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mastodon - Link to source

A lesser known Mastodon pro tip:

Want to mute a conversation, but the mute conversation button isn't appearing on the post?

The only way you can mute a conversation is on a post you have made in the conversation.

But the secret part - Say you want to mute it without actually participating in the conversation:

Reply to a post, set the visibility to "Private Mention", remove everyone's username from the post. Post it.

Then you can click "mute conversation" on THAT post, and it silently mutes you from the conversation.

in reply to Jess👾

GinevraCat
mastodon - Link to source
GinevraCat
• •
That is a depth of technical cunning that I admire. Instantly bookmarking!
in reply to Jess👾

Carbon Carrot
mastodon - Link to source
Carbon Carrot
• •
why the heck is it like that? AP limitation?
in reply to Carbon Carrot

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
It's more likely a Mastodon limitation. My HYPOTHESIS is that each conversation has a ID on it, which is how it decides on conversation threading and such. Your instance won't allow you to make any changes on other people's posts - for obvious reasons. The mute conversation feature may be working by setting a metadata tag on one of your posts where it suppresses anything with that particular conversation ID on it from appearing on your timeline. But it's still a crappy UI/UX for what should be basic functionality.
This entry was edited (1 day ago)
in reply to Jess👾

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
  1. There's no mute conversation button on someone else's post
  2. Hit reply on the post - note by default it says public and includes the person's username
  3. Change the post visibility to private
  4. Make a junk post

(Continued)

There's no mute conversation button on someone else's post
Hit reply on the post - note by default it says public and includes the person's username
Change the post visibility to private
Make a junk post
in reply to Jess👾

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
Now it allows you to mute conversation
Now it allows you to mute conversation
in reply to Jess👾

julian
nodebb - Link to source
julian
• •

Re: A lesser known Mastodon pro tip:
jesstheunstill@infosec.exchange the inability to mute someone else's conversation seems to arbitrary. Maybe there's a technical reason behind it but there needn't be...
in reply to julian

ticho
mastodon - Link to source
ticho
• •

@julian After a brief dive into the mastodon API documentation, it seems to be a protocol limitation indeed. You (or rather your client program) do not get to see the conversation ID until you join that conversation, so until then, you do not have the correct piece of information to request muting of that conversation.

Some references:
docs.joinmastodon.org/methods/…
docs.joinmastodon.org/methods/…

conversations API methods - Mastodon documentation

Direct conversations with other participants. (Currently, just threads containing a post with "direct" visibility.)
docs.joinmastodon.org
@julian
in reply to ticho

julian
nodebb - Link to source
julian
• •

Re: A lesser known Mastodon pro tip:

ticho@mas.to hey, I sort of disagree. While the protocol itself doesn't contain topic level information, it can be inferred from context.

This is how NodeBB achieves it. It also sends contextual information so it's explicitly available as well.

in reply to julian

ticho
mastodon - Link to source
ticho
• •

@julian While in general, I agree, you could implement some sort of heuristics, there is one huge difference - a NodeBB server is centralized and sees everything. With Mastodon, half of the posts in a conversation might not be visible to you, either because of being outright blocked, or the post simply not hitting your instance because of where the participants post from.

Any heuristic based on unrelated metadata would be inaccurate at best, but more often than not outright misleading.

@julian
in reply to ticho

ticho
mastodon - Link to source
ticho
• •
@julian This could theoretically be solved by simply adding the conversation id to each Status object in the timeline (and likely also any other post-like object that your client is receiving), but someone familiar with the entire protocol would need to look at this change, since it might bring compatibility issues. 🤷
@julian
in reply to ticho

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •

@ticho @julian An important thing to remember with AP is that the AP protocol itself is pretty loose. Mastodon is one particular implementation of it, and doesn't even absolutely comply with the spec. Hence why some of the other server softwares have more features or slight incompatibility with Mastodon. So I'd be more inclined to believe that the oddities of conversation threading are in the Mastodon implementation rather than the AP spec itself.

