Getting the "Invalid Handle" Error on Your Bluesky Profile? Here's What It Means

Following the 2024 presidential election, many social media users have left X (formerly Twitter) for good and joined Bluesky. In fact, on November 12, the official Bluesky account announced that it has welcomed one million new users since Monday, November 5.

Although it's great to see the platform gaining traction and attracting more members, Bluesky has been experiencing a few issues.

Several users have reported seeing a message that says "invalid handle." What does this mean? Here's what we found so far.

In the past few days, hundreds of new Bluesky members have noticed a message on their profiles saying, "invalid handle." This typically means the username or handle someone entered isn't recognized by the platform. There are a few common reasons as to why this happens, and we think it's important to understand what might be causing it!

First and foremost, the most common issue is that the social media handle may not be formatted properly. For example, someone might forget to include the "@" symbol before their username. Or, they are using characters that aren't accepted by Bluesky’s system, such as spaces or special characters that the platform doesn't allow in handles.

Another possibility is that the username you're trying to use is already taken by somebody else. If that's the case, you must choose a different handle — you can try out a variation or a new combination that hasn't been claimed yet!

It's also worth noting that your account may be suspended or experiencing some sort of restriction. While this is less likely for new users, it's still something to keep in mind.

Finally, and perhaps most likely in this case, there could be a technical glitch on Bluesky's end. Given that the platform is experiencing a large influx of new users daily, the system may be struggling to keep up with the demand, causing bugs or temporary issues that result in the "invalid handle" message. This isn't uncommon on rapidly growing platforms, and it may be a bug that's impacting new profiles.

This issue actually surfaced back in 2023, and Bluesky provided a solution to help users fix the problem. The official Bluesky account explained that an upgrade to their infrastructure could sometimes affect profile settings, including the handle.

So, if you see the "invalid handle" message, Bluesky recommended the following steps to resolve it:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Change my handle.
3. Type in your current handle.
4. Click Verify DNS Record.
5. Finally, click Update.

These steps should typically resolve the issue and restore your handle. However, if the problem persists, Bluesky also advised users to file a support ticket through the "Help" button in the menu, where their team can assist them further.

Additionally, you can check Bluesky's system status to see if there are any other ongoing issues affecting the platform.