Flipboard has announced that it’s bringing its note-taking feature to its iOS and Android apps, two months after launching the feature on the web. The launch made Flipboard the latest contender in the battle to instead move some of the online conversations that take place on Twitter to its own platform.
The notes feature provides an easy way to share ideas or start conversations, the company says. Flipboard’s curators can now publish original content in their magazine to engage with their readers. You can also use a note to welcome new followers or share your thoughts and ideas with them.
“Ever wish you could post a question on Flipboard to get other people’s perspectives or recommendations? Now you can, thanks to notes,” the company said in a blog post. “With their signature sapphire-colored background, Notes not only let you express yourself and add your voice to your journal, they also provide an engaging way to connect with people who follow it. A note’s responsive layout shows when conversations are happening by displaying replies.”
You can create a note by opening the magazine you want to add to and tapping the “Create” icon in the navigation bar. From there you can start writing your note. You can also mention other users to add more context to the note. You will receive notifications about who replies to your notes, who mentions you, and who comments on your notes. Notes added to magazines you follow can appear in your For You feed.
Flipboard says notes are especially useful in group magazines, where several people co-create content. In these cases, notes can provide users with a way to share their thoughts and start conversations.
The company believes the feature will allow curators to create small communities around a particular theme or interest. Flipboard first introduced in 2012 the ability for users to create their own magazines by finding articles and then “flipping” them into a magazine for others to follow in their own feeds. With the new note-taking feature, curators can now do more than just share articles and other information, as they now have the option to post text notes, which can also include uploaded images or links.