Fedi.Tips

Posting hints and tips about Mastodon and the Fediverse 🌍

There are lots of answers to common questions on my website at https://fedi.tips. If you can't find your answer @ or DM me, there's no such thing as a silly question!

I am a volunteer, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/fedithing or become a patron at https://liberapay.com/FediThing

Maintained by @FediThing, banner artwork is by @posiputt

🎂 Account originally joined mstdn.social on 16th Nov 2020

Public Key

npub1p45qg9vnqkn75s92f40f0c8vy4ztfmlkyf8vypwq54geks5kfpes80x9sx

NIP-05 Address

FediTips_at_social.growyourown.services@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsq66qyzkfstfl2gz4y6h5hurkz2395almzynkzqhq225vmg2tysucpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qejmfel

Publishing to

relay.mostr.pub

Author Public Key

npub1p45qg9vnqkn75s92f40f0c8vy4ztfmlkyf8vypwq54geks5kfpes80x9sx

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Last Notes

2024-08-02 17:55:48

If you @ someone on here (i.e. mention their Fediverse address), they will be able to see your post, even if you're using a private post visibility mode like "followers-only" or "mentions-only".
If you want to discuss an account in private, use a private visibility mode but do not @ the account. Instead you could (for example) replace the @ symbols in their address with the word AT, which will stop the address being recognised by the software.
#FediTips

2024-08-01 17:16:45

A guide to Fediverse terms:
"Toot" = Post, named after Mastodon's mascot 🐘
"Boost" = Sharing a post, re-blog, re-tweet
"Instance" = Server, the place where your account is
"CW" = Content Warning, a feature where people have to click a warning to read a post
"Birdsite" = Twitter/X
"Vanilla Mastodon" = Standard Mastodon without any customisations. Some servers are customised to allow longer posts or other extras.
"Alt" = Someone's alternative Fedi account
Any other words need translating?

2024-07-31 15:23:37

If you want more people to follow you, it might be worth writing an introductory post about yourself with the hashtag #Introduction and then pinning it to your profile.
Here's how to pin:
1. Log in through your server’s website
2. Go to the post to pin, click ⋯ and select "Pin to profile"
Pinned posts federate much more widely on Mastodon than unpinned posts. By pinning posts, you're making sure that your profile will never look blank to anyone.
You can pin up to 5 posts at once.
#FediTips

2024-07-30 21:54:22

Techy people!
If you want to use Mastodon through a command line or a text-based interface, try the client Toot:
➡️ https://toot.bezdomni.net
(NOTE: This has no connection to the mobile apps Toot! or Tooot. They just have similar names.)
#Mastodon #CLI #TUI

2024-07-29 16:04:57

If you've been tagged in a Mastodon thread you don't want to take part in any more, you can mute the conversation:
1. Log in through your server’s website or web app (and some app store apps also include this feature)
2. Go to the 🔔 Notifications section and scroll to a notification you’ve received from the thread you want to mute
3. Click ⋯ on the notification and select "Mute Conversation"
It will stop all notifications from the thread. No one will know you've done this.
#FediTips

2024-07-27 19:45:12

If you're using Mastodon through a computer, you can type emoji using your keyboard:
1. Type : (colon) and then a keyword without a space.
2. A list of search results will appear, move the arrow keys to the emoji you want.
3. Press Enter to select the emoji
For example if you type :sun you will see search results that match the keyword "sun". (Note that if a keyword is particularly common you may not see all the matching results, and you will have to use the picker icon 🙂 instead.)
#FediTips

2024-07-24 16:02:00

Many blind people on the Fediverse don't have profile pictures, because they use the internet through non-visual audio interfaces. So, if you see an account with a blank profile image, don't assume it's a bad account.
The most reliable way to check if an account is good is to see what text is written on its profile page, and what kind of posts are in its profile timeline.
#FediTips

2024-07-22 19:28:27

Do you want your public Mastodon posts to be as widely seen as possible? You might want to opt into "full text search":
1. Log into your server’s website
2. Go to your profile page
3. Click "Edit Profile"
4. Click "Privacy & Reach" tab
5. Tick box marked "Include public posts in search results"
6. Click "Save Changes" at bottom of screen
After you opt in, your public posts will be searchable by their entire contents.
If you don't opt in, your public posts will only be searchable by hashtags.

