Flipgrid was more than an app for recording classroom videos. It gave students a different way to participate in discussions, share ideas, and learn from one another. Teachers could post a question, collect short video responses, and let students interact with their classmates without requiring everyone to speak in front of the entire class.
The platform became popular in schools around the world before Microsoft acquired it and eventually moved its video-recording experience into Teams for Education. Although the standalone Flip platform has been retired, its story includes some interesting details about how a simple classroom idea grew into a widely used educational tool.
Here are some interesting facts about Flipgrid and the features that made it stand out.
1. Flipgrid Started with an Idea from a University Professor
Flipgrid’s story began at the University of Minnesota. Charlie Miller, an associate professor of curriculum and instruction, developed the underlying technology with graduate student Brad Hosack.
Miller wanted to hear what his students thought about curriculum design. Rather than relying only on traditional classroom discussions, he explored how short video responses could give everyone an opportunity to contribute.
The idea eventually grew into a startup. Miller and other team members launched the company in 2015, initially under the name Vidku, before it became known as Flipgrid.
2. Its Main Goal Was to Give Every Student a Voice
One of the most important ideas behind Flipgrid was that not every student feels comfortable speaking in front of a group.
Some students need more time to organize their thoughts, while others may hesitate to share an answer because they are nervous about making a mistake. Flipgrid offered another way to participate.
Teachers could post a question, and students could record their answers when they were ready. They could review their videos before submitting them and watch responses from their classmates afterward.
This asynchronous format made classroom discussions more flexible. Students who rarely raised their hands during lessons had another opportunity to share what they knew.
3. Flipgrid Reached More Than 20 Million People Across 180 Countries
Flipgrid’s growth was one of the reasons it attracted Microsoft’s attention.
By the time Microsoft announced its acquisition in June 2018, the platform was being used by more than 20 million educators, students, and families across 180 countries.
Its reach extended beyond primary and secondary schools. Microsoft reported that the community included learners from pre-kindergarten through PhD-level education.
This growth showed that short video discussions could work in different educational settings, from early learning activities to university-level courses.
4. Microsoft Acquired Flipgrid in 2018
Microsoft announced its acquisition of Flipgrid on June 18, 2018. The deal brought the educational video discussion platform into Microsoft’s education ecosystem.
One major change followed the acquisition: Microsoft made Flipgrid free for educators and students. Teachers who had previously purchased subscriptions were also eligible for prorated refunds.
The acquisition helped expand the platform’s reach while giving it access to Microsoft’s education network and technology resources.
Interestingly, Flipgrid initially retained its own name, team, and identity after joining Microsoft rather than immediately becoming part of another product.
5. Flipgrid Was Renamed Flip in 2022
Many people continued searching for Flipgrid even after Microsoft changed its name to Flip in 2022.
The rebranding introduced a refreshed identity, but the central idea remained the same: teachers could create video-based discussions and students could share their responses.
The shorter name also reflected the platform’s wider use beyond its original classroom discussion format. Teachers could use it for creative projects, reflections, presentations, and other learning activities.
Although the name changed, many educators continued using the familiar term Flipgrid when discussing the platform.
6. GridPals Connected Classrooms Around the World
One of Flipgrid’s more interesting features was GridPals. It helped teachers connect their classrooms with other educators and students in different parts of the world.
This gave students an opportunity to hear different perspectives and learn about places, cultures, and experiences outside their own communities.
For example, a class studying geography could exchange video introductions with students from another country. Language learners could also practise speaking with people who used the language in everyday conversations.
Instead of learning only from textbooks, students could interact with other learners and see how people in different classrooms approached the same subject.
7. Teachers Could Find Ready-Made Discussion Topics
Coming up with engaging classroom questions takes time, particularly when teachers are planning activities for several subjects.
Flipgrid addressed this through its Discovery Library, which offered a collection of ready-made educational topics and prompts. Teachers could explore existing ideas, choose something relevant to their lessons, or create their own questions.
This made it easier to start a discussion without building every activity from scratch.
For example, a teacher could choose a prompt related to a science topic and ask students to explain their understanding through a short video. The same approach could work for reading reflections, language exercises, and classroom introductions.
8. Students Had Several Creative Tools for Their Videos
Flipgrid was not limited to recording a student speaking in front of a camera. Its video tools gave students different ways to make their responses more engaging.
Depending on the version, students could add stickers, write digital sticky notes, draw on a whiteboard, and use visual effects.
These tools were useful for activities that required more than a spoken explanation. A student could draw a diagram while explaining a science concept or add notes to highlight important points in a presentation.
The platform also introduced different backgrounds and effects that helped students personalize their recordings.
9. Privacy Was Part of Its Video-Recording Experience
Recording a video can make some students uncomfortable, especially when they are concerned about showing their surroundings or appearing on camera.
Flipgrid included options that helped address these concerns. For example, pixelation effects could obscure parts of a student’s appearance, while background blur and custom backdrops gave students more control over what appeared behind them.
These features helped teachers create a more comfortable recording environment.
They also reflected an important consideration for classroom technology: students should have ways to participate without feeling pressured to reveal more than necessary.
10. Flipgrid Was Available on Multiple Devices
Flipgrid was designed to work across different devices, making it easier for students to participate whether they were using a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Its mobile apps allowed students to record responses without needing a desktop computer. This flexibility was particularly useful in classrooms where students used different types of devices.
Teachers could also create activities that students completed outside regular classroom hours, provided they had access to a supported device and an internet connection.
This helped make video discussions suitable for both classroom assignments and remote learning activities.
11. Microsoft Eventually Retired the Standalone Flip Platform
Despite its popularity, Flipgrid’s standalone journey eventually came to an end.
Microsoft first changed its name to Flip in 2022. It later announced the retirement of the standalone Flip website and mobile apps in 2024. The website moved to view-only mode on July 1, and the standalone service was retired on September 30, 2024.
Microsoft retained the Flip camera experience inside Teams for Education. Teachers can use it when creating video-based assignments, although this does not bring back every feature of the original platform.
Existing videos from the standalone service are no longer retrievable through Flip, making it important to distinguish between the old platform and its current Teams integration.
12. Flipgrid’s Story Shows the Value of Student Participation
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Flipgrid was the idea behind it. The platform demonstrated that classroom participation does not always have to happen through live discussions or written assignments.
A short video could give a student time to explain a difficult concept, share a personal reflection, recommend a book, or respond to a classmate’s idea.
Teachers also gained another way to understand how students were thinking, rather than judging their knowledge only through tests or written work.
Although the standalone platform is no longer available, its approach to video-based learning continues through tools such as the Flip camera in Teams for Education and other classroom discussion platforms.
Conclusion
Flipgrid grew from a university professor’s idea into an educational platform used by millions of people around the world. Its focus on short videos, student expression, and classroom interaction helped it stand apart from traditional learning tools.
Its acquisition by Microsoft, worldwide adoption, creative recording features, and eventual transition into Teams make it an interesting part of educational technology history. More importantly, it showed how giving students different ways to express themselves can make classroom participation more inclusive.