this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2023
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As quoted from the linked post.

It looks like you’re part of one of our experiments. The logged-in mobile web experience is currently unavailable for a portion of users. To access the site you can log on via desktop, the mobile apps, or wait for the experiment to conclude.

This is separate from the API issue. This will actually BLOCK you from even viewing reddit on your phone without using the official app.

Archive.org link in case the post is removed.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230611224026/https://old.reddit.com/r/help/comments/135tly1/helpdid_reddit_just_destroy_mobile_browser_access/jim40zg/

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[–] shellsharks@fedia.io 109 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Jeez. The speed at which I've gone from "man it sucks that Apollo is shutting down but I still really enjoy Reddit and will suffer the first-party client" to "wow, Reddit is really trying to destroy their service and it's probably best I don't invest any more time there" is insane... going to draft up some thoughts and a probable farewell message for my frequented subs and followers there. End of an era.

[–] socsa@lemmy.ml 20 points 1 year ago

Stages of grief Speedrun any%

[–] Sintamo@beehaw.org 72 points 1 year ago (18 children)

It's one thing to test a new idea or a UX tweak or similar on a small portion of users - but just turning off a key way to access your service is so just so weird to me. How many of Reddit's decisions at this point are some version of, "hey, how angry do they get? What can we get away with?"

[–] overlordror@beehaw.org 40 points 1 year ago (3 children)

People need to understand that this is about tracking your eyeballs. Reddit viewed on a webpage does not provide the metadata they want. What metadata does the app provide? Things you wouldn't think about wanting as a human, but the aggregate is very valuable.

Stuff like how long did you watch that video Ad? Where did you click on screen and at what time? What content were you viewing and what course of action did you take to get there? Web viewing only shows the landing page you arrived on reddit from and the exit page that took you away from reddit. Performing these actions in the app provides metadata cookie crumbs like a trail of roach shit to every single thing you've done on reddit in micro activities.

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[–] MrGoodBright@beehaw.org 17 points 1 year ago (4 children)

It's so completely wild and backwards. Imagine your not a reddit user, but a search leads you to a reddit link, and you're on your phone. You see all this stuff about downloading the app instead, and you're just going to bail, never reading the post. If there was no friction, they may have converted a new user.

They act like everyone already uses reddit and the users are so addicted they'll put up with anything.

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[–] BreakNeckJim@sh.itjust.works 72 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's unbelievable how's user hostile all of these major site have become. I deleted my 11 year old Reddit account today and while it hurt a little it's important that we send a message and not use Reddit at least until they repeal this bullshit.

[–] NataliePortland@beehaw.org 45 points 1 year ago (9 children)

Same! I deleted my 10 year account. Kinda not even sad. It was going downhill for a while now. But hey I just created my own instance for gardeners called thegarden.land so now I have a new home to grow roots and thrive!

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[–] d4r1us_drk@beehaw.org 58 points 1 year ago (3 children)

This is both informative and unfortunate.

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[–] Sat@lemmy.world 52 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's getting worse by the minute. I really really hope Lemmy usage picks up.

[–] sgt_fridge@beehaw.org 31 points 1 year ago (23 children)

It seriously is. I've been on the site for all of 30 mins now and I am loving it so much more than reddit

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[–] BrooklynMan@lemmy.ml 45 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (6 children)

old.reddit.com isn't going anywhere

-- a spez lie

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[–] sparky@lemmy.pt 39 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Having already rather violently shot himself in both feet, spez has started aiming for his other body parts.

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[–] jayrod@lemmy.film 37 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Dollar-store Elon Musk is going full "fuck you" to reddit users.

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[–] flickertail@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Between this and Twitter, I feel like "enshittification" is really the word of the past year. It's incredible to watch these massive social networks completely turn on their users in the name of profit.

[–] buckykat@lemmy.fmhy.ml 18 points 1 year ago

They were always going to. The pre-enshittification stage of a modern capitalist website consists of burning VC money to collect users to later exploit.

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[–] WaffleFriends@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Unbelievable. Are they actively trying to get as many people as possible to leave their platform all together?

[–] Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 20 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Seems like it’s a race to become the most hated platform. Twitter started a bit earlier, but Reddit is catching up really well.

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[–] M_g@sh.itjust.works 27 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Honestly this is so absurd it's funny. Peak business brain to think that people in 2023 are willing to download an app and register an account to simply access content.

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[–] LlamaSutra@sh.itjust.works 25 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Elon and Donald taught everyone that when you start being a dick, double down on it.

