How to log into Spark via Bluesky

Introduction

At the time of this post, the beta for Spark, a short-form video and photo platform built on ATProtocol (the same protocol that powers Bluesky), just launched this past weekend on iOS and Android for people who supported the platform’s funding campaign. The Android support from the start is one of the things that drew me to the platform and made Spark stand out from its contemporaries, which have prioritized iOS. Another thing that makes Spark stand out is the fact that it has its own instance of the ATProtocol, independent of Bluesky, whereas a lot of similar apps rely on Bluesky’s specific instance of the ATProtocol. The latter differentiator is why this tutorial is being written. You can log into Spark via Bluesky, using Spark’s own ATProtocol instance, and unlock a whole range of functionality that is not yet available on the Spark app itself, such as editing your display name and profile picture, following different accounts, subscribing to block lists, accessing your account from the web, and even bridging your account to the ActivityPub-powered Fediverse. If any of that sounds exciting to you, let’s begin!

How to log into Spark through Bluesky

Adding accounts

First, from the Bluesky mobile app, you’re going to tap the three horizontal lines at the top left, which will bring up the menu displayed in the screenshot below. Then, tap “Settings”.

After that, tap “Switch account”, and then tap “Add another account”.

Signing into Spark via Bluesky

On the Bluesky splash page, tap “Sign in”.

Next, tap “Other account”.

On the sign in page, tap “Bluesky Social” in the “Hosting provider” section. This is where we’ll change the hosting provider from Bluesky to Spark.

In the “Choose your account provider” sub-menu, tap “Custom”, and then enter the following into the “Server address” field:

https://pds.sprk.so

After that, tap “Done”.

Now, you should see an altered sign in page, with “pds.sprk.so”, which is Spark’s instance of the ATProtocol, listed as the hosting provider. Type in the same handle/username and password that you used to log into the Spark app in their respective fields, and then tap “Next”.

After that, you should be all set and logged into Spark via the Bluesky app, with all of the features that the latter has to offer, as mentioned in the introduction.

Was this tutorial easy to follow? Let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to follow me and Cels & Circuits on social media for more stuff like this!