How to Sign Up for a Mastodon Account
With all the chaos on Twitter since Elon Musk’s takeover, many users have started looking for alternatives to the microblogging site. One such popular alternative is Mastodon.
So, how do you get started on the platform? Signing up has been made easier—here’s all you need to know about how to join Mastodon and get to microblogging in peace.
What Is Mastodon?
Mastodon is an open-source social media platformthat offers different servers called instances. Unlike Twitter, which has centrally run servers, Mastodon’s instances are independently run by its users. Each instance has its own policies, terms of service, privacy options, and more.
Butsome of the differences between Mastodon and Twitterinclude the ability to post text up to 500 characters. You could also follow accounts, use hashtags, and have a timeline view of your feed. But the biggest hindrance that stopped many everyday users from jumping into Mastodon is the initial sign-up requirements.
Mastodon Makes Signing Up Easier
As Mastodon was first envisioned as a decentralized social media platform, you mustjoin a Mastodon instanceto start posting. So, instead of having one central server where everything is posted, shared, and saved, Mastodon has a multitude of servers.
Thankfully, Mastodon has made things simpler. In a post on theMastodon Blogon May 1, 2023, the platform noted that users can now sign up for an account and join a Mastodon-operated server by default.
According to Mastodon CEO and founder Eugen Rochko:
We understand that deciding which Mastodon service provider to kick off your experience with can be confusing…To make this step easier, we now have a default sign-up option that works with a server we operate.
How to Sign Up for Mastodon
You no longer need to find a specific instance to join Mastodon (although you’re able to still find and join one later). With that, signing up for a Mastodon account has never been simpler.
Here’s how you can join the microblogging platform.
Sign Up for a Mastodon Account via the Mastodon App
Most users prefer microblogging on their smartphones. Here’s how to create a Mastodon account on Android or iOS.
Download the Mastodon app. If you’re on the app, tap onJoin mastodon.social. On the next screen, read the Server Rules, then tapI Agree.
Also on theYour Privacypage, tapI Agree.
You’ll then head to theCreate Accountscreen. Fill out your information, then tapNext. On theCheck Your Inboxpage, tap onOpen email app. This will open your default email address, where you need to find Mastodon’s confirmation email. Open the verification email and tap onConfirm and return to Mastodon for Android/iOS.
With that, you can now log in to the Mastodon app. However, you can’t immediately begin posting on mastodon.social as Mastodon staff might take time to review your application.
Download: Mastodon forAndroid|iOS
Sign Up for a Mastodon Account via the Mastodon.Social Website
If you don’t want to use Mastodon on your smartphone, you can use it from your computer.
Here’s how to sign up for a Mastodon account from your Windows or macOS computer:
Go tomastodon.socialin your browser and click onCreate account.
On theSome ground rulespage, click onAccept. Fill out the details on the next page, and tick theI have read and agree to the privacy policybox. Then, click onRequest an account.
On the next page, Mastodon will send you a confirmation link to the email account you used to sign up. Go to your inbox, find theMastodon: Confirmation instructions for mastodon.socialemail, and click onVerify email address. Your computer will then open your Mastodon account settings in a new tab.
Like the steps for the Android or iOS app, it will take some time before you can start posting on mastodon.social as your application is still pending review by its staff. But once your application is approved, you can start enjoying this platform.
Start Posting on Mastodon
With changes to the sign up process for Mastodon, more users can start enjoying and exploring this Twitter alternative. And as they get more comfortable using it, they can explore all the other Mastodon instances to find a group that fits them.
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