Help…did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access, or am I missing a setting?
old.reddit.com
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...

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/

  • shellsharks@fedia.io
    6·
    2 years ago

    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.

  • sintamo@beehaw.org
    3·
    2 years ago

    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
      2·
      2 years ago

      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.

      • darkkite@lemmy.ml
        2·
        2 years ago

        I’m not sure. I’ve worked at companies using amplitude and hotjar that can record all click event and sessions on web

          • BitOneZero@beehaw.org
            2·
            2 years ago

            That’s probably a big part. Web browsers can do ad blocking. Within the official Reddit app that’s way more difficult.

  • BreakNeckJim@sh.itjust.works
    2·
    2 years ago

    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
      0·
      2 years ago

      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!

      • makeitso@lemmy.world
        1·
        2 years ago

        I’m pretty sure I’m going to delete my three year and ten year accounts and just walk away for good. Honestly I was a little sad all day today, because I have a few hobbies I’m really crazy about and the cooking, baking, gemstone, and gardening communities have felt like home for a long time…but just using lemmy for a tiny little bit, I’m actually really excited! I’m having a much simpler experience here that’s refreshing. I like the content I’m reading.

  • hddsx@lemmy.world
    2·
    2 years ago

    Steve saw Elon’s work at twitter and thought, “Watch me. I can ruin a company faster.”

  • Master@beehaw.org
    2·
    2 years ago

    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.

  • Sean-Thomas@beehaw.org
    2·
    2 years ago

    As if it wasn’t bad enough to ask if I want to use the default mobile app every time I go to a Reddit page on mobile. 😕

  • Manticore@beehaw.org
    1·
    2 years ago

    This… is dumb. Reddit gets traffic from people using it as a secondary search engine to get relevant answers.

    Most people on the Internet view it from mobile. Reddit already makes their mobile experience genuinely awful despite this. Blocking it entirely?

    The herding to their mobile app is so transparent (and DEFINITELY through stick, not carrot) I’m morbidly curious to see what horrible things they planning to put in their app that they know users will loathe, that requires their alternatives to be zero.