Our feed and map allows you to view locally relevant content in a single location. We encourage all users to create, share, and interact with threads on the map and feed to get the most out of the Howl experience.
ℹ️ Make sure you share your📍current location with Howl in order to get the best user experience on our feed and map!
What type of content does the Map and Feed contain?
The Map and Feed are made up of threads from regular users (neighbors) and featured users (Local News, Community Events, Businesses, Partners, and more!)
How does the feed work?
There are many factors that determine which threads are displayed on the Feed. The primary factor is your location:
- If you have allowed Howl to use your current location, threads will be displayed based on your current location.
- If you have not allowed Howl to use your current location, threads will be displayed based on your verified home address.
ℹ️ If you are in a new town or joined without many town or street members, we got you covered! We setup the feed to expand in increments of 5 miles so that we can always find you threads, they may just be a little be further away in distance. The farthest we will show you is 20 miles away from you, to ensure threads are locally relevant!
The secondary factor is time:
- Threads with the most recent creation date are displayed first in the feed, with older threads displaying as you scroll down.
ℹ️ Threads are removed from the feed after 5 days.
What happens after I create a thread and publish it to the map and feed?
- Your thread will display to Howl users based on the selected thread location. When the thread's location is within 20 miles away from a user's verified home address, they will view it on their map and feed.
- You can quickly find all your threads by selecting the Profile option on the bottom navigation bar and selecting the "My threads" button.
- You can edit or remove your thread at any time, and respond to user's repelies.
- You will receive notifications for users engaging with your thread.
- The location of your thread will be pinned to the map, where you can view it and take action.
- All threads follows the rules as outlined in the section about "How does the feed work?"
Why is my feed empty?
Behind the scenes, we have already checked within 20 miles of your current location or verified address if there are locally relevant threads. If your feed is empty, then there are not enough members of your town surrounding towns. Start growing your town by inviting friends and neighbors. Check out how to refer here in our Referrals knowledge base.
Why is a star displayed on threads?
The star represents a Featured User in the product, who is a local publication, business influencer, blogger, and so much more that creates and shares locally relevant content. Right now, you reach out to support@howl.com, if you'd like to become a Featured User.
What are the different categories for?
Our Nearby, News, Businesses, Causes, and Events categories are the primary areas that you will see locally relevant threads. The Nearby category displays threads from all categories. We are working hard behind the scenes to determine what categories would be useful to Howl users! You can submit feedback to support@howl.com to tell us what would be useful or valuable to you.
What does Local News mean?
Our goal is to provide you with the best locally relevant information and news in a single location. When you view a thread from Local News, this means it has come from a reputable news source or publication and was created nearby your current location or verified home address. Threads from Local News are locally relevant pieces of news, business, or local information.