From Flipgrid to Flip to a foot in the grave. Say farewell to Microsoft's standalone education-focused video app.

What you need to know

Microsoft will shut down its standalone “Flip” app, which is an education-focused video application.
The core functionality of Flip will be migrated to Microsoft Teams for Education, though some features will not be added to Teams.
Once called Flipgrid, Microsoft purchased the app in 2018 and later renamed it to “Flip.”
Microsoft has already removed the option to download Flip and has changed the app to view-only mode.
Users can download their content until September 30, 2024, after which videos and other data will be deleted.

As a tech enthusiast with years of experience in the educational technology sector, I’ve seen numerous apps come and go, each promising to revolutionize learning experiences. The news about Microsoft shutting down its Flip app, while not entirely surprising, is still a bit disappointing.

Approximately six years following the acquisition of Flipgrid (now simply called Flip), Microsoft plans to discontinue the independent app associated with its education-centric video service. Originally known as a platform allowing educators to distribute videos to students categorized by groups and subjects, Flip has been in operation, under various names, since 2012. Now, Microsoft has opted to retire the standalone app and merge its primary features into Teams for Education.

On July 1, 2024, I noticed that Microsoft had transitioned Flip into a read-only mode. From this date, users are still able to download their stored content, but they can no longer produce new videos. This option will remain active until September 30 of the same year. After this date, all existing videos and data associated with Flip will be permanently erased. Microsoft has provided a support page detailing the steps leading up to the discontinuation of Flip.

“Microsoft announced that they are transferring essential Flip features into Microsoft Teams for Education to make it easier for educators to use in their classrooms and better align with regular assignment schedules. By September 30, 2024, the Flip website and mobile apps will no longer be available.”

Simplifying user experience is the goal when we replace the Flip app with key features in Microsoft Teams for Education. By reducing the number of apps used, tasks may become more manageable. However, this streamlined process applies only if your school uses Teams for Education. If your school doesn’t use it and you wish to try the Flip camera option within Teams, the suggested solution is to utilize Microsoft Teams for Education.

Some functionalities, such as commenting, MixTapes, and augmented reality, won’t be incorporated into the educational version of Teams.

Microsoft offers various guides to assist educators transitioning to utilizing Flip functionalities within Teams, including instructions on creating a Flip video in Teams and tips on setting up a platform for sharing Flip video content.

From now until September 30th, both students and teachers can continue accessing Flip’s content. The ability to download this content will also be available up until that date. However, on October 1st, 2024, Microsoft plans to erase all videos and other data associated with Flip, leaving just over a month for anyone who needs it to save any necessary content before it’s gone.

2024-08-29 16:09

From Flipgrid to Flip to a foot in the grave. Say farewell to Microsoft’s standalone education-focused video app.

What you need to know

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