Flipboard's Surf Simplifies Custom Social Feed Creation

In an era dominated by algorithm-driven social media timelines, Flipboard's new app, Surf, offers a refreshing alternative by enabling users to build custom feeds tailored to their personal interests. This approach shifts control away from tech giants like Meta and Google, giving users the power to curate content that truly matters to them.

Surf aggregates content from a wide array of open social networks built on decentralized protocols such as Bluesky, Mastodon, Pixelfed, and PeerTube. It also pulls in content from blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels, news sites, and any source with an RSS feed. This broad integration allows users to create feeds that combine diverse media types and platforms into a single, personalized stream.

The recent introduction of Starter Sets by Surf simplifies the feed-building process, especially for mainstream users unfamiliar with technical curation. These Starter Sets are pre-populated collections organized around popular categories like hobbies, sports, and communities, making it easy to start a feed without extensive setup.

Users can customize these feeds further by adding or filtering sources to match specific interests. For example, if a user follows a tech pundit who also posts about politics, Surf’s filtering tools allow the feed to include only the tech-related posts. This level of control ensures feeds remain relevant and focused.

Beyond personal use, Surf enables users to publish their custom feeds directly to Bluesky, sharing curated content streams with others on that platform. This feature enhances community engagement by allowing feed creators to distribute their personalized content beyond Surf’s app environment.

Surf represents Flipboard’s evolution from its original magazine-style content curation to embracing the open social web. As APIs from traditional social networks become more restrictive, Surf’s focus on open protocols offers a sustainable path for users seeking control and diversity in their social media consumption.

By lowering the barrier to entry with Starter Sets, Surf invites a broader audience to reclaim their social feeds from opaque algorithms and centralized control. This democratization of content curation could reshape how people interact with social media, fostering more meaningful and interest-driven online communities.