2024-07-20 16:44:23

If you see a 🔒 padlock icon next to someone's name on their profile, it means they are screening who can follow them. People clicking follow will have to wait for the account to approve their follow request.
If you want to screen who follows you, here's how to activate follow requests:
1. Log in through your server’s website
2. Go to your profile page
3. Click "Edit profile"
4. Click "Privacy & reach" tab
5. UN-tick box marked "Automatically accept new followers"
6. Click "Save changes" button

2024-07-17 19:23:48

Do you want a post to only be visible to your followers? You can do this by posting in "followers-only" visibility. This can be done for a particular post, or set as default.
- To set post visibility when you're writing it, click on the visibility icon (usually 🌎 ) and select 🔒
- To set default post visibility:
1. Log onto your server's website
2. Click ⚙️ Preferences
3. Click Other (☰ and Other on mobile)
4. Select "followers-only" In the Posting Privacy dropdown menu
5. Click Save Changes

2024-07-15 11:20:27

- reply

@npub100h…87jy
It would be better for privacy to have a cache system on the site itself. My websites (fedi.tips etc) don't go down if they're mentioned, apparently because my host uses caching.

2024-07-13 19:30:35

You don't need to use link shorteners on Mastodon. All links count as 23 characters towards your posts's maximum size, no matter how long the link really is.
By avoiding link shorteners, you are also protecting people's privacy and reducing the risk of link rot.
(There is a bug on the official iPhone/iPad app that means links are counted as their true length instead of 23, which is yet another reason to switch to a third party app such as Ice Cubes or Mona or Ivory.)
#FediTips

2024-07-07 20:54:17

If you want to keep your profile's follows and follower lists private, you can hide them from other people:
1. Log in through your server’s website or web app
2. Click on your profile icon, then "Edit Profile"
3. Click on "Privacy & Reach" tab
4. Scroll down to the option marked "Show follows and followers on profile", make sure it is UN-ticked if you want to hide them
5. Click the "Save changes" button
You can still see your follow lists when you're logged in, but no one else can.
#FediTips

2024-07-05 15:39:08

⚠️ If you've posted a poll on Mastodon and you edit the poll type or edit the answers, it will reset the responses back to zero without any warning. So, only edit it if you want to start the poll all over again.
(Weirdly though, editing the question above the poll doesn't reset the poll.)
#FediTips #Mastodon

2024-07-04 14:56:53

If you're posting a website link, you can make it clickable by including the part at the beginning that says https://
If you just write example.com it won't be clickable, but if you add https:// to the start without any space between, it becomes https://example.com which is clickable.
( ALSO... 🤓 techy people might like to know you can use non-web links too including gemini://, dat://, dweb://, gopher://, ipfs://, ssb://)
#FediTips

2024-07-03 15:23:49

If you want to find accounts from people in particular countries, one method is to search for the country's flag emoji. For example if you wanted to find accounts from Sweden, you might want to search for 🇸🇪
If you want to make your account searchable by country, you could add a flag emoji to your profile description.
(Obviously you have to be careful though, as sometimes flags are used by hateful extremist accounts, but normal people use flags just to indicate where they live.)
#FediTips

2024-07-02 15:16:12

There's a fun little browser extension called "StreetPass for Mastodon", which notices if websites you're browsing have official Fediverse accounts:
➡️ https://streetpass.social
When you check your StreetPass, it will show you a list of all the official accounts from the sites you've been browsing. It does this offline, your browsing data doesn't leave your machine, and the code is free open source.
Official accounts are detected by verification (more info: https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-verify-my-account).
#FediTips

2024-07-01 13:14:42

Mastodon lets you download your complete post archive, so that you have a personal offline copy of all your account's posts and attachments. I've done a guide to downloading your Mastodon archive here:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/how-to-download-your-mastodon-post-archive
However, I need your help! Can you suggest ways for non-technical people to view their post archives? There's no official viewer, and the only viewers I could find were aimed at techy people.
#FediTips #Mastodon

2024-06-29 14:05:16

Have you ever browsed the website of another Fediverse server, and it tells you to log in again even if you're already logged in on your own server?
You can avoid having to log in again by doing the following:
1. Log in on your own server's website
2. Copy the web address of the post or profile from the other server's site
3. Paste the address into the search box on your own server's website. This will make the other server's post or profile appear within your own server's website.
#FediTips

2024-06-29 13:03:01

- reply

@npub10hh…djzg
I think that would require rewriting some of the Mastodon code? Might be best to suggest it on the Mastodon github if that's the case?

