Parents' Guide to

Flipboard

By Polly Conway, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Magazine-creation site missing some of app's key functions.

Website http://www.flipboard.com
Flipboard Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this website.

Community Reviews

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age 18+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Owen2021
Owen2021 Adult
November 30, 2021
age 18+

PORN access evades parental controls

My child’s iPhone has ScreenTime settings restricting sexually explicit material and 17+ apps. If you search keywords in Flipboard and limit to “Social” results, then flip results until you see a link to a tinyURL for a Twitter page, this will then load into the app’s embedded web browser, and THEN you have access to a completely unrestricted browser within the porn-ridden Twitterverse that would be blocked if you tried the same searches on Safari proper. I have emailed Flipboard requesting they fix this, with NO response. I have called Apple customer support, who refuse to take any responsibility for the access to adult material that this age rating 4+ app permits. They refuse to compel Flipboard to change its rating to 17+. They suggested I put a review like this on the App Store page for Flipboard. I went there, and they are not even accepting any additional app reviews (?!). I’m hoping that posting this here can be a catalyst for change.

This title has:

Too much sex
HoytD
HoytD Adult
May 13, 2019
age 16+

Russian trolls

There are Russian trolls all over Flipboard using American, Canadian, or other Western user names, so be careful when responding to comments
See all 4 parent reviews

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What’s It About?

FLIPBOARD allows you to create an online magazine built from Web pages you like. You begin by downloading the Flipboard app onto a phone or tablet. Once you return to your computer, you can add the Flip It bookmarklet to your bookmarks bar. When you browse the Internet and find content that interests you, click the Flip It button. A window will pop up that allows you to add that page to a magazine. You can create a magazine on the spot or add to one you've been working on. There's an option to post your activity to Facebook at this point, which would allow other people to visit your magazine.

There isn't a search function on the website, so browsing is the main way to view content. To browse, click on one of the headings, which include Arts & Culture, Big Ideas, Sports, and News.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (1 ):

It seems like Flipboard really wants people to use the app version as opposed to the Web platform; the latter doesn't have the same functionality. You can't even create an account on the Web -- you have to sign up through the app, and then you can log in on a computer, which is a hassle. However, the magazine format is really nice, the photography shines, and there are tons of well-curated topics to browse. The content, however, does have some issues. Although the website is safer than the app (you can't search for inappropriate content), kids have the whole Internet to choose from when creating their Flipboard magazines. With no regulations, kids could see or add anything that's online, making Flipboard best for highly supervised situations or for mature teens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Ask your kids: "If you could publish your own magazine, what would it be about? Who would write for it? How would you get people to buy it?"

  • Families can talk about magazines: How are they different from books? What's fun about reading a magazine, either online or in print?

Website Details

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