Recently, I was sitting with my sister-in-law talking about social media. She has that nagging, familiar concern about corporate social, the feeling that we’re all just products in someone else’s machine. I pulled out my phone, showed her my toot.wales feed, and started explaining how she could “save the Web site to her home screen”.

She listened politely, then said the thing I believe most people genuinely feel:

“It’s lovely! If only there was an app…”

She does not want a “protocol”. She does not want to hear about “the Fediverse”. She just wants that feed on her phone without a homework assignment. And she wants it from the app store she trusts.

When I started toot.wales, I instinctively knew this. In the early days, I even paid a developer to fork a couple of open-source apps and hard-code them to our community. It was expensive and eventually I simply couldn’t sustain it, but I never lost sight of that goal.

Now, working with our brilliant friends at the Newsmast Foundation, we’ve delivered it: a simple, opinionated, “people-first” social app.

One community. One door.

The biggest design decision we made was the simplest: the app is hard-locked to toot.wales.

There is no “pick a server” screen or “find your instance”. There is no friction. This is not a Mastodon app; it’s the Tŵt app, purpose-built for our community.

I’ve spent years building tools like StartHereSocial to help people navigate the maze of the Fediverse. But for toot.wales, I realised the answer isn’t a better map, it should be an inviting, open front door. If you want to join, you should be able to step right in.

Croeso: A warmer welcome

Alongside the app I built a promotional Web site at croeso.toot.wales. Croeso is Welsh for “welcome”, and that is exactly what it provides. It strips away the jargon, no talk of federation or decentralisation. Instead, it offers clear language about why this is “Better Social”.

It’s joyful and non-threatening on purpose. We’re not here to preach at you to quit X or Facebook, and we’re not shaming anyone. We are simply inviting you to try something different. If you like the vibe, stay. If not, no worries. People stay because it feels good, not because they’ve been coaxed into a boycott.

A Fediverse of communities

Some people see the Fediverse as one giant global town square. I see it differently. For me, it’s a community of communities. There are a million fediverses.

When people looking to onboard new people tell me “mastodon.social is too big”, my gut feeling is no, your server is too small. Communities only grow when we intentionally nurture them. It’s not up to a company in Germany to grow Tŵt in Wales. That’s on us, it’s our problem.

I want everyone in Wales (and the world!) to have a social option that is not drowned in surveillance and ad-tech. To get there, we have to design for clarity rather than complexity.

What’s inside the Tŵt app?

We’ve made some very deliberate choices to keep the app “human-shaped”:

• Private Mentions have their own space. You can’t create a private mention in the main composer and you will never see them in your timeline. We’ve put them in a dedicated “Conversations” tab to reduce mistakes and keep privacy intentional.
• Three simple tabs. You get Home (your personal feed), Tŵt (the “local” feed plus local replies), and Explore (your lists and hashtags, plus curated feeds for news, sport, culture and more). This creates a natural flow from your own interests to the wider, global community.
• Search is just search. There are no “trending” nudges or unsolicited content. If you’re looking for something, we help you find it. We don’t try to distract you along the way. (Trending is it’s own Channel.)
• True Bilingualism. English and Cymraeg sit side-by-side as equal choices. Digital spaces should reinforce our identity, not flatten it.

Celebrating the pioneers

The Tŵt ecosystem is already thriving because Welsh media organisations took a leap of faith into the open Web. Groups such as Nation.Cymru, Golwg360, Swansea Bay News, and Wrexham.com didn’t wait to see which way the wind was blowing. They dove in and started building, and are long-time Social Web citizens. Golwg and Swansea Bay now each federate their own platforms!

Whether it’s weather updates from North Wales Storms or local sports teams, these partners make the app feel alive from the moment you log in. The app offers two pathways to consume this content, via Channels you can drop in and out of, or Starter Packs you can follow to bring them into your feed.

Why this matters

For those already comfortable with the Fediverse, using a Web interface or the app of their choice is fine. But for everyone else, “just install the Web site” is not meaningful advice.

People want “the app”. From the trusted app store. They want to tap an icon and feel at home, not slog through an IT exam.