2024-06-23 19:24:01

All servers on the Fediverse are totally independent, but they do talk to each other. This means you can't log in on other servers with your account, but you can follow and interact with people on other servers via your account.
If it sounds confusing, think of it this way: you can't log in on Yahoo Mail with a Gmail account, but you can still send emails between Yahoo and Gmail because email servers talk to each other.
More about this topic at:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/can-i-use-my-account-to-log-in-on-other-servers/
#FediTips

2024-06-20 19:54:26

Have you ever wondered about quoting posts on Mastodon? Is it possible? If not, why not? Will it ever be possible? How come some people seem to be able to quote posts already?
Hopefully your questions are answered in this article:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/why-cant-i-quote-other-posts-in-mastodon
#FediTips #Mastodon

2024-06-20 13:15:23

Hey Pixelfed users! 👋
You can follow more than just Pixelfed accounts from Pixelfed. It's part of the Fediverse, so you can also follow Mastodon etc accounts too.
By default Pixelfed only shows posts that include an image, but you can optionally have it show text-based posts too:
1. Log in through your Pixelfed server’s website
2. Go to Settings
3. Go to Timelines
4. Go to "Show text-only posts", tick the box, then click Submit
#FediTips #Pixelfed #Fediverse

2024-06-17 14:50:48

You can post a poll on Mastodon by clicking the bar chart icon 📊 when creating a post. You can find out lots more info in the poll-posting guide at:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/how-to-post-a-poll-on-mastodon
This guide explains:
-How to allow multiple responses on polls
-How to edit polls
-Why some polls have more than four options
-Where to find the poll button if it seems like your app doesn't have it
⚠️ BE CAREFUL EDITING POLLS! If you edit after people have voted, the votes are reset to zero without warning.
#FediTips

2024-06-16 21:02:00

If you have to crosspost professionally on Mastodon and Twitter/X, there are paid professional third party services that allow this at https://publer.io and https://buffer.com/mastodon
Musk shut down Twitter's free API so all free third party crossposting services closed down. If you use a paid service, bear in mind a portion of your subscription will go to Musk.
Hopefully you're monitoring your Mastodon account, but if not then please mark it as automated: https://fedi.tips/why-are-some-accounts-marked-bot-on-mastodon
#FediTips

2024-06-15 12:51:36

The official Mastodon apps still do not indicate if an account has transferred to a new server. (The website, web app and third party apps do indicate this correctly.)
This means people using Mastodon through the official apps may attempt to follow the old accounts and just get an error message, without knowing why.
If you're comfortable using Github, you can vote for this to be fixed by giving thumbs up at these issues:
Android App
https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon-android/issues/415
iOS App
https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon-ios/issues/517

2024-06-09 16:18:55

To delete one of your posts on Mastodon, go to the post, click ⋯ then select "Delete".
To edit a post, click ⋯ and then "Edit". Editing is usually better for corrections as it means links, shares and replies carry on working.
"Delete & Re-Draft" is a relic from the days before post editing was available. It deletes the post and puts a copy of it into the post creation box. You probably don't need this, but it's useful for changing post visibilities.
More info at:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-delete-a-post-on-mastodon

2024-06-08 17:43:13

You don't need multiple accounts on the Fediverse, because the world's Fediverse servers talk to each other. Think of it like your phone: you only need one SIM card to call anyone in the world, because the world's phone networks talk to each other. Even if you're on different providers, you can still communicate.
Having said that, there may be some situations where multiple accounts can be very useful. There's more info on why you might do this and how to handle them at https://fedi.tips/using-multiple-accounts-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse

2024-05-31 15:47:43

Do you have any questions about using Mastodon or the rest of the Fediverse?
Ask in the replies (or @ me or DM me if you prefer) and I'll try to find you some answers.
#FediTips

2024-05-30 16:20:56

Have you ever noticed an option to add notes to people's profiles on Mastodon? Have you ever wondered what this actually does, or who it is visible to?
I've done a guide to the Notes feature and how it works:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/what-are-notes-on-mastodon-what-does-click-to-add-note-mean-on-mastodon-profiles/
In short: only you can see these Notes, and Notes can be useful for keeping track of accounts you're collaborating with or communicating with.
#FediTips #Mastodon

2024-05-29 21:16:13

- reply

@npub1zhp…60ce
It depends on which client you're using?

