Set Your Calendars and Contacts Free
X to Mastodon
Illustration by Florian Biege
Elon Musk has transformed X (formerly known as Twitter) into a platform where (far-right) hate speech and disinformation take centre stage. Mastodon is pretty much the opposite – and better! A network of many small communities (“decentralised”), mostly ad-free, controlled by the users. There's no algorithm designed to make you angry – you see what your friends are posting, in chronological order, and a relaxed way. Start here if you want to switch to Mastodon:
Different ways to cook
Our digital switch recipes provide an easy, simple way to give Big Tech the push, but there are other options available. We have tried to make it easy by focusing on a single approach and a small number of options, but there are other alternatives that are just as good. After all, what we mean by ‘good’, ‘not so good’ and ‘bad’ is open to debate: DI.DAY is about easy ways to give Big Tech the push (without getting into purism or being preachy). Our decisions are based on advice from our advisory panel.
An overview of the alternatives is available on the next page:
Ingredients
Just a bit of context: Mastodon is not an individual website, but a network of many small networks (instances or servers). It’s like email: Whether you’re using Posteo.de or Mailbox.org, you can send and receive messages to and from anyone.
Preparation
1 Choosing a server
Go to joinmastodon.org or fedi.garden. Choose a home that meets your needs. (It’s not a decision you need to stick with forever – you can switch servers later, but you’ll take your followers and the people you follow with you!).
2 Create an account
Sign up on your chosen server.
3 Download the app
Download the official Mastodon app or (even better for pros) apps like ‘Tusky’ (Android) or ‘Ivory’ (iOS). Phanpy.social even works on the web and offers a transparent algorithm to help you catch up if you’ve lost track of your timeline.
4 Find friends
Your timeline is empty to start with – but don’t worry! Follow accounts that you find interesting:
Tools like Fedifinder help you find your old Twitter contacts on Mastodon. You can also find interesting accounts on Fediverse.info. Sorted by topic, you can follow multiple accounts with a single click: Starter packs.
5 Introducing yourself
Write your first post (toot) with the hashtag #Newhere and briefly describe who you are. The community will be delighted to meet you.
Dessert
1 Recipes for every occasion
are available online – for example, from Sascha Pallenberg, in videos by Digitalcourage, or also as a little booklet.
2 Deactivate your X account
Leave a pinned tweet on your old X profile with your new Mastodon link. Delete the X app from your phone to escape the addictive algorithm.
3 No algorithms
Enjoy the peace and quiet. No sponsored posts, no crypto ads – just a chronological timeline.
Enjoy your meal! You have just taken a big step towards a more independent digital existence.
Once you #DIDit – share our post about the digital switch and inspire others to take control of their own digital lives!
Topping
Mastodon is part of the “Fediverse”. This means that from here, you can also follow people who aren’t even on Mastodon, but who post photos on Pixelfed (a bit like Instagram) or videos on Peertube (a bit like YouTube), for example. You’re breaking down the walls of the “walled gardens”! Elena Rossini explains how the Fediverse works in this video.