Yes, some pendantry, but it means fixing it is down to one development team, not all Fediverse implementations.

@ticho @julian
in reply to Jess👾

ticho
mastodon - Link to source
ticho
• •
@julian Indeed. I started my earlier dive with AP docs, only to realize that they're too generic for what I'm looking for, and that I'm better off digging through Mastodon docs specifically to find details about timelines and conversations. :)
@julian
in reply to Jess👾

Free Gardenia 🇲🇲💚 🇵🇸🫏
mastodon - Link to source
Free Gardenia 🇲🇲💚 🇵🇸🫏
• •
I still don't understand. I am sorry. If you are annoyed by someone : you block. But if you mute, you can create more anger. A person who is muted doesn't know it.
This entry was edited (23 hours ago)
in reply to Free Gardenia 🇲🇲💚 🇵🇸🫏

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •

@Gardenia

For an example:

A friend of mine makes a post with a picture of something awful that's happened

I find that particular picture very upsetting, and don't want to see it in my timeline, but I do still want to be friends with that person and see other posts they make

Rather than having to choose between being able to talk to my friend and seeing this upsetting post, this allows me to mute just the upsetting post, and not block or mute my friend entirety.

@Free Gardenia 🇲🇲💚 🇵🇸🫏
in reply to Jess👾

Free Gardenia 🇲🇲💚 🇵🇸🫏
mastodon - Link to source
Free Gardenia 🇲🇲💚 🇵🇸🫏
• •
Thank you very much. In that case, this new option is very interesting. I have one year of experience on Mastodon. I reached more than 800 followers with my old account. But I am here as an activist for Gaza. Thus, i am posting horrible things all day. I try to alternate with pictures of donkeys, birds, and flowers. But I give mostly extreme bad news. I realised very lately that more than 80% of my old followers have muted me. On top of this, I am naïve and I answer all the messages I receive. I had a breakdown when I realised my old followers muted me. I created this new account. I prefer not be followed than to be muted. I feel much better
in reply to Jess👾

Loohoosaher
mastodon - Link to source
Loohoosaher
• •

I don't necessarily even blame the folks doing it, because so many are hurting... It's hard to exercise meaningful empathy when you're scared just for yourself.

But yeah, we'll never prefigure a real mutual aid economy if all it means is "I need help from you."

Good point.

in reply to Loohoosaher

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
@hwll This isn't even specifically about mutual aid folks. It can be anyone for any reason. People shitposting about something you don't care about. People with a really popular political post that keeps getting boosted into your timeline but you don't want to see it. A meme you just hate for whatever reason. It doesn't matter. Your timeline is your own.
@Loohoosaher
in reply to Jess👾

catflyhigh
mastodon - Link to source
catflyhigh
• •

For the last 2 problems (memes I hate, or political posts boosted too often) I just use the filter function "individual posts".
Nonetheless I appreciate this tip very much and will use it for some cases in the future. 🙂

@hwll

@Loohoosaher
in reply to Jess👾

Agnieszka R. Turczyńska
glitchsoc - Link to source
Agnieszka R. Turczyńska
• •
Oh. This is brilliant. As brilliant as stupid is the whole reason we even need to do that.
in reply to Agnieszka R. Turczyńska

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •

@agturcz Yeah ... This is my hypothesis of why, but it's still a crappy UI/UX

infosec.exchange/@JessTheUnsti…

Jess👾

2025-11-29 13:37:53

mastodon - Link to source

It's more likely a Mastodon limitation. My HYPOTHESIS is that each conversation has a ID on it, which is how it decides on conversation threading and such. Your instance won't allow you to make any changes on other people's posts - for obvious reasons. The mute conversation feature may be working by setting a metadata tag on one of your posts where it suppresses anything with that particular conversation ID on it from appearing on your timeline. But it's still a crappy UI/UX for what should be basic functionality.

