After 11 months of rigorous testing, Mastodon has released one of its most significant updates of the year. In a detailed announcement by CEO and founder Eugen Rochko, the non-profit organization unveiled its 4.3 release, highlighting numerous enhancements aimed at improving the overall social media experience for users.
One of the most notable changes involves a complete overhaul of the notification system. Mastodon will now group boosts and favorites together, alleviating the clutter of notifications that users face when their posts gain popularity. Additionally, new filters will allow users to easily manage notifications from accounts they do not follow, newly created profiles, and unwanted private mentions. This gives users the flexibility to either view, ignore, or set these notifications aside for later.
Furthermore, Mastodon is rolling out a dedicated notification feature to inform users about actions taken by server moderators that impact their accounts. If a moderator directly interacts with a user’s account, an important in-app message will be displayed. Users will also receive notifications if they lose followers due to moderator decisions and will now have the option to export a list of those affected accounts.
In terms of design, Mastodon has revamped several elements within the app. The compose window has been redesigned to facilitate easier media rearrangement and provide clearer visibility of content warnings and word filters. The web client has also been refreshed, featuring an updated color palette, improved iconography, and enhanced link previews.
Moreover, utility emails, such as those sent during password resets, have received a makeover. Mastodon has improved confirmation dialogues to clearly explain how muting and blocking other users will impact the user’s experience. For instance, if a user is about to block a server, the app will specify exactly how many followers may be lost as a result.
Regarding followers, a new recommendation carousel will appear after users scroll past the first post that is older than four hours, enhancing the discoverability of relevant content. Mastodon has also fine-tuned its recommendation algorithms to provide more personalized suggestions. Additionally, website embeds have been updated for better integration, making it easier for users to follow authors of trending news articles.
This series of enhancements comes in the wake of recent changes made by competitors like X, which some users have criticized for diminishing the platform’s appeal. Although Rochko does not directly address these platforms, he emphasizes the ongoing effort to make Mastodon more inviting for everyday users.
“One of our continual goals is to make Mastodon easy and enjoyable to use. Over the years, we’ve dedicated significant resources to work with professional designers and conduct user testing, and this effort has ramped up significantly in 2023,” he explained. “Mastodon is a fairly large application, and while our resources are limited compared to major corporate competitors, we have made substantial progress in enhancing its overall look and feel.”
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