Discover Surf: Flipboard’s New Social RSS Feed

Flipboard has introduced Surf, a tool similar to an RSS feed for the open social web, providing a fresh way to explore and stay connected with the real-time social web universe.

Flipboard Launches New Platform: Surf

Flipboard, the company behind the namesake news app, has launched Surf, a new platform designed to transform the way we interact with social web. Similar to an RSS feed for the open web, this app provides a personalized and intuitive user experience.

Surf: A Browser for the Social Web

Mike McCue, CEO of Flipboard, describes Surf as a “browser for the social web.” The app enables users to create content streams from the open social web, including services like Mastodon and Bluesky, as well as from blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos.

Surf supports a variety of open protocols, including RSS, Bluesky’s AT protocol, and ActivityPub, which is used to power decentralized platforms like Mastodon, Threads, Pixelfed, PeerTube, and Friendica, among others. This development follows Flipboard’s integration into the web federation, or “fediverse,” enabling complete interoperability with Mastodon and other decentralized networks.

Customizable Content Streams

Having been in development for nearly two years, Surf allows users to craft personalized streams from a mix of sources. For instance, a user interested in 3D printing can curate a stream that includes notable personalities, specific hashtags, RSS feeds, favorite podcasts, and more.

With 30,000 predefined topics available at the initial beta launch, Surf provides a tailored exploration of multiple subjects simultaneously. The app’s homepage features a variety of streams to follow, organized into sections like “Featured,” “Trending,” “Communities,” and “Expert Voices.” Additionally, streams can be extensively customized, allowing users to include or exclude certain replies, reposts, or adult content.

A Solution for the New Era of the Social Web

In this new era of the social web, where traditional players have diminished in prominence, “the lack of a centralized hub is a major issue,” states McCue. Surf appears to offer a solution to this challenge.

However, there’s a catch: Surf is technically available, but only as a closed beta accessible by invitation. For those who can secure an invitation, the app is available on iOS and Android, with a desktop version planned soon.