2024-05-28 20:40:46

Anything online may shut down one day. Even massive services may simply shut down (remember Google Plus?). If a service is centralised, then there is no way of moving your account elsewhere.
However, Mastodon and the Fediverse aren't centralised! They are decentralised and federated, which means you can transfer your account to another server if your current one intends to shut down.
You can find out more about this topic at:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/what-if-a-server-closes-down-what-happens-to-my-account
#FediTips

2024-05-26 16:31:42

If you want to protect your Mastodon account as securely as possible, you might want to activate "two factor authentication" (also known as "2FA"). 2FA means that even if someone found out your password, they still wouldn't be able to access your account.
There's more info about how to use 2FA on Mastodon here:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/using-two-factor-authentication-2fa-on-mastodon
You can also use the same 2FA system on many other services, apps and websites.
#FediTips #Mastodon

2024-05-24 23:06:10

- reply

p.s. Here are some more answers to common questions about deleting your account: https://fedi.tips/how-to-delete-your-mastodon-account
And here's how to transfer your account: https://fedi.tips/transferring-your-mastodon-account-to-another-server

2024-05-24 15:02:51

If you've transferred your Mastodon account to another server, you probably shouldn't delete your old account. Old accounts are really useful:
- Your old account redirects people to your new account
- Your old posts redirect people to your new account
- Your old posts remain in existence as long as the old account exists
- Some followers may not come over in the first transfer, keeping your old account means you can ask it to try again for followers that are left behind
#FediTips

2024-05-22 11:10:14

This account has a website full of tips and step-by-step guides about how to use Mastodon and the rest of the Fediverse:
➡️ https://fedi.tips <-------- Click here to open the website
The entire site is written in ordinary non-technical language, aimed at a general audience. There's a section at the top with quick links to the most essential stuff, and a complete list of guides below that.
If you can't find the answers you want on the site, ask me and I'll try to help directly.

2024-05-20 18:29:47

You can optionally mute someone on Mastodon without hiding their DMs or mentions.
If you're using the website or web app or some mobile apps, the muting process includes an option that says "Allow notifications". If you allow notifications, DMs and mentions will work as normal.
This is useful if you want to stay in touch with someone but you don't want to see their posts in your timeline.
(Also, whatever kind of mute you use, they will not be aware you are muting them.)
#FediTips #Mastodon

2024-05-19 16:13:17

Are your Mastodon posts sometimes surrounded by a brightly coloured line and you're not sure why?
It could be because you have posted an image, video or audio file without an alt text description. Some server admins use a special bit of custom code which highlights posts that are missing descriptions.
The idea is to remind people to add descriptions, so that the posts with attached media are accessible to blind and/or deaf people. You can edit in descriptions if they are missing.
#FediTips

2024-05-17 15:57:06

In case you missed it, Mastodon has an optional Tweetdeck-style multi-column interface which you can use on a computer or tablet in horizontal mode. Here's how to activate and use it:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/how-to-activate-mastodons-tweetdeck-style-advanced-web-interface
Whether you use single column or multi-column is a matter of taste, just posting this to raise awareness that both options are available 👍
#FediTips #Mastodon #TweetDeck

2024-05-16 15:56:26

Do you see a post or reply in your timeline and wish you could see the discussion it belongs to?
Just click on it, that will take you to the discussion thread including the original post and other replies.
(Have had several different people asking how to do this, so it clearly isn't as obvious as some people assume.)
#FediTips

2024-05-12 19:03:52

You can use Mastodon with different colour schemes.
If you're on a mobile app this will be in its settings section, usually under "Appearance" or "Theme" or "Colours".
If you're on your server's website or web app, you can do it this way:
1. Click ⚙️ Preferences
2. Click the dropdown menu labelled "Site Theme" and select the theme you want
3. Click the "Save Changes" button
Some apps and server websites will also have even more options for unusual colour schemes and themes.
#FediTips

2024-05-11 17:29:24

- reply

p.s. After I posted this, thought of a million other questions that people have asked about hashtags, so I did an article about them at https://fedi.tips/what-are-hashtags-how-do-i-use-them-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse and edited the link into the original post.

