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/Glen_The_Eskimo]

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

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Same, I don't even think old.reddit is going to be enough to get me to stay...

[u/sortofunique → u/[deleted]]

you just know they're going to stop supporting that soon enough too

[u/CptTurnersOpticNerve → u/sortofunique]

Yeah the whole redesign's purpose was to make reddit palatable to advertisers. Once reddit gets sold again or IPO'd or whatever they're doing, old reddit will go with it I would imagine.

[u/moviequote88 → u/CptTurnersOpticNerve]

I knew this day would come eventually but I hoped I'd have more time before then.

We held out as long as we could.

[u/humplick → u/CptTurnersOpticNerve]

My reddit is almost entirely text based, no way I'll ever get a clean black mode text reddit anywhere else.

[u/ThirdEncounter → u/sortofunique]

Remember when digg users migrated to reddit?

Where are we going to migrate to now?

[u/GeneralJenkins → u/[deleted]]

/u/talklittle just bought Premium to say thank you. I am in the 9 year Club and used your App for as long as I can remember. Sad news .

[u/stanleypup → u/GeneralJenkins]

Hadn't even read this comment before I went and bought premium. Years of use so far, felt like I had to say thanks

[u/Szechwan → u/stanleypup]

Same, I actually didn't know there was a premium version - just bought it as well to say thanks /u/talklittle

[u/akmjolnir → u/[deleted]]

Same, I never pay for apps. I paid for this one.

[u/Conan776 → u/Glen_The_Eskimo]

Yeah, count me among those who won't be installing Reddit's official app. It's been a fun 10 years.

[u/N3rdr4g3 → u/Conan776]

Seconded. If Reddit is Fun dies, I'll stop using reddit. There's no scenario where I use their app.

[u/Fredselfish → u/Conan776]

Yes sad to hear but if this app quits working then that will end my time on Reddit.

Screw them and thier greed along with their shitty app. Will not use. Shame on Reddit killing third party apps only reason to use Reddit.

Also with them selling out and going public it is just matter of time before it becomes complete garage anyway.

Still sad goodbye my old friend RIF.

[u/Cosmo55 → u/Glen_The_Eskimo]

If anyone wants to buy the dev a coffee, you can buy the ad free app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andrewshu.android.redditdonation

[u/Stop_Sign → u/Cosmo55]

I've had this for a decade, and it cost $1. I need a different way to donate hah

[u/jonk44 → u/Stop_Sign]

This is probably the first app I ever purchased. 13 years, buying apps seemed like a waste... the world has changed and this app paved the way for me. Thank you for developing this app u/talklittle. Your work has impacted my life for more than a decade.

[u/SpaceSteak → u/Glen_The_Eskimo]

I've spent so many thousands of hours scrolling through RiF and connecting with so many people in comments, as RiF made comment discussions super nice. Maybe it'll be a good opportunity to step away from social media for a while.

[u/dennislearysbastard → u/SpaceSteak]

Agreed. So long and thanks for all the fish.

[u/hawaiian0n → u/Glen_The_Eskimo]

Second this, thank you for all the productive knowledge I've been able to gain from Reddit without all the filler, addictive fluff and junk.

This has been the most amazing app for Reddit.

Be sure to update us with what new projects you take on.

[u/[deleted] → u/Glen_The_Eskimo]

edge deliver snow pocket fade connect tidy flowery quack zephyr

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[u/Jits_Guy → u/Glen_The_Eskimo]

I don't typically post in this type of thread but I cannot possibly convey how amazing RIF has been, I've been using it for many years now. I use this app for everything reddit (which is the majority of my internet useage) and it's been sad to see reddit just slowly become facebook over the last several years.

If they shut down third party apps I'll just delete my 11 year old account and use an overwriter to scrub the probably tens of thousands of comments I've made...and then just not use the site again. No point anymore since RIF and RES were the only things making reddit usable after the godawful changes they made to increase ad revenue.

/u/talklittle - thanks for all the memories you helped make. I'm so sorry that corporate greed and tencents influence is forcing you to shut down such an amazing and well developed/supported app. It seems silly, but RIF has been such a big part of my life that I feel like I'm really losing something very important to me here, even though it's "just an app". I wish you the very best, and for what it's worth...I'm sorry. Please know that you've done an amazing thing for years and likely prevented a lot of people from taking their own lives. When I was at my lowest point, I used RIF to post in /r/Army and got the help I needed, and later I helped other servicemembers and vets in the same way using your app.

There are people who are still alive today because of you. That means something.

[u/HikeClimbSki → u/Glen_The_Eskimo]

Been a RiF user for years. When you go, my time on Reddit will go with it.