the web interface. Other visual adjustments include the removal of a “following you” badge and the relocation of personal notes to an overflow menu.
Profile edits, including featured hashtags and links, are now centralized within account settings. Link verification, a tool for establishing user credibility, has been moved to a more prominent location. Users can also crop and add alt text to profile and cover images.
These changes will initially roll out to the mastodon.social server and other servers running the nightly build. A wider release to more servers is scheduled with the upcoming Mastodon 4.6 software update.
