Tell HN: Reddit started asking logged-in users to use the app

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33202034

by agluszak • 4 years ago

85 76 4 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

The "new" Reddit mobile web interface got worse (again). I'm logged in and now every time I open the webpage I'm asked if I want to "continue in browser" or "open in app (recommended)". I don't have the app installed and I don't want such dark patterns force me to install it. Previously that happened only to unregistered users.

thanatos519• 4 years ago

I don't have that problem on https://i.reddit.com/

pier25• 4 years ago

It's amazing that this old and ugly app feels better than the React SPA monstrosity they have as the official mobile site.

nicbou2• 4 years ago

In 1984 (bear with me), the protagonist has a feeling that things were better before, but can't tell for sure because the past was erased. He stumbles upon artefacts that were not destroyed, and that confirms he's not mad.

I have this vague feeling that the web got worse, but it's hard to tell just how much worse. I rediscovered i.reddit.com this month, and it's one of those artefacts.

Compare this to old.reddit.com, then to reddit.com, then to reddit.com without an ad blocker. Multiply that by the entire internet, and the loss is staggering.

quickthrower22• 4 years ago

Always has! Well for a few years anyway

agluszak2• 4 years ago

For logged in users? I started having this problem now. For not logged in - yup, it's been there since the redesign

M2Ys4U• 4 years ago

Yeah, I've had this (very annoying) prompt when logged in for a long time now

more_corn4• 4 years ago

Until yesterday there was a setting to disable the mobile app nag.

quickthrower22• 4 years ago

Alas I didn’t know that. Why they didn’t go for the more obvious “don’t ask again” on the nag I don’t know.

alpentmil• 4 years ago

for android use RedReader - opensource - lightweight (in PlayStore)

napolux• 4 years ago

for iOS Apollo is the answer.

criticas• 4 years ago

I love Apollo, but it's not a complete answer. If you attempt to visit an 18+ reddit on mobile, it will redirect you to either HOME or Reddit's official client. Not the "iOS App you've selected for Reddit", the official Reddit App.

julianlam• 4 years ago

Better than rif is fun?

greazy• 4 years ago

Very frustrating they removed the setting to turn off that annoying notification.

But I'm not surprised. Reddit is trash

rchaud3• 4 years ago

No different from any other social media site that needs to track logged-in users to show them ads.

Reddit is great, the business model around it is trash.

iwillbenice3• 4 years ago

Reddit is great

By what standard? Every non-technology subreddit (and a few tech ones) have turned into absolute echo-chamber dumpster fires. There is absolutely no conversation occurring in those echo-chambers. The level of control and removal of dissenting opinions is ridiculous. Just look at any thread and note all the [REMOVED] posts.

sam0x172• 4 years ago

It's done this for like 5 years AFAIK, at least for me

ridgered4• 4 years ago

Me as well. It has steadily gotten more aggressive though, recently becoming so bad I finally switched to using teddit.

smileysteve• 4 years ago

It had a setting to turn this off until this week.

more_corn4• 4 years ago

Great reason for everyone to delete their accounts and bam Reddit from your home network.

hallway_monitor• 4 years ago

I gave up and installed the app. Still holding out on Facebook even though the web version on mobile is pretty bad.

luuuzeta2• 4 years ago

I gave up and installed the app.

If you've to use an app, then go for a third-party app such as RedReader, Dawn for Reddit, Relay, etc.

more_corn4• 4 years ago

Never give up

1_1xdev2• 4 years ago

Even if you have the app installed, the link to open in app just opens the app store. What a dumpster fire of a mobile web experience.

danielfoster• 4 years ago

I had this issue for the longest time and was very frustrated. I learned you can hold the link and then click "Open in Reddit" in Safari to get around this.

perryizgr8• 4 years ago

This works fine in android. You can associate your favorite app with the reddit links. There is surprising depth in the settings regarding this feature.

1_1xdev2• 4 years ago

Thanks, reddit team, for fixing this. Both the new OPEN button anchored to the top, and the new bottom sheet work as desired now.

My comment above was about a previous version of the "open in app" bottom sheet from a previous version of the mobile website.

Both mobile safari on iOS.

luuuzeta2• 4 years ago

Aside from niche subs or subs that aren't easily politicized due to their nature, Reddit is trash.

https://teddit.net/ is a must if you want to browse Reddit on mobile. Also https://old.reddit.com/ although it doesn't work as well on mobile.

easrng• 4 years ago

https://farside.link/libreddit is closer to the new reddit layout if you like that (it's better for browsing image/video heavy subreddits imo)

gorgabal• 4 years ago

I never figured out how to login on teddit. Do you need to host your own instance or something?

