Flipboard is still one of my favorite news reading apps on the iPhone. I still like the beautiful design, the publication based styles, the smoothness, the flips. Flipboard offered its own curated categories that made it easy to check out top news for something like Technology or Politics. You could also add your own sources and turn them into a magazine. Now, with the Flipboard 4.0 update, Flipboard is adding Smart Magazines.
What are Smart Magazines
Smart Magazines are generated by Flipboard’s algorithms based on your inputs. You can select a topic for a magazine, then select some related content using hashtags. Flipboard then combines sources from their algorithms, curators, influencers and presents you the magazine that you can flip through and read.
How to Create a Smart Magazine
When you open the newly updated app, it will guide you through the process of creating the first smart magazine. You’ll also notice that Flipboard’s home screen has gone through a major redesign.
The home screen is now built of horizontally scrolling cards that take up almost the entire screen. You’ll find the Cover Stories magazine ready for you. The home screen can house upto 9 smart magazines.
Swipe left and you’ll end up on the section that asks What’s your passion. This is where you’ll be able to create a new Smart Magazine.
Write a topic you’re interested in or select something from the popular list. If you type in something remotely popular like UX Design, you’ll see the topic show up in the list (but not for everything). Select it.
Then you’ll be asked to personalize the magazine. Tap on hashtags that are related to your topic that you’ll also want included in the feed. You can search here as well.
Tap on Done and you’ll be back to the home screen.
You can customize the sources for a Smart Magazine any time using the Feed icon in the bottom-right corner.
How to Make a Custom Magazine
Flipboard has also improved and simplified the process for creating a Custom Magazine. This is where you pick exactly what sources make up a magazine. You can add RSS feeds, Flipboard Magazines, Twitter feeds, hashtags, YouTube, SoundCloud profiles and much more.
To create a Custom Magazine, go to your profile by swiping right on the home screen. Tap on Magazines and then select Make a new Magazine. Then select For reading specific sources.
Give it a name, tap on Add Sources and from the next page search for different kinds of sources from the list below. Once all your sources are selected, tap on Done. The magazine will be added to the top of your profile view.
How to Add a Magazine to Home Screen
If you’re a long time Flipboard user, you might be wondering, where are all my magazines I’ve already created? Flipboard has sent them to your profile view and you need to manually add them to the home screen (which can only contain upto 9 of these).
From your profile view, tap on the three dotted menu button on a magazine and select Add to Home.
How to Arrange Magazines
After you have more than a couple of Smart Magazines, you might want to rearrange them. Tap on the three dots in the top-right corner of a magazine preview and select Edit home. Then use the handlebars to move the magazines around.
How Do You Use Flipboard?
Share your favorite Flipboard magazines and tips and tricks in the comments below.
Download: Flipboard