If you run a community and you like our approach, please feel free to use it. Whether it’s the onboarding flow, the “Better Social” messaging, or the focus on language equity, you are welcome to use my work as a template. If we want a healthier internet, we need more communities feeling empowered to build their own front doors.

The Tŵt app is our doorway. It is built for Wales and the Welsh, at home and abroad. It’s simple, it’s ours, and I can’t wait for you to try it. We plan on launching on Dydd Gŵyl Dewi with a special Fediverse Tootup the day before, in the meantime you can get a preview of the app at croeso.toot.wales/en/less-clut…

tŵt cymru | toot wales

2026-01-10 11:00:00

Less Clutter, More Cwtch

Tŵt’s going mobile!

We love the community we’re building here on Tŵt. It’s a warm, friendly space on the Social Web. But we also know that for many of you, social happens on your phone.

Connecting to Tŵt on your phone has always been a bit of a bother, especially when it comes to plugging in our domain instead of the default or suggested services. These apps work great, but they aren’t built for the average everyday person. They’re all a bit techy, and they don’t reflect our community the way we want to be presented. So, we’re building our own app.

Introducing the Tŵt App

We’re thrilled to announce that we’re developing an official Tŵt mobile app. We’re proud to be partnered with the amazing folks at the Newsmast Foundation, who are leading the development. Together, we’re building a simple, joyful experience designed specifically for our community.

Take a look at this 60-second preview of the test version to see it in action:

Why a Custom App?

It comes down to this: we believe every community should have its own space that reflects its people and its values.

One of the biggest blocks to getting on Tŵt is finding an app and then switching the domain name, choosing a server. This is an unnecessary technical exam before you’ve even stepped through the door. We’re removing that friction. When you open the Tŵt app, you’re already home. There’s no confusing setup – just you and your community.

We envision a future where many other communities have their own branded, custom apps just like this one, apps that tie directly to their server and remove the hurdles that keep people apart.

Curated for You

Because this app is just for us, we’ve been able to curate it to highlight the very best of Wales and the world. Through our custom feeds and “starter packs,” you’ll instantly connect with:

• Trusted Media: Updates from verified Social Web publishers including Nation.Cymru, Golwg, Swansea Bay News, Bylines Cymru, and Wrexham.com.
• Local Life: Weather forecasts, sports results, and the latest in Welsh music, arts, and culture.
• Joyful Accounts: A hand-picked selection of voices from Wales and around the world that make your feed a lovelier place to be.

A Calmer Way to Connect

To make Tŵt a genuinely cosy digital space, we’ve taken some strong opinions on design. We’ve removed or altered some features that we think make the Social Web a bit more people-friendly:

• Search is Just Search: We’ve removed trending content from the search screen. When you want to find something, you search for it, without us bugging you with unrelated content.
• A Tidy Home Feed: We’ve moved direct mentions into their own “Conversations” tab. Your Home feed stays as a calm space for reading posts from people you follow, with no more heart-stopping “OMG did I post that publicly” moments.
• Three Degrees of Connection: The Home tab has just three items: My Feed, Tŵt, and Explore. My Feed is only what you follow. Tŵt is the local feed, and we’ve included replies from community members so you can keep an eye on the conversations. Explore is your lists, your hashtags, and our curated suggestions.

We’ve made a bunch of other changes too, all in the name of making the experience faster, joyful, less techy, and more fun!

What’s Next?

We’re putting the finishing touches on the build right now. We’ll be pushing the app to beta for our existing community very soon, so keep an eye out for an announcement on how to join the testing group.

If all goes well, we plan on launching on St. David’s Day, with a launch party in Cardiff the day before, and you’re all invited! Stay tuned for details.

It’s simple, it’s joyful, and it’s almost ready. We’ll see you in the beta very soon.

Communities - Newsmast

“People, not platforms. People.” Anuj Ahooja, augment Communities are at the heart of New Social. Mostly small and medium sized. Places where people feel safe, and can breathe. Or places where people can come together and make things happen.

^Newsmast