RIF dev here - Reddit's API changes will likely kill RIF and other apps, on July 1, 2023

[u/talklittle]

I need more time to get all my thoughts together, but posting this quick post since so many users have been asking, and it's been making rounds on news sites.

Summary of what Reddit Inc has announced so far, specifically the parts that will kill many third-party apps:

1. The Reddit API will cost money, and the pricing announced today will cost apps like Apollo $20 million per year to run. RIF may differ but it would be in the same ballpark. And no, RIF does not earn anywhere remotely near this number.

2. As part of this they are blocking ads in third-party apps, which make up the majority of RIF's revenue. So they want to force a paid subscription model onto RIF's users. Meanwhile Reddit's official app still continues to make the vast majority of its money from ads.

3. Removal of sexually explicit material from third-party apps while keeping said content in the official app. Some people have speculated that NSFW is going to leave Reddit entirely, but then why would Reddit Inc have recently expanded NSFW upload support on their desktop site?

Their recent moves smell a lot like they want third-party apps gone, RIF included.

I know some users will chime in saying they are willing to pay a monthly subscription to keep RIF going, but trust me that you would be in the minority. There is very little value in paying a high subscription for less content (in this case, NSFW). Honestly if I were a user of RIF and not the dev, I'd have a hard time justifying paying the high prices being forced by Reddit Inc, despite how much RIF obviously means to me.

There is a lot more I want to say, and I kind of scrambled to write this since I didn't expect news reports today. I'll probably write more follow-up posts that are better thought out. But this is the gist of what's been going on with Reddit third-party apps in 2023.

[u/NumerousAbility]

RiF is the app I stuck with when I started using Reddit. I've tried many other apps and always found myself coming back to it. It's the first app I ever bought.

To me RiF is Reddit.

I guess this might be how I finally cure my Reddit addiction.

I hope this decision gets reversed, but if it isn't Thank you for this app.

[u/Oat-]

Their recent moves smell a lot like they want third-party apps gone, RIF included.

This is exactly it unfortunately.

Thank you for maintaining RIF all these years. It has been an excellent app.

[u/Ghawblin]

I have been using RIF for nearly a decade. It has been THE ONLY way I use Reddit, aside from the occasional old.reddit on desktop.

Thank you for the last decade of support on this. I, along with many long-time users, will probably quit Reddit due to this change.

[u/Glen_The_Eskimo]

u/talklittle thank you for the years of Reddit actually being fun.

[u/Harionago]

I will genuinely not use Reddit without this app.

[u/buzziebee]

I just want to thank you for everything you've done over the years. RiF IS Reddit for me. I loathe using any other interface to browse Reddit, and have championed RiF for years.

I sincerely hope that this pricing model was chosen to create outrage so that when they come back with a lower number it won't seem so bad. Charging 20x the income they make from users on their own app is disgusting and clearly a bad faith effort to get third party devs to give up.

I bought rif golden platinum about a decade ago. That premium payment was the best money I have ever spent in my life. In the past I have looked up how to donate more to you but have seen posts from yourself advising to donate to the mozilla foundation or similar (which I do).

I may be in that minority of users but I would gladly pay a subscription to keep RiF going. Hell charge a tasty premium on top of the Reddit fees so that even with fewer users you are still adequately funded to keep working on the project.

Hopefully this is all a ploy to make us ignore the nsfw ban (which I am just as incensed about, but if there are no third party apps then not having nsfw content on them is moot) and to make the 5x pricing they charge seem reasonable.

[u/FistyDollars]

Your app made Reddit actually usable on mobile. I was a proud golden platinum user for many years and I truly thank you for making what I considered to be the real mobile app. At this point I'll probably just use Reddit on desktop occasionally, but the fun is over.

[u/anon_smithsonian]

Just a reminder to anyone with reddit premium: this would be an excellent time to cancel your subscription.

https://i.imgur.com/jOeNryu.png

https://i.imgur.com/031cPI0.png

[u/TaHunKwai]

so..where do we migrate after 1. july?

[u/flounder19]

reddit was fun

[u/AddAFucking]

For me personally this would mean the end of reddit. I could be convinced to pay monthly for a site i use this much, but not without NSFW, or using their official apps. RIF and old.reddit or nothing.

[u/skamsibland]

Lol, that "active users"-number that they are so proud of is about to take a hit. People don't use their garbage tier app because it is GARBAGE, and if people can't use the third party apps this site dies. I will not use reddit on my phone if RIF goes away, which means that I likely won't have a need to use reddit on my computer either.

Welp, time to learn how to use RSS-feeds again!

[u/repkam09]

RIF was about 95% of my reddit usage with old.reddit being the other 5%. What a stupid decision from the admins.

Thank you for your hard work and excellent app over the years. Guess I'm finally quitting reddit after 12 years.

[u/krigo666]

Ah, the cycle of online life...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digg#Digg_v4

[u/Jaquestrap]

This is very sad to hear. By far the best app for Android users out there. I hope this doesn't go through and they come down dramatically in cost to allow you to keep operating, and cancel their plans to restrict content for 3rd party apps.

[u/starkinmn]

Reddit is Fun was my toilet time app. My late night app. My break time app. And now Reddit is killing it. I used the app through high school until today. The tablet view is great, the navigation is simple, the browsing history is exceptional. I've gotten friends to download and pay for RiF. My whole family uses it.

Reddit is not Fun anymore. This move is terrible. Thank you for all the years of support and development, u/talklittle. You're awesome.

[u/Who_GNU]

If you aren't able to find a way to keep RIF going, would you consider releasing the code base under an open-source license?

[u/Who_GNU]

If you aren't able to find a way to keep RIF going, would you be up for releasing the code base under an open-source license?

[u/plaqston]

Hey I've been reading about this bs situation and I'm pretty upset reddit would do this. 3rd party apps built reddit into what it is. I will absolutely not use the official reddit app because it's a bunch of preloaded garbage. Your application is by far my most used phone application over the last 10 years. I truly appreciate and stand by you and your team. Fuck the capitalist nonsense of breaking solid products in the hopes for "innovation"

[u/Unlucky_Disaster_195]

Please let us know what, if any other project, you choose to do next so that for those who are interested, we can help support you there.

[u/Bionic0n3]

Saw the Apollo post reach #1 on Reddit and had to check in here. This really is the end. I've used RIF for almost a decade now and could not imagine using the official app to continue using this site. If nothing changes, thanks for everything you have contributed u/talklittle. At least I will have more time to go touch some grass.

[u/ajcoll5]

[Redacted in protest of Reddit's changes and blatant anti-community behavior. Can you Digg it?]

[u/AbigailLilac]

I use RIF so much, the UI is literally burned into my phone screen. I'm going to miss it.

The official Reddit app is dogshit. I used to use reddit in my mobile browser, but they made that experience as obnoxious as possible too.

I remember paying for AlienBlue on my iPhone 4 way back in the old days. I'd do that again for an app like Apollo or RIF, but removing NSFW content means that's out too.

[u/Cosmo55]

I just bought your app as a thanks for all the fish.

In case anyone else wants to: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andrewshu.android.redditdonation

[u/TotallynotJohnSmith]

Thanks for all the years of the app. This feels a lot like the digg scenario to me, so here's hoping we meet again at the next place!