@Agnieszka R. Turczyńska
in reply to Jess👾

xanna
mastodon - Link to source
xanna
• •
I thought if you take out all the usernames it stops being part of that conversation? Good to know
in reply to xanna

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
@xanna no, the conversation ID is part of the post because you initiated it from a reply. The usernames just indicate who is allowed to see the post
@xanna
in reply to Jess👾

webhat🔜#39c3
mastodon - Link to source
webhat🔜#39c3
• •
I do something similar to this, instead I add a poll to remind me of the post in X days. I wonder if it work with a mute? 🤔
in reply to Jess👾

webhat🔜#39c3
mastodon - Link to source
webhat🔜#39c3
• •
instead of muting it snoozes the conversation, however, combining it with a mute, won't create a timed mute. It's just muted outright
This entry was edited (1 day ago)
in reply to Jess👾

Poligofsky 🇨🇦
mastodon - Link to source
Poligofsky 🇨🇦
• •
Is there some reason these steps cannot be automated, and exposed as a single control in the UI?
in reply to Poligofsky 🇨🇦

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
@8r3n7 a 3rd party client could probably automate some sort of hidden meta-post, but no idea how fragile that might end up being. And yeah, Mastodon devs could build something to fix it, but I don't think it's on their roadmap anytime soon.
@Poligofsky 🇨🇦
in reply to Jess👾

El Pamplina 🇺🇦 🇵🇸
mastodon - Link to source
El Pamplina 🇺🇦 🇵🇸
• •
@8r3n7 I think it's a technical limitation. It's often mentioned in development discussions, but it never gets done.
github.com/mastodon/mastodon/i…

Mute Conversation which I am not involved.

Pitch A mute Button for all Conversations / Threads Motivation There are conversations / threads about topics that do not interest anyone and fill your timeline. It would be great to be able to mut...
nyansen (GitHub)
@Poligofsky 🇨🇦
in reply to Jess👾

xinit ☕
mastodon - Link to source
xinit ☕
• •

I know you're talking about the default web client, but for what it's worth, some clients do include this mute option.

#fedilab

This is a screenshot of Jess's post that this is in reply to, with the context menu open showing mute options for muting the poster, the conversation, mute for home, and a timed mute. This may be specific to Fedilab client on android.
#fedilab
in reply to xinit ☕

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
@xinit does it also give that option even in a conversation you've not commented on yet?
@xinit ☕
in reply to Jess👾

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
@xinit another question - if you mute it in fedilab, is the conversation still muted if you later go into a web UI or another device? Just curious how that's implemented.
@xinit ☕
in reply to Jess👾

xinit ☕
mastodon - Link to source
xinit ☕
• •
I was trying to find the answer in the Mastodon user docs regarding where mutes tend to happen. I believe filters are client based, but can't tell with mutes.
in reply to Jess👾

xinit ☕
mastodon - Link to source
xinit ☕
• •
Apparently. I hadn't commented on your thread yet. I am curious if the mute holds over, but my first guess would be it's a client setting. I'd assume (possibly incorrectly) that the web interface is client based? I have never though to check.
in reply to Jess👾

May Likes Toronto
mastodon - Link to source
May Likes Toronto
• •
I like the "filter this post" function. I have a filter called "one-offs" that it goes into. Usually does the trick too.
in reply to Jess👾

nicolas ⁂
mastodon - Link to source
nicolas ⁂
• •

Great tip to bypass a missing feature, thanks!

In the same vein, you can delete individual notifications with a custom filter.

Create a new empty filter with no keywords or phrase, that applies to Notifications and has the “Hide completely” action.

It will not act until you choose “Filter this post” on an individual reply or mention, and then choose the filter in question.

in reply to Jess👾

Still Nmyownworld
mastodon - Link to source
Still Nmyownworld
• •

Sensitive content

in reply to Jess👾

Oblomov
mastodon - Link to source
Oblomov
• •
this is an exceptionally useful tip. It's also grotesque that it would be needed in the first place.
in reply to Jess👾

Strypey
mastodon - Link to source
Strypey
• •

> Reply to a post, set the visibility to "Private Mention", remove everyone's username from the post. Post it. Then you can click "mute conversation" on THAT post, and it silently mutes you from the conversation

That's a really smart hack. It never would have occurred to me. I'd never even noticed that you can only Mute Conversation in your own posts!

