Product brand
UnclaimedFlip was Microsoft's video discussion and classroom collaboration platform, formerly known as Flipgrid, that was retired in 2024 and folded into Microsoft Teams for Education.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Flip was an educational technology platform for asynchronous video discussion, originally launched as Flipgrid and later renamed Flip. Developed at the University of Minnesota's LT Media Lab, the service was designed to give teachers a structured way to pose questions or discussion prompts and to let students respond with short videos. Its central interface organized classroom activities into grids containing topics, instructional material, and student contributions. The model was intended to make classroom participation more conversational and visible than conventional text-only discussion boards. The software first became available in January 2014 under a subscription model. Teachers paid for access while students could participate without a separate per-student charge, allowing a classroom to include an unlimited number of learners. In 2015, Flipgrid was organized as a Minneapolis-based startup to operate and support the service. The platform subsequently expanded beyond its original use case through browser access and dedicated iOS and Android applications. Flipgrid's feature set combined video creation, discussion management, and classroom administration. Teachers could create topics, students could record and upload replies, and participants could add visual elements such as stickers and sticky notes to their videos. Automatically generated transcription and closed-captioning features supported accessibility and helped users follow recorded contributions. Teachers could also invite guest speakers to participate temporarily in a teacher-like role and publish their own topics or videos. The service connected with existing education workflows. One integration allowed teachers to synchronize a Flipgrid roster with Google Classroom, reducing the need to recreate class membership manually. Flipgrid also offered a library of pre-existing discussion topics and educational materials associated with organizations such as NASA, PBS, and the BBC. These partnerships and resources positioned the product not only as a recording utility but also as a source of prompts for inquiry-based and collaborative learning. Microsoft acquired Flipgrid in June 2018. At the time, the platform was reported to have more than 20 million student users in over 180 countries. Microsoft made the service free for teachers and refunded educators who had paid for existing subscriptions, accelerating adoption while bringing the product into Microsoft's broader education ecosystem. Flipgrid continued to operate as a distinct service for several years, alongside Microsoft's other classroom and productivity tools. At the 2022 International Society for Technology in Education conference, Microsoft announced that Flipgrid would be renamed Flip. The rebrand was presented during an event called FlipFest and reflected Microsoft's effort to give the product a shorter, more general identity while retaining its classroom video-discussion function. Research published in 2020 included studies reporting improved student engagement in online or hybrid learning environments when the software was used, although those findings described particular educational contexts rather than guaranteeing a universal effect. In June 2024, Microsoft announced that the standalone Flip website and applications would be retired. The company directed users toward comparable capabilities in Microsoft Teams for Education and stated that existing Flip content would be deleted during October 2024. The web and mobile products were fully discontinued in October 2024. Flip therefore survives primarily as a discontinued product brand and as a set of capabilities incorporated into Microsoft's education collaboration strategy, rather than as an independently operating platform.
History
Flip began as an educational software project developed by the LT Media Lab at the University of Minnesota. The first version, released in January 2014 under the name Flipgrid, used a subscription model aimed at teachers. Educators could establish discussion topics and invite an unlimited number of students to participate through video responses. This approach addressed a recurring problem in online and blended education: students who might not speak frequently in a physical classroom could contribute through recorded, asynchronous media. In 2015, Flipgrid became the name of a Minneapolis-based startup responsible for operating and supporting the product. The platform was available through a web browser and later through applications for Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems. Its core structure consisted of grids and topics. A teacher could create a grid for a class or project, publish prompts, and collect student videos in a shared environment. Contributions could be enhanced with stickers and sticky notes, while automatic transcription and closed captions added accessibility and searchability. The product developed integrations and content partnerships to fit into broader school workflows. Flipgrid could synchronize class rosters from Google Classroom, and its topic library included material associated with organizations such as NASA, PBS, and the BBC. Guest speakers could be granted a temporary teacher-like role, enabling them to post topics or videos without becoming permanent members of a class. These capabilities broadened Flipgrid from a simple video recorder into a moderated participation and discussion system. Microsoft acquired Flipgrid in June 2018. Reports at the time described a user base of more than 20 million students spread across more than 180 countries. After the acquisition, Microsoft made the service free for teachers and reimbursed educators who held paid subscriptions. Flipgrid was incorporated into Microsoft's education portfolio and benefited from the company's distribution, identity, and collaboration infrastructure, while retaining its distinct product experience for several years. Research published in 2020 included two studies that associated use of the software with stronger student engagement in online or hybrid classroom settings. Such findings helped support the platform's use during a period when schools were increasingly experimenting with remote and blended learning, although the studies were limited to their specific samples and instructional settings. At the 2022 International Society for Technology in Education conference, Microsoft announced that Flipgrid would be renamed Flip. The announcement was made during FlipFest, a Microsoft event connected with the conference. The new name was intended to serve as the product's broader identity while preserving its focus on video-based classroom interaction. The standalone product's life ended as Microsoft consolidated education collaboration features. In June 2024, Microsoft announced that the Flip software, website, and applications would be retired in favor of similar functionality in Microsoft Teams for Education. Microsoft also indicated that existing Flip content would be deleted during October. The web and mobile services were fully discontinued in October 2024. Flip is consequently a defunct software brand whose principal functions were absorbed into Microsoft's education platform.
