Mastodon is betting on email to give its decentralized social platform a boost. With the release of Mastodon 4.6, users can now send their posts directly via email, allowing creators to build portable audiences free from Big Tech’s grasp.

This innovation could see media organizations and independent journalists joining the fediverse, using email subscriptions as a way to grow their reach without requiring new sign-ups. The feature is particularly appealing for those who value privacy, offering anonymity through these subscriptions.

However, there are some hurdles. Creators need permission from server administrators, which means they must either set up their own server or negotiate with existing ones. Additionally, Mastodon has opted not to make this a default feature due to the financial implications of email costs for servers.

The potential is vast: if adopted widely, it could help Mastodon reclaim its peak user numbers and grow beyond its current 735,000 monthly active users. For now, the focus seems to be on institutional users, with a view towards expanding this feature in the future.