Reddit experimenting with blocking mobile browsers

Jeez. The speed at which I've gone from "man it sucks that Apollo is shutting down but I still really enjoy Reddit and will suffer the first-party client" to "wow, Reddit is really trying to destroy their service and it's probably best I don't invest any more time there" is insane... going to draft up some thoughts and a probable farewell message for my frequented subs and followers there. End of an era.

It's one thing to test a new idea or a UX tweak or similar on a small portion of users - but just turning off a key way to access your service is so just so weird to me. How many of Reddit's decisions at this point are some version of, "hey, how angry do they get? What can we get away with?"

It's unbelievable how's user hostile all of these major site have become. I deleted my 11 year old Reddit account today and while it hurt a little it's important that we send a message and not use Reddit at least until they repeal this bullshit.

Dollar-store Elon Musk is going full "fuck you" to redditors.

Honestly this is so absurd it's funny. Peak business brain to think that people in 2023 are willing to download an app and register an account to simply access content.

"old.reddit.com isn't going anywhere"

-- a spez lie

I can honestly say since Twitter did this I’ve hardly ever used it

Reddit's unwavering stubbornness to continue spiraling is just plain sad. What a way to go.

Reddit is officially on a bankruptcy speedrun.

Between this and Twitter, I feel like "enshittification" is really the word of the past year. It's incredible to watch these massive social networks completely turn on their users in the name of profit.

Having already rather violently shot himself in both feet, spez has started aiming for his other body parts.

They already made the mobile site practically unusable by constantly reminding you to use the app. The mobile browsing experience was just terrible. They can just show the same adds in the mobile browser...

Steve saw Elon's work at twitter and thought, "Watch me. I can ruin a company faster."

They just keep digging

Honestly, mobile browing (even using old.reddit) has been garbage for years because they detect your mobile OS and constantly try to push their app on you. Click on link, do you want to open in mobile app? let me open the playstore for you. And then you also get limited comments. To see more comments open in mobile app... You could do a case study in how to alienate your customers into leaving your platform on just mobile browsing reddit.

They're really trying to speedrun killing their site lmao

Monetization at all costs it seems. They really want that IPO bag.

They're tearing it down one brick at a time!

My mobile is experimenting with not visiting reddit.

Not surprised. They need to milk every last drop of revenue from their users free content for the upcoming IPO.

I am not aware of Reddit experimenting with blocking mobile browsers. However, it's important to note that information and developments can change over time.

To get the most accurate and up-to-date information about Reddit's policies or any potential changes related to blocking mobile browsers, I recommend checking official Reddit announcements, news articles, or Reddit community discussions that might provide insights into any recent developments. Additionally, you can visit Reddit's official website or their support pages for any official statements regarding this matter.

This is both informative and unfortunate.

Are they legally allowed to just do that? Just shadow ban certain users temporarily for an 'experiment'?

If so... Why is that legally allowed??

Earlier today, I was reviewing some Lemmy information in Google, and one of the links was to Reddit. I didn't think anything of it, but I clicked and saw the message that's given to mobile users saying you have to view NSFW content in the Reddit app. Fine, I've got the garbage app installed already for situations just like this. I click the link, and it throws an error stating my third party app (Boost, in this case) must be uninstalled in order to open links in Reddit.

No it doesn't, Reddit. And why do you care what's installed on my phone?

It almost looks like Reddit is trying to commit suicide in the fastest possible way.

I still have an account there. But I will delete it the moment the Apollo goes dark.

They've already made the "new" reddit web view unusable for any sub marked NSFW. I feel sorry for the web devs at Reddit that spent all this time making a responsive site that works on mobile, then to be forced to artificially block access to push app usage.

Reddit speedrun to ruin their site

Of course they are, gotta make everyone use the shitty app to farm as much data as possible!

What were they thinking doing this experiment in the heat of the third-party app protest?? Are they trying to aim for their foot?

I hate when people use passive voice in these things. It's such a slimy way to try and avoid responsibility.

"We have blocked you from using a mobile browser." is the active voice. It includes a subject ("we") and a verb ("blocked"). It says that someone made a decision, executed that decision, and is responsible.

"It looks like ... ", " ... is currently unavailable" is so fucking weaselly and irresponsible. You are 100% a complete piece of shit if you ever say something like that. You are not responsible enough to handle a Wendy's drive-through order, let alone a large organization.

Fuel on the flames huh? Got to love their tactical timing with this. Let's piss everyone off in every possible way?

It's almost like Elon bought Reddit as well as Twitter the way this is going.

Some asshole at Deloitte is going to make a ton of money writing case studies about this.

Are they actively trying to make people stop using the site?

This... is dumb. Reddit gets traffic from people using it as a secondary search engine to get relevant answers.

Most people on the Internet view it from mobile. Reddit already makes their mobile experience genuinely awful despite this. Blocking it entirely?

The herding to their mobile app is so transparent (and DEFINITELY through stick, not carrot) I'm morbidly curious to see what horrible things they planning to put in their app that they know users will loathe, that requires their alternatives to be zero.

Their approach here seems inherently broken. People aren't going to use the app they don't want to use.

This happening in the middle of the API gate seems like a pretty dumb move, even for Reddit.

It's like they're trying to kill the platform

The more they push their shitty mobile app, the more people won't use it.

As if it wasn’t bad enough to ask if I want to use the default mobile app every time I go to a Reddit page on mobile. 😕

Damn they turning into quora

It's getting worse by the minute. I really really hope Lemmy usage picks up.

Damn now this is just next level bullshit. I thought that even if I can't use Infinity anymore I can still access reddit through a firefox mobile with adblock and privacy addons to make the ux somewhat bearable.

So..

Reddit finding ways to actively make things worse, while lemmy rapidly improves.

Wow..

The API issue was a huge nail into the coffin of the user experience at reddit. For sure, mobile site will disappear and then old.reddit.

Everything about this is utterly tone deaf, you can see it in u/spez answer in his AMA about how the company will continue to be profit driven until it’s profitable. Bro, this is not how you talk to your user base. Your actions, policies, and strategic outlook should be toward driving the user experience and your service so that it is profitable. Not degrading all things for grinding down every extra cent at the expense of your entire companies differentiators.

Fuck spez, fuck reddit.

Wow, they're really putting some effort into alienating their user base. What a shame.

TBH this is nothing new. They already randomly restrict you from viewing any type of nsfw content on the mobile browser version. It prompts you to download the app with no option to close the prompt.