The user-generated video trade is price over $4 billion, reflecting how tastes have advanced away from studying articles and watching tv punditry and towards scrolling vertical video feeds and watching dwell streams. As a reader, a author, and the editor of an article-driven tech web site, the rise of user-generated video and streaming is usually a robust actuality to simply accept. However as a longtime fan of dwell streaming, part of me is thrilled to see the media panorama start to take it extra severely. For instance: On Jan. 16, Bluesky introduced the rollout of a characteristic that extra seamlessly connects its customers to dwell streams—a characteristic that will catch on extra broadly.

The newest Bluesky replace, v1.114, permits streamers to show their “Stay Now” standing immediately on the social community, a characteristic beforehand launched to beta testers again in Might 2025. Now extensively obtainable, the characteristic makes it simpler to connect with social audiences throughout platforms: Customers can click on a Bluesky profile’s “Stay Now” standing and be directed straight to that profile’s related Twitch stream. (The characteristic presently works solely with Twitch, however is anticipated to increase to different dwell streaming platforms quickly.)

“Stay Now” arrives simply as Bluesky noticed a rise in customers this week, following a main X outage and scrutiny of the platform’s ongoing deepfake porn downside. No matter what it may imply for Bluesky’s general progress, I am optimistic about any pro-discovery characteristic that may be adopted extra broadly. I can think about a future the place extra websites refer its customers to dwell streaming platforms. Think about a Gmail avatar letting me know when a YouTuber is on-line, a Spotify artist web page pointing me to a musician’s stream, or an article byline pointing me to a dwell video on Substack. I hope that the bridge between my social feed and dwell streams continues to get shorter.

Find out how to allow the “Stay Now” badge on Bluesky

To activate the “Stay Now” badge in your Bluesky avatar, click on the three-dot menu on the top-right of your profile web page on desktop or cellular. From the record of choices, select the “Go Stay” choice and paste a hyperlink to your Twitch profile web page. The length of your non permanent “Stay” badge is customizable, starting from 5 minutes to 4 hours. Select your most well-liked length, and click on “Go Stay.”

Credit score: Jordan Calhoun / Lifehacker

Credit score: Jordan Calhoun / Lifehacker