- Bluesky Integration: Surf’s latest beta allows users to log in with Bluesky credentials and access their feeds, including custom ones, directly within the app.
- Personalized Feeds & Filters: A new setup wizard helps users build custom feeds by combining Bluesky, Mastodon, and RSS sources while offering filters to exclude unwanted topics.
- Expanding Access: The update, first showcased at SXSW, is rolling out to testers, with plans for a web version to extend Surf beyond its current iOS exclusivity.
Surf, the open social web browser developed by Flipboard, is broadening its compatibility with Bluesky’s decentralized social network. The latest beta release, called “Blue Wave,” introduces the ability for users to log in with their Bluesky credentials and seamlessly access their feeds. This includes their following feed, discover feed, and any custom feeds they have pinned within the Bluesky app, making Surf a more versatile alternative to the official Bluesky platform.
The update further enhances customization by allowing users to incorporate Bluesky sources into their personalized feeds. Features such as Bluesky’s Starter Packs—curated lists of recommended users—and other sources like Lists and Custom Feeds are now accessible within Surf. This integration aims to help users build richer, more tailored timelines while maintaining a decentralized social networking experience.
With this expansion, Surf enables direct interaction with Bluesky posts, including liking, replying, and reposting. User engagement within Surf is synchronized with Bluesky’s own platform, ensuring consistency between the two. The update also introduces a new setup wizard, designed to simplify the process of building personalized home feeds by combining content from Bluesky, Mastodon, and other open social networks. Users can fine-tune these feeds with filters, even opting to exclude political content or specific topics.
Surf positions itself as a counterpoint to traditional social media platforms, which are increasingly dominated by AI-generated content. By leveraging human curation and open protocols like RSS, the app allows users to integrate content from sources such as blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels. This flexibility enables the creation of topic-driven feeds that span multiple platforms, rather than being confined to a single ecosystem.
The beta update, showcased at SXSW in Austin, Texas, will be available to current testers, with an additional wave of new users gaining access. Surf, currently an iOS-exclusive app, is also in development for a web-based version to expand its reach. In the future, the company plans to make user-created feeds private by default while offering design customization options to enhance the browsing experience.
