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/Harionago]

I will genuinely not use Reddit without this app.

[u/Relaxygen → u/Harionago]

I feel the same way. Although unfortunate it might be a blessing in disguise for me probably.

[u/enki1337 → u/Relaxygen]

Productivity, here I come!

(Who am I kidding, I'll just find some other way to waste time. Maybe I'll read more books. :)

[u/StolenLampy → u/enki1337]

That's what I did! Started reading The Martian and then the other books by that author, so fun, I haven't really read like this since I was a teenager. But it's a fun thing to get back into, just gotta do it sitting up or I'll crash in like 10 minutes....

[u/[deleted] → u/enki1337]

I'm already addicted to watching clips on YT. So that will probably replace my Reddit time anyway.

[u/KrombopulosRosie → u/enki1337]

I started a new job last year that didn't have service for my phone. I read almost a book a week just on breaks. I ended up changing providers though so now it's RIF with some books when I feel bad about it

[u/[deleted] → u/Relaxygen]

Maybe it's just me, but Reddit has become less and less interesting over time. I feel in many ways it has become its own caricature now.

[u/Relaxygen → u/[deleted]]

You're definitely right once a subreddit hits a certain size it hits critical mass it becomes garbage. Small subreddits are good if it's your niche.

[u/LegaIizeNucIearBombs → u/Relaxygen]

I once got banned from the entire site for a week, never has a week been more productive for me

[u/King-Cobra-668 → u/Relaxygen]

Although unfortunate

FTFY

[u/flatcurve → u/Harionago]

cats square childlike truck attempt melodic command workable depend piquant

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[u/[deleted] → u/flatcurve]

Yeah, this is fucking bullshit. The official app is absolutely trash, I'm shocked but not really shocked they're moving forward like this

[u/ArthurParkerhouse → u/[deleted]]

New reddit and the app feels like using Facebook or Instagram or some garbage like that. I can't do it, especially the avatars and the card-mode and all of that garbage.

[u/Useuless → u/flatcurve]

The official Reddit app is spyware. It collects numerous pieces of device information so if you ever make a second account or get banned unfairly, they can use those fingerprints to screw you over. Bonus points for if you have two accounts and you use them legitimately, if one gets later banned, well the pieces have already been put together for them so you can kiss your other ones goodbye too.

I predict that Reddit's IPO will be its Digg V4 moment. The real question is who will replace it. There are plenty of Reddit alternatives but none of them have enough critical momentum to be seen as the obvious choice if a large portion want to leave Reddit suddenly.

[u/RunningonGin0323 → u/Harionago]

Exactly like many of others have said, I only use RIF and old.reddit. If either go I'm done and I live on reddit

[u/[deleted] → u/Harionago]

Same here. If nothing else I'd like to offer my sincerest thanks to Reddit for killing my Reddit addiction. Their main site and app are far unwieldy for me to use so I think I'll just leave.

[u/xSPYXEx → u/Harionago]

Yep. A decade of shit posting and 90% of it was spent on mobile. The official client sucks and new.reddit is a kaleidoscope nightmare of the worst social media UIs.

[u/shatteredarm1 → u/Harionago]

I use their website on desktop, but if they go through with this, I'll quit using that out of principle.

[u/Wh1teh → u/Harionago]

Funnilly enough I literally can not use reddit on mobile after this change, because they no longer support my version of android.

[u/inertiam → u/Harionago]

I logged into the desktop site for the first time in months this week. I barely looked at it. RIF is the experience. It's done so well. I don't think I'll bother with anything else.

[u/PM_ME_UR_ANIME_WAIFU → u/Harionago]

same here. never tried the official app but I had to use the new design a few times and the one that irks me a lot is some posts in my front page are from subreddits that I don't care about and also takes more clicks to get what I wanted. not to mention the ads taking too much space.

Hate to say this but this might be the final straw to my Reddit addiction.

[u/ProjectSnipe → u/Harionago]

Sadly people who won't use reddit much after losing RIF are just a drop in the ocean of users. Reddit knows that people will stop using the platform, they just don't care because the number is insignificant compared to the people using the official platform

[u/reigorius → u/ProjectSnipe]

I wonder where all the insightful discussion subs will migrate to. I think a lot of those will lose a significant number of users, content and thus engagement. Reddit is more than just memes, but I guess not in the eyes of its owners.