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Reddit’s mobile web experience really embraces this–even as a logged in user there is a frequent “Use our app!” popup that has been made progressively more obno

Reddit’s mobile web experience really embraces this–even as a logged in user there is a frequent “Use our app!” popup that has been made progressively more obnoxious. Once upon a time there was a preference option to disable the popup, though it would periodically become unchecked on its own. Then the option to disable it disappeared. Then the popup started appearing not just on page load, but after a period of time while you’re partway down the page reading, instantly jumping your scroll position to the top and making you lose your place. The ultimate effect has been that I swore to never, ever install their stupid app, and I spend way less time there on my phone, which is probably a good thing anyway.

gavinray 3y ago
Recently on mobile it's stopped giving me the option to even view the page anonymously, at least for adult content. It gives me: "This is mature content and may not be appropriate for certain viewers. To continue, use the app to confirm you're over 18 and browse anonymously."
- khazhoux 3y ago
  old.reddit.com
  - aqfamnzc 3y ago
    Its days are numbered, I think...
    - wholinator2 3y ago
      If they are then so are my days on reddit. The whole API debacle is already pretty rough for them. I can't imagine removing old.reddit could possibly be a good decision for them now. I have an account but only i choose when to use that account. If reddit removes choice, I'll remove reddit. It's really striking though that all of this hate for these terrible dark patterns invariably ends in a statement like, 'leaving would honestly improve my life'. These companies have become so ingrained and good at attention economy that most people feel like it makes their lives worse, and yet also cannot stop. I have a feeling this whole social media ship could go the way of the opium wars is we don't change course soon
  - notfed 3y ago
    "Just modify part of your URL bar every time you click a link to Reddit" falls into "F you".
    - RadiozRadioz 3y ago
      https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/old-reddit-redirect/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/old-reddit-re... https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/old-reddit-redirect/dneaehbmnbhcippjikoajpoabadpodje https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/old-reddit-redirec...
      - mcpackieh 3y ago
        This is even worse. You can't trust either Mozilla or Google to vet the extensions they publish for spyware. So you have to trust and/or verify that this extension does what it says and no more. But worse, you have to vigilantly watch the extension for any changes, even if you trust the developer today he may sell it to a spyware company at any time.
        RadiozRadioz 3y ago
        This is an open source extension, as stated in the description on both pages. The repository is linked in both, feel free to build it from source and install it locally. You don't even need these extensions, you can set up a redirect rule in uBlock Origin (if you trust that). I sent these extensions to remedy the stated need to manually rewrite the URL, I did not say that using these extensions is a better solution than Reddit turning off the Fuck You pattern.
        mcpackieh 3y ago
        To install an extension locally in Firefox you have to be using a special build or jump through other hoops. All of this goes back to the point; that Reddit is employing the "fuck you" pattern when they force you to jump through such hoops to use the version of their website that actually works.
- shagie 3y ago
  That has the feel of hitting some regulatory issues (e.g. Utah's law) and/or having difficulty with porn in the App Store and the content rating of the app there.
  - breakingcups 3y ago
    Nah, you don't need to confirm anything except indicate you want to see NSFW content, just like you used to be able to in the website itself. It's just a dark pattern to convert porn viewers to the app.
  - duskwuff 3y ago
    No, if it isn't NSFW content the message just changes to something along the lines of "This content hasn't been reviewed and may not be appropriate...". It's an excuse to force users to download the app, not an implementation of a legal requirement.
- Anunayj 3y ago
  I noticed this too! The reddit webapp on mobile was pretty much unusable before and would constantly ask me to download the app. Accidentally visited it a few days ago and was surprised it didn't happen.
- rrobukef 3y ago
  If you open any post with a lot of comments and you want to load more comments you must create an account - no option to disable. They really want to smother all mobile but the app.
  - fariszr 3y ago
    That's why you use libreddit instead of the official Reddit site https://github.com/libreddit/libreddit https://github.com/libreddit/libreddit
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
kobalsky 3y ago
instagram is a step above though. sometimes they ask you to login to replay a video.
ativzzz 3y ago
They probably have an internal KPI of increasing the number of mobile installs, and these patterns probably work to increase that number
electrondood 3y ago
Forcing you to download the app for any sub marked NSFW, whereas you previously only had to click to confirm your age, is bullshit. I'm well aware that the reason you want me to download your app has nothing at all to do with the reason you're claiming, and as a user it just pisses me off.
- cellularmitosis 3y ago
  What is that reason? (someone driving metrics to get a promotion?)
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
matthewwolfe 3y ago
My favorite part of Reddit mobile on iOS is that when it prompts you to view in app, it redirects to the App Store, even though I have the app installed! Then when I open the app it doesn’t preserve the page I was trying to get to. So it doesn’t even work!
jokoon 3y ago
This is the well known strategy of squeezing a lemon. It's very profitable, and it's more profitable the more you destroy the lemon.
XCSme 3y ago
I decided to uninstall Reddit from my phone. I'm still reaching their website through my browser, read the content (replace URL with old.reddit.com), and if it still doesn't work I decide that the content is not worth the time.

