The Reddit app on mobile devices often presents challenges. Users face many ads, slow video loading, and frequent recommendations for new communities. However, updates are on the way that will improve how users engage with posts and interact with one another.
Upcoming updates
The appearance of the Reddit app will stay mostly the same, but there will be improvements in user interaction with the interface. These updates will make it simpler to add comments on posts. Reddit is working on making comments load faster by starting to load them before users click on the post.
Users will have two ways to access posts. Clicking on the post title or its text preview will bring you to the beginning of the post. However, clicking on the comment icon will take you straight to the comments section. This allows you to quickly share your opinions, following a common practice on Reddit.
The latest major update from Reddit ensures a uniform experience for all types of posts. Swiping up will now always take you to the comments, and swiping left will move you to new content, regardless of the post type.
A preview of Reddit’s latest features
My likes and dislikes
I think I got lucky with the A/B testing because I’ve been using these new features on my phone for a week. I really like one of the updates that lets you return to the top of the original post using a sticky bar at the top of the screen. It’s very helpful when you’re lost in the comments and can’t remember the main post.
A major update has changed how users handle videos. Before, swiping up would show the next video. Now, with the new consistent gestures, swiping left will bring up the next video. If you swipe up, it will open the comments for the current video.
Handling image content now mirrors the new video interface, which can be more cumbersome than the previous design. When you tap an image in a post, it behaves like a video. Swiping left shows more images from that subreddit. It’s frustrating when swiping up to see comments makes the close button in the top-left vanish, and the image stays at the top of the screen.
To close the image, you need to swipe up on a small control just below it. To go back to your feed, you must either tap the image to see the close button again or press the back button twice. If you prefer the old way, tap on the post title or the comment icon, not the image.
After testing these updates for about a week, I’ve found they’re not completely negative. I’m still adapting to the new ways of using the app (this is only for mobile), and I’m unsure if Reddit has achieved its aim of simplifying the user experience without just adding different complications.
However, these updates aren’t deal-breakers in terms of the user interface. They are a slight change, not a major one. Yet, if these changes make you want to leave, consider these four other platforms similar to Reddit.
What we think?
I think the Reddit app updates will be mostly good. Making comments faster is great. I like that swiping up takes you to comments and leaves to new stuff.
But handling pictures seems tricky. If swiping up hides the close button, that could be annoying. Overall, these changes might help, but they could also make using the app a bit harder until we get used to them.