- 2024
Standalone service is retired
[1]Microsoft announced the retirement of Flip and the migration of comparable capabilities to Microsoft Teams for Education.
- 2022
Flipgrid becomes Flip
[1]Microsoft announced the product's rebranding as Flip at the ISTE conference.
- 2018
Microsoft acquires Flipgrid
[1]Microsoft bought Flipgrid, made it free for teachers, and brought it into its education portfolio.
- 2015
Flipgrid startup is established
[1]A Minneapolis-based startup was formed to manage and support the Flipgrid software.
- 2014
Flipgrid is launched
[1]The LT Media Lab at the University of Minnesota released Flipgrid as a subscription-based classroom video discussion service.
Products and positioning
A classroom collaboration and participation platform centered on short-form video discussion, designed to support asynchronous learning, student voice, reflection, and teacher-led prompts.
Educational video discussion platform · 2014
Flipgrid
The original product and principal service offered by the brand. Flipgrid enabled teachers to publish discussion topics in grids and students to reply with recorded videos. The platform supported browser access and mobile applications, offered classroom-management features such as roster synchronization, and included automatic transcription and closed captions. It was later renamed Flip and ultimately discontinued as a standalone service.
Classroom collaboration software · 2022
Flip
The 2022 successor name for Flipgrid. Flip retained the service's topic-and-response model, allowing educators to facilitate asynchronous video conversations and students to share recorded contributions. Teachers could use visual annotations, invite guest participants, and draw on a library of educational prompts. Microsoft retired the standalone Flip experience in October 2024 and directed users to Microsoft Teams for Education.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022FlipFest
International education technology market
Microsoft used the FlipFest event at the 2022 ISTE conference to announce the transition from the Flipgrid name to Flip and to present the product within its wider education strategy.
Outcome. The rebrand was adopted, and Flip became the product's public identity until the standalone service was retired in 2024.
Brand decisions
2024
Retirement and migration to Microsoft Teams for EducationStrategyBackground
Microsoft decided to consolidate overlapping education collaboration capabilities rather than continue operating Flip as a separate website and application.
Action taken
Microsoft announced the retirement of the Flip software, website, and mobile applications and directed users toward similar functionality in Microsoft Teams for Education.
Aftermath
The standalone services ended in October 2024, and existing Flip content was scheduled for deletion during that month.
2022
Rebrand from Flipgrid to FlipStrategyBackground
Microsoft presented the product at the ISTE conference as part of an effort to develop its education technology identity.
Action taken
Microsoft changed the product name from Flipgrid to Flip and announced the change during FlipFest.
Aftermath
Flip became the platform's final standalone brand name before its later retirement.
2018
Microsoft acquires FlipgridM&ABackground
Flipgrid had developed into an international education platform used by millions of students and was operating as a Minneapolis-based startup.
Action taken
Microsoft acquired the company and integrated the product into its education portfolio. It also removed teacher subscription charges and refunded existing subscribers.
Aftermath
The acquisition gave Flipgrid access to Microsoft's education ecosystem and distribution while allowing it to remain a recognizable classroom product for several years.
Recent events
Reported
Microsoft rolls out redesigned emoji[2]
Microsoft's redesigned emoji were already available on Flipgrid; the article said they would arrive on Teams and Windows later that year and on Yammer, Outlook and other places the following year.
Reported
WURRLYedu content becomes available through Flipgrid Discovery Library[3]
WURRLYedu announced that its music education content would be available to educators, students, and families through Flipgrid's Discovery Library.
Sources3 sources
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