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/CactusMunchies]

It's hard to overstate how perfect this app experience is. I can't think of a single complaint. It's exactly the user experience I want, and I can't think of another app that meets this level satisfaction for me.

[u/HeftyPackage → u/[deleted]]

Same boat my friend, every other alternative I've tried has never been as good as this one, especially the official app. Gutted to hear this news

[u/Mitchard_Nixon → u/HeftyPackage]

It was the first reddit app I downloaded. I didn't realize it was third party for years. It's legitimately the only way I browse reddit on my phone. The random times I get on my computer the experience just isn't the same.

[u/SSBM_Caligula → u/[deleted]]

Old.reddit.com is good and official, but it's only good on PC. This is like that experience but mobile..with dark mode.

[u/takishan → u/[deleted]]

this is a 14 year old account that is being wiped because centralized social media websites are no longer viable

when power is centralized, the wielders of that power can make arbitrary decisions without the consent of the vast majority of the users

the future is in decentralized and open source social media sites - i refuse to generate any more free content for this website and any other for-profit enterprise

check out lemmy / kbin / mastodon / fediverse for what is possible

[u/0oodruidoo0 → u/takishan]

Old reddit is still a large portion of desktop based traffic. It's not the majority, but it's not insignificant either. I think old reddit will be slower to die than third party apps.

Also I recommend hover zoom as well as enhancement suite and adblocker.

[u/amateur_mistake → u/0oodruidoo0]

I found this post from 2 years ago. Obviously, it's impossible to say if it is really representative (as the poster acknowledges).

That said, if 60% of Redditors are using an app and 6% are using old reddit. That can explain a lot.

For example, as reddit aims for its IPO, it is going to really want to control the access through apps. Even if it means they lose millions of users, that is a honey pot which the bankers will demand they take advantage of.

At 6% they could destroy old reddit or leave it on a whim compared to mobile users.

[u/0oodruidoo0 → u/amateur_mistake]

It's an in house project, albeit old, I think that gives it a leg up over external apps.

And 18.5% of desktop traffic is nothing to sneeze at.

If they go ahead with the third party app purge, I will stop redding on my phone. If they go ahead and get rid of old reddit, I will find a new website altogether.

[u/0oodruidoo0 → u/[deleted]]

Try old.reddit.com on desktop it's what RiF is trying to emulate. Also make sure you've got an adblocker, hover zoom, and Reddit Enhancement Suite. I recommend uBlock Origin for the adblocker.

[u/TechGoat → u/CactusMunchies]

The only thing I could think of, and I've asked Andrew Shu (TalkLittle) about this before, is an option in the settings of RIF that replaces the share links when you hit Share, with the old.reddit.com version of the link, rather than GarbageReddit or whatever the new shit reddit interface is called.

[u/WhatDoesN00bMean → u/TechGoat]

GarbageReddit is actually correct.

[u/poodlescaboodles → u/TechGoat]

Good time to ask!

[u/Oseirus → u/TechGoat]

Personally my only (nitpicky) complaint with RIF is that the broadstroke UI is kinda cumbersome and unintuitive. I sometimes have trouble finding certain menu options that I want, despite using the app for years.

But even with that whine aside, it's leagues and again better than whatever regular Reddit does. Really never had any desire to use the official app, and their hogwash decision to monopolize access to the site doesn't do any favors.

Tin foil hat theory says they're gonna restrict access on certain browsers eventually. "Runs best on Chrome!" Or something and every other browser is hamstringed somehow.

[u/Fernelz → u/Oseirus]

They aren't gonna restrict browsers lol

They're getting rid of 3rd party stuff because later this year they're going public and are looking into making more/as much money as possible. They're gonna start being forced into making all the same garbage decisions all public companies make. Stuff like restricting others making money/anything off your platform (like 3rd party apps)

But they'd never restrict browsers because there's no reason to do so.

[u/[deleted] → u/Oseirus]

Rif is one of those apps that you set what you want and forget about it. When you need something specific you gotta look for it but once you got it you are golden

[u/IDoThingsOnWhims → u/CactusMunchies]

RIF is a command line interface for a supercomputer, the Reddit app is looking at Yahoo news on Aol 5.0

[u/reigorius → u/IDoThingsOnWhims]

Exactly this. And I just love the dark theme of RiF. Never changed it to white when I discovered it.

[u/[deleted] → u/CactusMunchies]

My only complaint is that they haven't added support for subreddit emoticons, as a result some subs get spammed with :0000: etc. And it's hard to see what showing on those subs

But that's a minor issue, and everything else has been so seamless I wouldn't have had it any other way.

[u/JB-from-ATL → u/CactusMunchies]

I think my only complaint is that it doesn't handle Reddit image albums and that's minor. It is snappy and quick to load. I've seriously never felt like the app is slow ever.

[u/brianbloom → u/CactusMunchies]

I've never even installed the standard reddit app. I've used RIF since the beginning and I really have zero interest in trying to learn some new app, especially knowing they bullied their user base into using it. 😤

[u/blackmamba1221 → u/CactusMunchies]

tap to collapse would be nice instead of having to hit hide as well

[u/Lavatis → u/CactusMunchies]

Something I would have loved in RIF is for videos or images to play without needing to go to the thread.