Love how totally out of touch with human psychology these decision makers are.

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[–] AnatorRenator@programming.dev 24 points 1 year ago (4 children)

The more they push their shitty mobile app, the more people won't use it.

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[–] hyperfocus@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Their approach here seems inherently broken. People aren't going to use the app they don't want to use.

[–] overlordror@beehaw.org 27 points 1 year ago (5 children)

15-year reddit veteran here. Spez thinks us old-timers are freeloaders for continuing to prefer old.reddit and the third-party apps. The truth is, that site is dead and what Lemmy offers now is closer to that original vision than current reddit ever will be. Reddit is Dead. Long live Lemmy.

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[–] r3nder@beehaw.org 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Reddit's unwavering stubbornness to continue spiraling is just plain sad. What a way to go.

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[–] theDuesentrieb@feddit.de 23 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Damn now this is just next level bullshit. I thought that even if I can't use Infinity anymore I can still access reddit through a firefox mobile with adblock and privacy addons to make the ux somewhat bearable.

So..

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[–] yankeebobo@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] little_hoarse@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 year ago

Damn they turning into quora

[–] steakfries@lemmy.one 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I want to leave Reddit completely so bad. They're ruining such a good thing, I was a member for 13 years. I hope Lemmy kinda just naturally replaces it for me but I'm sure there's some stuff that's just the best to go to Reddit for, I hope that changes slowly and people start using Lemmy or something else. But hey im here and it feels pretty good. Feels kinda like when I found Reddit for the first time all those years ago. Hello everyone :)

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[–] hardypart@feddit.de 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wow, they're really putting some effort into alienating their user base. What a shame.

[–] sake@sopuli.xyz 19 points 1 year ago (7 children)

It's great news when the social media oligopoly shoots themselves in the foot.

So far I've tried:

  • Facebook = Diaspora
  • Irc = Matrix (Element)
  • Reddit = Lemmy
  • Twitter = Mastodon

Out of all the different federated solutions I've tried, I believe this one has the best chance to hit big. Diaspora didn't work because the network effect is too strong with Facebook. Same with Matrix and Mastodon. But reddit is pseudoanonymous platform, you are not here because of some specific people. It's actually somewhat a benefit when there are less people and you have more room for people to see the content you put out. And the quality of the discussion can be better when there are fewer people.

It's still likely that everyone will just go back to reddit but we have a good chance here. The Lemmy UI is actually better and more snappy for someone who has used old reddit all this time.

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[–] socsa@lemmy.ml 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Some asshole at Deloitte is going to make a ton of money writing case studies about this.

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[–] Master@beehaw.org 18 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Honestly, mobile browing (even using old.reddit) has been garbage for years because they detect your mobile OS and constantly try to push their app on you. Click on link, do you want to open in mobile app? let me open the playstore for you. And then you also get limited comments. To see more comments open in mobile app... You could do a case study in how to alienate your customers into leaving your platform on just mobile browsing reddit.

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[–] sweet@beehaw.org 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yikes this is so insane. I'm so sick of the ads and spyware laden apps. Once you look into that abyss it's hard to unsee it. It's uncomfortable to have every aspect of you monetized and viewed. It's unnatural man. I just started hardening my internet and device use this year.

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[–] nlm@beehaw.org 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Fuels on the flames huh? Got to love their tactical timing with this. Let's piss everyone off in every possible way?

It's almost like Elon bought Reddit as well as Twitter the way this is going.

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[–] FiskFisk33@lemmy.one 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

hahah thats ridiculous, removing the last thing that made it actually bearable on mobile, now of all times...

[–] AndreTelevise@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

this is a beginning of the end for reddit as we know it

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[–] cryball@sopuli.xyz 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

TBH this is nothing new. They already randomly restrict you from viewing any type of nsfw content on the mobile browser version. It prompts you to download the app with no option to close the prompt.

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[–] entropicshart@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

What a great time to get off Reddit

[–] dystop@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

ahahaha the reason I finally stopped using Yelp was because their mobile site would only load part of a review and would force redirect to their app if you tried to expand on any reviews. Rather than download the app or change user agent, I just gave up.

every website and their mother wants you to download their app nowadays.

[–] thoralf@discuss.tchncs.de 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It almost looks like Reddit is trying to commit suicide in the fastest possible way.

I still have an account there. But I will delete it the moment the Apollo goes dark.

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[–] crowscall@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

They're really trying to speedrun killing their site lmao

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