2024-05-09 16:24:06

If there's a problem on your server and you're not sure what to do (for example if you can't log in), you might want to contact your server's admin.
On Mastodon there is always a public email address for your admin on your server's website's About page, just click on "Learn More" or ⋯ to see it. You don't have to be logged in, the About page is visible to everyone.
The About page also has a list of the server's rules which is useful if you're curious about joining the server.
#FediTips

2024-05-05 00:03:34

- reply

p.s. The five websites are:
https://fedi.tips - Hints and tips on using Mastodon & the Fediverse
https://fedi.directory - Interesting accounts to follow
https://fedi.garden - Nice servers to sign up on
https://fedi.video - Interesting videos published on the Fediverse
https://growyourown.services - Helping non-technical people & organisations create their own online services (especially Fediverse servers) instead of relying on big corporations

2024-05-03 00:12:24

- reply

p.s. I've added a guide to the fedi.tips website which goes into more detail about how to customse your timeline and make sure you don't miss important posts:
https://fedi.tips/does-mastodon-and-the-fediverse-use-algorithms-does-it-start-pushing-stuff-at-me-based-on-my-interactions/

2024-04-30 16:27:35

Do you have any questions about using Mastodon and the rest of the Fediverse?
Ask me in the replies, or by @-ing me or by DMing me, and I'll try to find you some answers.
Don't worry if the question seems too simple, it's fine to ask about anything!

2024-04-27 16:43:30

There are many ways you can share posts from Mastodon and the Fediverse:
-To share with your followers on here, click the boost button below a post (the circling arrows 🔁 ).
-To share outside the Fediverse, on mobile apps click the share icon (a box with an arrow coming out of it). This will give many options for sharing posts in other apps etc.
-To copy a link to a post, click the share icon on apps, or on the website click ⋯ and "Copy link"
More info at https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-share-posts-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse

2024-04-18 16:17:12

There is an unofficial reminder bot on the Fediverse. It can remind you minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or years later. To use it, just mention the bot in a post or reply and include the period you want to be reminded after. For example:
@ remindme @ mstdn.social 1 week
You can be reminded in a private reply by including "dm":
@ remindme @ mstdn.social dm 1 week
(Remove the spaces in the address to make it work, I've only included spaces to avoid setting off the bot!)
#FediTips

2024-04-16 14:28:43

⚠️ Avoid using flashing images or emoji on posts or profiles, as they can be physically dangerous to people with certain neurological conditions. (It's okay to post animations and videos, they just need to avoid rapid flashing.)
There is an option in Mastodon for people to prevent themselves seeing flashing images, but not everyone is on Mastodon and not everyone is aware of this option.
More info on this topic (including how to switch off flashing) here:
➡️ https://fedi.tips/dont-use-flashing-images-or-emoji

2024-04-12 13:33:03

- reply

@npub1cz8…yjxv
Not as far as I'm aware, sorry! 😦

2024-04-09 18:08:53

If you're an ordinary Mastodon user, the "block domain" option does not block servers, it just mutes them. It hides their posts from you, but does not hide your posts from them.
Only server admins can do actual blocks through defederation, preferably on a server that has activated "authorized fetch".
For example, if you want to avoid threads.net, you need to join a server that has defederated threads.net. (You can find nice servers that block threads.net at https://fedi.garden)
#FediTips

2024-03-30 18:38:26

By the way, if you have any questions about using Mastodon or the rest of the Fediverse feel free to reply or DM or @ me.
I'll try to find you some answers.
#FediTips #Fediverse #Mastodon

2024-03-28 23:36:10

- reply

p.s. If the tool doesn't list your server, there is another way to check if your server is federating with Threads:
Try searching for the account @zuck@threads.net on your server. If the account shows up in the search results, then your server is federating with Threads.

2024-03-24 18:39:07

If you want to invite someone to join your server on Mastodon, there's a built-in invitation system you can use:
1. Log in on your server’s website or the web app
2. Click on ⚙️ Preferences
3. Click on "Invite people" at the left of the screen (if you’re on the mobile website click ☰ in the top right and then "Invite people")
4. Choose the settings you want for your invitation link and then click Generate
Admins often allow invitations to work even if they've closed public signups.
#FediTips

2024-03-21 18:22:23

Anyone can start their own Fediverse server, and it's much easier and cheaper than most people realise.
The simplest option is to use a "managed hosting" company to do all the technical stuff for you behind the scenes. All you have to do is manage the server through the normal Mastodon interface, you don't have to do any installations, upgrades etc.
A small server starts from about 8 euros/dollars a month through a managed hosting company.
More info here:
➡️ https://growyourown.services/making-your-own-mastodon-server-in-10-steps