Flipboard has launched Surf, an app that merges the fediverse with RSS and other content sources into one unified feed reader. It’s a browser for the open social web, combining Mastodon, Bluesky, and RSS into something that feels entirely new.
The Verge is among Surf’s partners in the launch, allowing users to access and engage with content from various platforms through hashtags. You can sign up using either a Mastodon or Bluesky account, or both, to manage your Surf experience. It’s all about curation: search billions of posts across the fediverse, and follow feeds curated by others, or create your own.
The heart button taps into your social accounts for likes, while comments are also replies—creating a single account for posting everywhere. The federated social networks are presented differently: video-first feeds with large previews, podcast-like experiences, and curated link posts that look like Flipboard magazines.
Beta testing since nearly the start, I find Surf’s platform both confusing and powerful. It feels like scrolling TikTok, but with a curation from smart people on the internet, not an algorithm. In a world where platforms feel fragile and unknowable, Surf could be a good step in a different direction.
