Reddit is Adding TikTok-Like Video Feed
Reddit, which is perhaps the starting point of some of the internet’s most viral content, is evolving its services and is separating its interface into the familiar text-based view and a new TikTok-like video feed.
While not everyone’s favorite interface, Reddit has been one of the best places to see content grow and spread online, including photos, videos, and personal stories. It appears the social media company is aware of some of the shortcomings of its design and is attempting to make changes to appeal to different users.
Last year, Reddit says that it shared its product development priorities publicly for the first time and this set of new features. The company says it “made good” on the promises therein by improving its posting experiences, launching a developer program, making comments searchable, and updating its moderator tools.
Now Reddit is making additional design improvements that it says support its core ethos of being the “de facto space for online communities.” To that end, it is trying to simplify and streamline how users interact with its many communities and support how users have different preferences for how they see content.
Mainly, Reddit is separating content for different types of users. For those who prefer a text-based interface, the current layout is sticking around but the company is also creating a wholly new system that borrows from TikTok for those who prefer to watch videos. The changes appear limited to the app and will bring a new tab in the upper left hand corner of the app near the menu “hamburger” icon.
When “Read” is selected, the app will optimize content “for people in a text browsing mood.” This version of the interface is most akin to what many Redditors probably already use and compresses the feed into a more readable format.
The most notable new addition, though, is “Watch,” an interface that is only video content that looks just like Instagram Reels or TikTok. Reddit describes it as “an option for video lovers to optimize their feed for video content.”
The social media company says it is also adding the ability to search within post comments (a welcome addition to what has been historically a terrible search system) as well as decluttering the main interface with the goal of making it easier for people to find relevant content and contribute to communities faster.
“We have an inspiring and enduring mission to bring community, belonging, and empowerment to the world, so we are doubling down on simplifying Reddit – with user satisfaction and international growth top of mind. This means making Reddit easier to use for everyone,” Pali Bhat, Chief Product Officer of Reddit, says.
“By focusing on the core tenets of Reddit, new and existing users coming to Reddit will be greeted by better experiences and options to discover new and interesting content and communities in uncluttered spaces.”
Image credits: Reddit
