Surf is an innovative social media application currently in its closed beta phase, and users can join a waitlist using a referral code provided on their website. The app aims to unify social media feeds by allowing users to connect multiple accounts, such as Bluesky and Mastodon, into a single, consolidated timeline. Once logged in, users can personalize their home timeline by selecting various sources, including their following feeds, mutual contacts, and recommended Starter Packs or custom feeds, creating a tailored social experience.
One of Surf’s key features is the ability to add filters to the timeline, helping users stay on topic and avoid unwanted content. They can choose from preset filters or create their own via the settings menu. Additionally, users can exclude specific profiles from their timeline with an easy-to-use menu option, giving them control over the content they see. These features are designed to grow and improve over time, with more moderation and content management tools planned for future updates.
Beyond personal feeds, Surf provides access to the entire open social web. Users can search for topics or hashtags to follow ongoing discussions and create custom feeds based on their mood or interests. They can also contribute by creating and sharing their own feeds for others to discover, fostering a community of early testers and content curators. Creating custom feeds is straightforward—users can specify a name, search for relevant content, and add sources such as hashtags, social profiles, YouTube channels, podcasts, and more, offering a comprehensive way to organize and follow content across multiple platforms.
Furthermore, Surf offers powerful tools for more advanced feed customization. For instance, users can filter their feeds by specific topics or hashtags, ensuring they see only the content that matters most to them. They can also turn their feeds into community spaces by adding community hashtags, which aggregate posts from Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads that use those tags. The app provides moderation features, like excluding certain posts or profiles, and these will continue to be refined. Surf encourages users to explore the many ways to personalize and engage with the social web, making it both a versatile and dynamic platform for social interaction.