(To be fair, that might not be the case in the third-party apps I use; Moshidon, FediLab and Enafore.social)

#FediTips

#feditips
in reply to Strypey

Strypey
mastodon - Link to source
Strypey
• •
FYI just checked, Enafore has the limitation you described, Moshidon and FediLab both allow Mute Conversation on any post, including other people's.
in reply to Strypey

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
@strypey Just checked Moshidon - you can mute from any post, but only in conversations you've posted in. Go try another post that you've not been in the conversation at all.
@Strypey
in reply to Jess👾

Strypey
mastodon - Link to source
Strypey
• •

> you can mute from any post, but only in conversations you've posted in

Ah, OK, you're talking about making conversations vanish from the Home feed, rather than just your @mentions. I'm guessing our usage habits are very different. My Home feed is such a firehose I don't even notice ongoing conversations in there ; )

in reply to Jess👾

Fedi.Tips
mastodon - Link to source
Fedi.Tips
• •

There are "Mute Conversation" buttons on other people's posts, but you have to view those posts within your "Notitications" section.

(Apologies if I'm being stupid and missing something? 🙂 )

in reply to Fedi.Tips

sodiboo
sharkey - Link to source
sodiboo
• •
I think she means muting as in "hiding a discussion that two people you are following are having for a long time and you don't care too read any of it". This wouldn't show up in your notifications, because you were never mentioned. You're not part of the conversation. It would only show up on the main timeline; which is where you want to hide it from by muting it.
in reply to sodiboo

Fedi.Tips
mastodon - Link to source
Fedi.Tips
• •

@sodiboo
Ahhh okay, gotcha! Thank you 🙏

Jess, is it okay if I list this tip on the mute conversation guide at fedi.tips?


Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse

An unofficial guide to using Mastodon and the Fediverse
fedi.tips
@sodiboo
in reply to Fedi.Tips

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
@FediTips @sodiboo sure - or wordsmith it to be more clear. Whatever, just wanted to share a pro tip
@Fedi.Tips @sodiboo
in reply to Jess👾

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •

Also, for it to be in your notifications section, you have to have interacted with the conversation first.

The case I'm talking about is:

Say @FediTips writes a (perfectly fine) toot that I don't really care to see for whatever reason. It talks about something I find annoying or triggering or idk, whatever. But the toot goes viral and that and replies to that keeps getting boosted back into my timeline. So I want the conversation to not be on my timeline anymore, but I don't want to comment on the conversation and then have people see I made some inane post just so I could mute it all.

@sodiboo

@Fedi.Tips @sodiboo
in reply to Jess👾

Fedi.Tips
mastodon - Link to source
Fedi.Tips
• •

I wonder if your tip could be used to permanently hide specific boosts you keep seeing too? 🤔

It's a popular feature request.

in reply to Fedi.Tips

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
@FediTips annoying that it's an undocumented 4 step process, but it's something I guess
@Fedi.Tips
in reply to Jess👾

Frost, wolf of winter 🐺🎄
glitchsoc - Link to source
Frost, wolf of winter 🐺🎄
• •
Wait, that mutes stuff upthread? I thought it only muted replies to the post you hit "mute conversation" on.
in reply to Frost, wolf of winter 🐺🎄

Jess👾
mastodon - Link to source
Jess👾
• •
@IceWolf yeah it mutes everything in that whole conversation - the top original post and everything that came after
@Frost, wolf of winter 🐺🎄
in reply to Jess👾

🇨🇦️Dracula🍁
mastodon - Link to source
🇨🇦️Dracula🍁
• •

This is worth bookmarking.

Hint for those who don't know: Click on the icon between the star and 3 dots at the bottom of the toot you want to bookmark.

in reply to Jess👾

Adrian Morales
mastodon - Link to source
Adrian Morales
• •
I'm using a forked app, Moshidon, and the mute option works on everyone. 😅👍
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