So Reddit is finally updating its app to be speedier. It’s long overdue. I’ve been a Redditor since 2012, and I’ve seen the platform go through its many ups and downs. Meme wars, heartbreaking AMAs, and awkward CEO shenanigans are all part of the drama of Reddit. Now it’s updating the official app to focus more on comments. Meanwhile, the mobile website experience is anything but pleasant.
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The ads on the Reddit app are constantly shoved down our throats, and the mobile website constantly nags to “Open in App,” and the ads are more in-my-face than on the mobile app. Old Reddit is still where I go, but for how long will it last? Ever since Reddit CEO Steve Huffman killed off API access to third-party Reddit apps, the community has been holding its breath, waiting for the ax to drop on old Reddit.
Old Reddit is best
My sanctuary on the internet since 2012
Old Reddit (old.reddit.com) reminds me of old-school message boards from the early days of the internet, and that’s part of the charm I’ve always admired about the site. The OG Reddit had no frills, no animations, no algorithms. Just pure no-nonsense chaos in a rather uninspiring layout, and this even works in the mobile browser with a few plugins to really dress things up.
I still use old Reddit on the web because I find it so much less obtrusive than “new” Reddit. But I don’t know how long that will last. Reddit went public a short time ago and Huffman has been doing everything to make Reddit a standalone social media platform like Facebook or TikTok. I have a sinking feeling that old Reddit won’t be around much longer.
Official Reddit hurts my eyes
The official Reddit site on mobile is an abomination
Visiting the official Reddit site on a mobile browser reminds me of visiting a used car lot. I’m slammed with ads every few lines of text, some of which masquerade as real content. Then I’ll get hit with pop-ups imploring me to use the official app. It’s like being trapped in a late-night infomercial, but with no Shamwow to show for it afterward.
My only refuge is old.reddit.com. There I can scroll in relative peace. Sometimes my phone even sighs in relief.
You can always tell an ad from a real post because marketers try to jam their entire sales pitch in the post headline for some reason. Chances are good you’re looking at an ad if the headline is a full paragraph.
The great third-party app purge
Reddit destroyed the thriving third-party app ecosystem with one API move
Last year’s Reddit revolt was one of the most exciting moments in the platform’s history. That was when Reddit tightened the screws on third-party API access, making it virtually unaffordable for these apps to access the site and causing nearly all of them to shut down. Huffman got into a public war of words with Christian Selig, the developer behind the most popular third-party app, Apollo. This resulted in an AMA (Ask Me Anything) with Huffman that went horribly wrong and only helped to paint the company in a bad light.
But apps like Apollo weren’t just alternatives to the official Reddit app; they created an infinitely better experience. They each represented a vision of how Reddit could be, from refined interfaces to features for power users. Most importantly, they were ad-free. Huffman killed off the entire third-party ecosystem in one stroke, and now we’re stuck with the official Reddit app and its endless ads.
The official Reddit app
One word: ugh
It’s no secret that the official Reddit app is a hot mess, and site-wide user frustration with the app is part of what led to a massive Reddit boycott when Huffman killed third-party apps last year. The official app is full of ads. The wrong tap can accidentally collapse entire discussion threads or send me spiraling off to the unwanted “Popular” section. What are all those tabs? Communities? And what’s the difference between Chat and Messages?
The official app is the reason I use Reddit on the web. And, as I’ve already mentioned, the official Reddit site for the web is no good. Old Reddit is where I remain. But for how long?
My love-hate relationship with Reddit
I just can’t seem to quit the front page of the internet
There’s real value on Reddit. How many times have you appended “reddit” to your Google search? It’s the realest place on the internet with opinions from people around the world. It’s full of niche communities and hilarious memes. I’ve used third-party apps to access Reddit for years, and I tried to not use Reddit after last year’s purge. I couldn’t keep that up, so I’ve been using the website instead of the horrible app.
I’m really hoping more app updates fixe a lot of the issues I have with the official Reddit app. If they don’t, and Reddit kills off old.reddit.com, then I’m afraid I will have to leave Reddit once and for all. It’s frustrating to see such a wonderful platform constantly shoot itself in the foot.
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