Reddit Blocks My Daily Mobile Visit: Here’s Why
▼ Summary
– The author was blocked from using Reddit on mobile web and presented with an overlay demanding they download the app, with no way to bypass it.
– The overlay offered no instructions for continuing on mobile web, only a button to get the app with promises of better search and personalized feeds.
– The block is part of a test by Reddit for a small subset of frequent logged-out mobile users, according to a company spokesperson.
– Reddit claims these users already know the site and that the app provides a better, more personalized experience.
– The practice of pushing users from mobile web to an app is also used by services like X and Instagram.
I’ve picked up a daily routine over the past few months, one I probably ought to reconsider. I regularly check a handful of subreddits to stay current on audio production gear and the latest developments in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But this weekend, I hit a wall. Reddit simply refused to let me visit the site from my mobile browser.
Out of nowhere, a new overlay appeared on my screen. It read, “Get the app to keep using Reddit.”
There was no option to skip, dismiss, or work around the message. No instructions or alternatives for sticking with the mobile web version were offered. What I did see was a big button urging me to download the app. If I tapped it, the overlay promised I’d be able to “search better” and “personalize your feed.” Frankly, neither of those features matters much to me.
This block struck me as odd. Reddit started as a website, and websites generally want traffic. Few companies actively turn visitors away.
That said, platforms like X and Instagram have long pushed users toward their apps, or at least toward logging in. Reddit appears to be following a similar playbook.
I asked the company for an explanation. A spokesperson told me, “We recently started running a test for a small subset of frequent logged-out mobile users that prompts them to download the app after visiting the site. These users are already familiar with Reddit and we’ve seen that the experience is much better for them in the app. The app offers a more personalized experience and users can more easily find communities that match their interests.”
(Source: Ars Technica)