MisterSandman• 4 years ago

Pretty sure you just don't login, it's not near to be a full replacement, just a way to access Reddit posts and discussions.

nluken• 4 years ago

I always laugh when I see the huge "USE NEW REDDIT" header when I'm not logged into old reddit. I will stop using reddit if they ever force me onto the new interface.

squeaky-clean2• 4 years ago

It's been a while since I've used it, but https://i.reddit.com/ still seems to work. This one is the lightest mobile interface.

Brendinooo• 4 years ago

Apollo is an excellent iOS app.

ilrwbwrkhv• 4 years ago

And Reddit is fun is an excellent Android app. The next button being in the same place as you navigate comments is essential.

dartharva2• 4 years ago

Use third party FOSS Reddit apps that don't have original Reddit's garbage gimmicks - Boost, Infinity, Dawn, RedReader, Slide, Diode, Stealth, etc.

shostack• 4 years ago

What's the favored Android client? Any good comparisons?

jbaber• 4 years ago

I really like "Now for reddit"

dartharva2• 4 years ago

Boost is my personal favorite, but you'll have to pay to remove ads if you're averse to bootleg cracked apks. Infinity is FOSS and has a modern Material You design, it's great as well.

hacym• 4 years ago

I’ve had this pop up for like a year.

sidcool• 4 years ago

Reddit has been trying to make me login and install app since years. Everytime it asks more than once, I close the webpage. It's helping my Reddit addiction and I have been avoiding it for years now.

egberts1• 4 years ago

bye Reddit.

_tom_• 4 years ago

How much more money is an app user worth, compared to a web user?

It must be substantial, as sites like yelp are actually unusable on mobile web, as they constantly try to install the app.

It seems like it's better to lose a customer than to have them on web.

jasec573222• 4 years ago

Installed apps have lots more stable monetisation options (e.g: getting paid to load an sdk which runs a proxy), and not to mention they can more easily scoop-up alot more data.

Most of the claims companies like Reddit make about security/anti-spam benefits is simply not true. Once you require user to create an account/login it makes no real difference. Everything you need for the frontend can be done with JS, HTML & CSS, and the apps themselves on ios/android are nearly-always just that.

As for losing customers, I need to use Reddit to make Google effective - and Reddit knows this. They have a massive amount of power to force mobile users to use an app if they wish to. Given it comes with massive revenue-potential, why wouldn't they?

squeaky-clean2• 4 years ago

It's also much more difficult to get an adblocker working to block apps. I'd bet the majority of Reddit's users have an adblocker extension installed on their browser, but a very small percentage have system-wide or network-wide adblockers.

spinlock• 4 years ago

Being on the homescreen increases DAU/MAU by about 50%.

Push notifications increase DAU/MAU by multiples.

Those are the killer features for social media.

I'd also assume that the walled garden of the app store cuts down on a lot of bots/other shenanigans going on.

more_corn4• 4 years ago

Just delete your account and add them to your pihole blacklist. Your life will improve dramatically.

dewey• 4 years ago

I have had that for a year at least. The only way to use Reddit for me is Apollo on iOS.

themadturk• 4 years ago

Most of my Redditing is on Narwhal on iOS. Never could learn to enjoy Apollo.

nikau• 4 years ago

Just install a reddit app. Redditisfun is great for android, and only a few bucks to get lifetime ad free.

wyldfire• 4 years ago

I use old reddit but I could not bear the loud ads on mobile. Someone on HN mentioned i.reddit.com and I've been using it since. Reddit is bearable again.

deanmoriarty• 4 years ago

Genuinely curious: what’s the problem with installing the app? I generally get good value out of Reddit, so didn’t mind installing the app and it works ok, have been using it for years and I find the push notifications (with the phone permanently in do not disturb) useful as well.

dougmwne• 4 years ago

Because it works perfectly fine in the browser? Because I don’t want all the notifications and OS integration an app brings for a simple website? Because I know they are using the app to further track me and steal more of my time? Because I choose not to.

nullfield• 4 years ago

Because their app is and isn’t Apollo. They bought out a prior app which was okay, crippled it, and made it ugly and invasive.

nicbou2• 4 years ago

I don't use the app. The mobile website is bad enough to limit my sessions to a few minutes. I no longer reply unless I'm on desktop.

Less engagement means fewer notifications, and thus fewer reasons to return.

hulitu• 4 years ago

Tell HN: Reddit started asking logged-in users to use the app

So does Qatar. The future is now.

dekatron• 4 years ago

Reddit's infuriating mobile website made me switch from Android Chrome to Kiwi Browser, because it lets me use the Old Reddit Redirect extension [1] to redirect all Reddit links to old.reddit.com links.

While old Reddit is not a great interface for browsing on mobile, it lets me get the information I'm looking for quickly (usually when following a Reddit link from a Google search).

[1] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/old-reddit-redirec...

Tell HN: Reddit started asking logged-in users to use the app

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