How to set up your Mastodon profile

Following Elon Musk’s takeover, Twitter appears to be on a quick path to irrelevance.

The once-thriving social media platform is hemorrhaging users and money in near-equal parts, as Musk’s widely unpopular changes start to roll out. As more and more people ditch the microblogging platform, they’re on the hunt for greener pastures. Plenty of other social media platforms exist, but sites like TikTok and Instagram don’t offer up the same flavor of social discourse provided by Twitter.

Instead, people are setting their sights on Mastodon, a free software styled after Twitter. The lesser-known platform leans on the microblogging capabilities that make Twitter what it is, without adding in the increasingly unpopular changes proposed by Musk. Making a new profile and getting started on the app isn’t quite as simple as people would like, however, leading many would-be Mastodon users without functioning accounts. Here’s how to get yourself set up on Mastodon, and ready to share your thoughts with the world.

How to get started on Mastodon

Mastodon may function similarly to Twitter, but there are quite a few differences between the popular sites. Twitter is a singular website, whereas Mastodon is a collection of sites functioning under the same banner. In order to get started on the new platform, users will need to set up an account through a single, specific provider — also called servers and “instances,” according to CNET.

Choosing a server

The first step to creating a Mastodon account is selecting a server. Each of the servers offered up are committed to the “Mastodon Server Covenant,” according to the site, which proclaims the policies each affiliated provider agrees to. These include moderation against “racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia,” daily backups to keep messages and information from disappearing with a power outage, background tech assistance, and a “commitment to give users at least 3 months of advance warning in case of shutting down.” This will give users interested in Mastodon plenty of heads-up if their chosen server is getting the ax.

Interested users can select from a range of offered servers based on their location. Servers are sorted into six regions as of early November 2022, including Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. You can also sort by topic, depending on how you aim to use Mastodon, with selections including topics like activism, technology, gaming, and art.

Creating an account

Once you’ve selected a server — if you want something specifically Twitter-like we recommend one of the broader, less specified options — you’ll be redirected to a page where you can apply to the server, or simply create an account. Each one has its own version of the process, but all of them are likely to be very similar. They’ll prompt you to enter your desired user name, as well as email address and password, and — for the servers that require an application — a quick description of why you’re looking to join.

From there, you should get a prompt to check your email, where a request for verification should be waiting. Once you’ve clicked the verify button, your account should be confirmed, and you’ll be ready to start posting!

If your confirmation email takes awhile to arrive, don’t panic. We were left waiting for a good while too, its likely simply due to the sudden influx of users fleeing Twitter for greener, less-racist pastures. The email should arrive eventually, and if it doesn’t you can request a fresh email be sent. If that also doesn’t work, it might be worth trying out a different server.

Once your account is up and running, you can start following other accounts and posting for yourself. It’ll take time, as it does on most social media accounts, to curate your preferred feed, but over time we wouldn’t be surprised if Mastodon became the genuine alternative to Musk’s Twitter.