Gander Social

Hi Andrew! Do you mind sending us a DM with the email your using for beta? We'll get it sorted out.

📌Update: Feb 26📌

v1.0.0.109: new composer (ALT text, quote+media), tappable hashtags, delete posts/account, better mentions
gandersocial.ca/blog/release-v1-0-0-109-february-18-2026/

What’s in a name?
gandersocial.ca/blog/gander-the-spirit-behind-the-name/

4.500+ beta testers improving Gander

Hiya Anna -- if you didn't fill out the beta form but are subscribed to the Early Access Program you'll get... Early access. We are about two weeks away from starting to send those. They will go out in order of when folks signed-up.

Hi Edge O. -- quick question: did you sign-up to beta test with us? If so, I'll dm and we can get you sorted out. Otherwise, it's not available in the Play Store yet.

We are getting there, our current focus is on the mobile version of things. Anticipate getting a desktop version out come spring!

Sent you a dm -- we'll get it sorted out!

We want to be able to provide context to folks on the platform and also differentiate news from opinion.

As with most things on the platform, we intend to get to a place where their are multiple options available for folks.

Hi Mirth -- it's not taken that way, don't worry. This is part of beta testing, as we work through how cards will be displayed at via our app-view.

We're big fans though we're never able to make contact with them. We'd love to get there one day. They do great work.

About to hit send on another whack of them! We're making good progress on the beta testers. Around two weeks give or take before invites start going to the Early Access Program.

See you soon Manitoba DoubleDown!

We're a few minutes away from hitting send on a few thousand invites :)

The API is currently being tested as part of our Expanded Beta. Since there’s no control/command zed to undo harms, we’re asking testers to tell us if it’s working for them in practice.

There’s no single solution to misinformation. It’s a messy, human problem and we need to employ a diversity of tactics to tackle it: media literacy, moderation, sound judgment, and tools that help us make sense of things.

Screenshot of a social media post by @tjcaul replying to @gander.social. The post says they’re coming from Meta and are happy to see Canadian news on social media again, adding that bias scoring is “the cherry on top,” with a cherry emoji. Below is a preview of a post linking to a CBC article titled “How Team Canada stacks up against its Wint…,” showing a photo of a Canadian flag and labels reading “Center-Left” and “High Factuality,” with an information icon.

A little context goes a long way.

On Gander, when a news article is shared you’re provided with some basic information around source bias and factuality. While we still recommend reading the article before sharing or reacting, this is one step toward more informed (and civil) dialogue.

It's coming -- my eyes need it as well.

We've also split out a few other cohorts like Fr language testing, accessibility, and desktop/tablet users.

Each week we're onboarding more and more people. Once we are through the beta testers, we'll move to the Early Access Program with priority given to sign-up date.

Hi marymarylovelyautumnleaf! We shared a beta intake form with the early access program and asked folks to provide some basic/anonymized info (as little as we could, in fact).

Based on what folks provided, we've been sending invites to a mix of folks: age, region, device type, tech literacy.

A Gander post by @fastdogs that says visiting other social media raises their blood pressure, while Gander feels like a quiet coffee shop, with a coffee cup emoji at the end and engagement icons below the text.

A social media post from Gander Social by @balmoralgirl reading “Canadian winters are so beautiful,” above a four-image grid showing snowy trees, snow piled on branches and a deck railing, and sunlight filtering through a winter forest.

A post in the Gander app by @jess that reads, “Genuinely happy to scroll a feed that’s entirely Canadian. Different pace. Better conversations. Feels like home,” with a video thumbnail of a person wearing glasses speaking indoors.

A few posts from over on Gander Social (shared with permission, of course).

Like inviting your friends over to see your new place. And we can’t wait to invite everyone else by.

If you're cold, Conan's cold. Bring him inside.

See you soon de ville!

📌Update: Feb 4📌

- 1,500 invites sent this week + 3,000 next. Landing Tues-Thurs weekly.
- Our first release thanks thanks to all those plucky beta testers.
- Part I of a snazzy new UI, news links show bias/credibility reliably, Gander Feed is live.

Full details: gandersocial.ca/blog/release...

There was a short grace period for folks to finish any investments in process -- that ends tonight at midnight PST.

We'll be finalizing everything on our end following.

Thanks for investing, expect to see an email to land shortly thereafter with more info on what's next.

We’re deeply grateful for the trust, patience and support you’ve all shown. And we’re proud of what can take shape when Canada comes together.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, and from all of us at Gander.

Together, this little gosling was lifted by a whole flock. No shortcuts. No compromise on values.

Just people who want sovereign Canadian tech, creating jobs here at home, and proving social media can still be social.

Others have loaned support to protect kids and grandkids from murky algorithms. And just about everybody seems to want an alternative to platforms dominated by foreign interests and misuse of personal data.

They did. YOU did. And we’re incredibly grateful.

More than 2,400 Canadians stepped up to support Gander not just as users, but as co-owners. People who believe Canada deserves better social media.

Some of you told us even a small investment was a stretch, but you did it because this matters.

Nearly 40,000 people signed up early. Over 10,000 volunteered to beta test. Thousands more shared Gander, challenged us, encouraged us, and brought others along.

It became clear those were the people we wanted to build this with. The only question was… would they want to?

And we’re not willing to follow the usual paths if they mean enshitification.

So we asked a different question: what if everyday Canadians became our partners?

White graphic with the Gander logo and the word “Gratitude” at the top. Illustrated Canada geese fly in a circular, symmetrical formation at the centre. Below, text reads: “When people in Canada come together, remarkable things take shape. Thank you for shaping this with us.”

After a few months of getting our flippers wet, we realized something: Gander is a bit of an odd duck in tech, especially in how it gets built and supported.

Traditional venture capital funding doesn't fit a benefit company like ours. Likewise with a lot of government programs.

We are about to send a bunch more out this afternoon!

Also, in an effort to be transparent... We have looked at the Unicode Emoji submission guidelines: unicode.org/emoji/propos...

Please be sure to post this GIF when you get on the platform.