Flipboard Furthers Its Mission in the Fediverse

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Feb 28, 2023, 11:00 ET

The Social Magazine Integrates Mastodon into Its iPhone App and Launches Mastodon Instance Flipboard.social

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Flipboard, the world's first social magazine, joins the movement toward a new model for social networking by branching out into the Fediverse with two key initiatives. The latest edition of Flipboard for iPhone now includes a beta feature that gives people a visual way to flip through stories, photos and posts from Mastodon, the most popular Fediverse platform. Additionally, the company launched its own Mastodon instance, Flipboard.social, to create an easy on-ramp for Flipboard users into the Fediverse. The instance is designed to be a safe and welcoming space for experimenting and learning with the Flipboard community of curators and enthusiasts. To this end, Flipboard.social will require an invitation to join at first.

Now, anyone with a Mastodon account can connect it to Flipboard to flip through and interact with your Mastodon timelines in beautiful Flipboard fashion. Additionally, the company launched its own Mastodon instance, Flipboard.social. “What we’re rolling out today marks the beginning of the next phase for Flipboard. We’re experimenting with integrating Mastodon content into Flipboard, while gradually developing our own presence in the Fediverse,” said Mike McCue, co-founder and CEO of Flipboard.

The Fediverse refers to a network of social media servers that support microblogging, blogging, photo sharing, and more. Many of these servers, also known as instances, are interconnected or federated, allowing people on different instances to talk to each other, thanks to the ActivityPub protocol that interconnects Mastodon servers and many other services in the Fediverse.

"ActivityPub will disrupt social media in the way IMAP disrupted email, allowing people to connect no matter what email service they use. Walled gardens are coming to an end, and the future is federated," said Mike McCue, co-founder and CEO of Flipboard. "What we're rolling out today marks the beginning of the next phase for Flipboard. We're experimenting with integrating Mastodon content into Flipboard, while gradually developing our own presence in the Fediverse."

Mastodon Content in Flipboard Fashion
Now, Flipboard's users can flip through photos and articles shared via Mastodon and browse their favorites, public feeds and individual accounts all from within the iOS app. Users can also reply, like and boost content from within the Flipboard app, and flip stories from Mastodon into their Flipboard Magazines to share with people who follow them. With this addition, Flipboard transforms the way people discover, browse, and share content from the Fediverse.

To connect a Mastodon account to Flipboard, users need to have Flipboard's iPhone app and go to the accounts section (by tapping on the four-squares icon and then the "accounts" tab.) Once connected, users can flip through photos, posts and articles shared via Mastodon, as well as easily browse more of what these social networks have to offer including favorites, folders, groups, and lists. In addition to seeing their Mastodon feed in Flipboard, users can post updates, share articles, Magazines and photos from Flipboard to Mastodon.

About Flipboard
Flipboard is the world's first social magazine where people go for information and inspiration. On Flipboard, quality articles, videos, podcasts and products are recommended for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts from around the world. It is a platform that lets people spend time on their interests, develop deeper understanding of issues, and share the best ideas with others by collecting them into their own Flipboard Magazines. Download Flipboard for free in any app store or visit flipboard.com.

SOURCE Flipboard