gavinray 3y ago

Recently on mobile it's stopped giving me the option to even view the page anonymously, at least for adult content. It gives me: "This is mature content and may not be appropriate for certain viewers. To continue, use the app to confirm you're over 18 and browse anonymously."

khazhoux 3y ago
old.reddit.com
- aqfamnzc 3y ago
  Its days are numbered, I think...
  - wholinator2 3y ago
    If they are then so are my days on reddit. The whole API debacle is already pretty rough for them. I can't imagine removing old.reddit could possibly be a good decision for them now. I have an account but only i choose when to use that account. If reddit removes choice, I'll remove reddit. It's really striking though that all of this hate for these terrible dark patterns invariably ends in a statement like, 'leaving would honestly improve my life'. These companies have become so ingrained and good at attention economy that most people feel like it makes their lives worse, and yet also cannot stop. I have a feeling this whole social media ship could go the way of the opium wars is we don't change course soon
- notfed 3y ago
  "Just modify part of your URL bar every time you click a link to Reddit" falls into "F you".
  - RadiozRadioz 3y ago
    https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/old-reddit-redirect/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/old-reddit-re... https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/old-reddit-redirect/dneaehbmnbhcippjikoajpoabadpodje https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/old-reddit-redirec...
    - mcpackieh 3y ago
      This is even worse. You can't trust either Mozilla or Google to vet the extensions they publish for spyware. So you have to trust and/or verify that this extension does what it says and no more. But worse, you have to vigilantly watch the extension for any changes, even if you trust the developer today he may sell it to a spyware company at any time.
      - RadiozRadioz 3y ago
        This is an open source extension, as stated in the description on both pages. The repository is linked in both, feel free to build it from source and install it locally. You don't even need these extensions, you can set up a redirect rule in uBlock Origin (if you trust that). I sent these extensions to remedy the stated need to manually rewrite the URL, I did not say that using these extensions is a better solution than Reddit turning off the Fuck You pattern.
        mcpackieh 3y ago
        To install an extension locally in Firefox you have to be using a special build or jump through other hoops. All of this goes back to the point; that Reddit is employing the "fuck you" pattern when they force you to jump through such hoops to use the version of their website that actually works.
shagie 3y ago
That has the feel of hitting some regulatory issues (e.g. Utah's law) and/or having difficulty with porn in the App Store and the content rating of the app there.
- breakingcups 3y ago
  Nah, you don't need to confirm anything except indicate you want to see NSFW content, just like you used to be able to in the website itself. It's just a dark pattern to convert porn viewers to the app.
- duskwuff 3y ago
  No, if it isn't NSFW content the message just changes to something along the lines of "This content hasn't been reviewed and may not be appropriate...". It's an excuse to force users to download the app, not an implementation of a legal requirement.
Anunayj 3y ago
I noticed this too! The reddit webapp on mobile was pretty much unusable before and would constantly ask me to download the app. Accidentally visited it a few days ago and was surprised it didn't happen.
rrobukef 3y ago
If you open any post with a lot of comments and you want to load more comments you must create an account - no option to disable. They really want to smother all mobile but the app.
- fariszr 3y ago
  That's why you use libreddit instead of the official Reddit site https://github.com/libreddit/libreddit https://github.com/libreddit/libreddit
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]

kobalsky 3y ago

instagram is a step above though. sometimes they ask you to login to replay a video.

ativzzz 3y ago

They probably have an internal KPI of increasing the number of mobile installs, and these patterns probably work to increase that number

electrondood 3y ago

Forcing you to download the app for any sub marked NSFW, whereas you previously only had to click to confirm your age, is bullshit. I'm well aware that the reason you want me to download your app has nothing at all to do with the reason you're claiming, and as a user it just pisses me off.

cellularmitosis 3y ago
What is that reason? (someone driving metrics to get a promotion?)
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

matthewwolfe 3y ago

My favorite part of Reddit mobile on iOS is that when it prompts you to view in app, it redirects to the App Store, even though I have the app installed! Then when I open the app it doesn’t preserve the page I was trying to get to. So it doesn’t even work!

jokoon 3y ago

This is the well known strategy of squeezing a lemon. It's very profitable, and it's more profitable the more you destroy the lemon.

XCSme 3y ago

I decided to uninstall Reddit from my phone. I'm still reaching their website through my browser, read the content (replace URL with old.reddit.com), and if it still doesn't work I decide that the content is not worth the time.