On April 24, Reddit announced it is introducing a new, “conversation-first” approach to its mobile app on iOS and Android by prioritizing comments.
One way the app is doing this is through “instant comment loading,” which allegedly has faster load times. When a Redditor clicks on the comments button on a post, they will be able to navigate directly to the top of the comments, which, as Reddit puts it, makes it easier to get into “the heart of the discussion.”
Another way the app is pivoting is by including a direct shortcut to conversations. This means that when a Reddit user taps on a post’s comments button, they’ll go directly to a pop-up of the comments section instead of having to click into a post first to reach the comments.
Reddit is also implementing “consistent conversation patterns across post types.” It aims to achieve this goal in three ways: a “unified” media player, more “immersive transitions,” and more “consistent gestures.” To see conversations and comments, users can swipe up. For new content, users should swipe left.
What did Reddit say about these changes?
“Conversations are at the heart of Reddit and what sets us apart from the rest of the internet,” the app said in a press release. “It’s through posts and comments that redditors engage with each other and their communities.”
These new changes, the app added, are “all aimed at removing hurdles and reducing friction points.”
The platform also made it clear that it worked closely with Reddit’s “user feedback collective” to make these changes.
Some Redditors tested early versions of these features and gave feedback to the company, meaning that they “heard what worked … made changes based on what didn’t, and the final product is a direct result of community collaboration.”
