Welcome to Series, a new type of story on Medium

Series-ly tho…

Readers spend almost five million hours per month on Medium, following the latest smart ideas from their favorite writers. Today, we’re introducing a new type of story to Medium for readers who just can’t wait for that next post: Series. Series are mobile stories that can be added to over time and unfold card by card with the tap of your finger. This is our first step toward building a new way to read on Medium that’s both seamless and serialized.

With more and more readers turning to Medium on their phones, we began to explore how we could provide a new means of storytelling that didn’t simply conform to the constraints of a small screen, but instead used these constraints to build a more powerful type of story.

It’s a new way to tell deeper, more meaningful stories that develop over time. Much of what we create on the internet today has to stand on its own — context is not guaranteed. But Series changes that: you can go deeper, share more complex ideas, and tell ongoing stories in a way that you couldn’t with a single post. Whether inspiration strikes all at once or over time, you can start a series whenever, adding to it as you come up with new ideas.

Series unfold card by card. Each card can feature text, images, and GIFs, and readers tap the right side of the screen to advance to the next one.

As a reader following along, you can opt to get a push notification every time the creator adds a new installment. And if you have to stop reading in the middle, Series always saves your place so you can jump back in wherever you left off. When you reach the end, you can give feedback in the form of claps to let the creator know you’re reading and that you can’t wait for the next update.

You can start reading series in our iOS and Android apps today. Just download or update the app, and you’ll see a new Series tab that will include stories from the creators you follow on Medium, as well as ones featured by our editorial team.

The new Series section of our iOS and Android apps allows you to browse the latest series from authors you follow, as well as Editors’ Picks.

We’ve lined up some great series for you to start reading right away. 👀 Melinda Gates dives into the most effective ways to save the lives of children across the globe, Bernie Sanders explores the human stories behind rising prescription drug prices, Quincy Larson explains in detail why he believes net neutrality works, and Jeff Lewonczyk paints a vivid picture of the future through illustrations.

And if you’re feeling inspired, you can start creating your own series today in our iOS app or on the web. We can’t wait to see what you come up with.

ABC. Always be clappin’.