Help me learn to love Flipboard

April 9, 2013 6:11 AM

I'm trying to find my way around Flipboard on my Android phone. I like it so far, except that I kind of really hate Cover Stories. It takes up 2/3 of the screen and it mainly includes stories that people in my Facebook and Twitter feeds have shared. This isn't stuff that I usually think of as the most important or interesting news of the day, and if I just want to see what people are saying on Facebook, I'll go to Facebook. Is there any way to hide or move the Cover Stories board so it's not the main feature of the first page, or at least customize it so that it shows, maybe, aggregated news from the newspapers and magazines I subscribe to and not so many pictures of my friends' kids? Or are there any aggregator apps for Android that still pull in a variety of sources but offer more customization?
posted by payoto to Technology (5 answers total)

Not to sound snarky, but if you don't want items from Facebook and Twitter to show up in Flipboard, why not just unlink those accounts? I did the same thing - initially had them linked, but didn't like the way Facebook was dominating the Flipboard news feed (and, like you, I prefer going directly to the Facebook app if I want to interact with Facebook friends). So I unlinked the accounts. Problem solved!
posted by Roommate at 6:25 AM on April 9, 2013 [3 favorites]

Maybe try Google Currents?
posted by alienzero at 6:44 AM on April 9, 2013

Best answer: Click on the Cover Stories icon and then click on "Cover Stories" when it has the right triangle next to it. Then select "Cover Stories" instead of "All Timelines".

If that doesn't work then you can try unlinking your accounts or selectively muting all the authors (which you can do by clicking on the story and then the feed provider's icon/avatar, clicking on the silhouette of a person and then clicking 'Mute in Cover Stories'). Otherwise, you're stuck with it.

Alternatively, you can switch over to a more customizable and functional feed reader like Feedly and just use Flipboard for your social contacts and immediate news stories.
posted by dubusadus at 7:03 AM on April 9, 2013

Response by poster: i wish there was a way to have the facebook account linked for easier sharing, but not have facebook feeds show in flipboard. not sure if that is what the OP is after as well.

Yes, this. I can completely unlink my Facebook account, but that's like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer. Not only does it make it harder to share, but I have to create a new Flipboard account instead of using my Facebook login AS my Flipboard account. Also, it would be nice to be able to read my Facebook feed from the Facebook box in Flipboard, just not in the huge obtrusive Cover Stories box on the front page.

I think part of the issue is that I resent services that shoehorn you into their way of doing things and don't allow you to customize. It's a big part of why I left Apple for Android. I will look into Currents and Feedly. Thanks for the suggestions so far and please keep them coming!
posted by payoto at 7:11 AM on April 9, 2013

I haven't used flipboard...but I love love love tumblr. ..have u tried it? There's no hierarchy to it, no 'cover stories' just a continuous feed ...there is one (unobtrusive) box that is sort of similar I guess, but it would be better described as 'randomness'...mostly I browse from the site, even on mobile, rather than the app...you can add your fb friends if you like and also ignore them if u wish...
posted by sexyrobot at 8:55 AM on April 9, 2013