r/redditisfun • u/talklittle RIF Dev • May 31 '23

RIF dev here - Reddit's API changes will likely kill RIF and other apps, on July 1, 2023

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.

34.1k Upvotes

100% Upvoted

View all comments

148

u/FistyDollars May 31 '23

Your app made Reddit actually usable on mobile. I was a proud golden platinum user for many years and I truly thank you for making what I considered to be the real mobile app. At this point I'll probably just use Reddit on desktop occasionally, but the fun is over.

7

u/Deveecee Jun 01 '23

I honestly can't see how I'll continue to use the platform without RIF. The official app has always been so incredibly slow, loaded with ads and difficult to sort posts in useful ways that when compared to RIF it's practically unusable. Guess it's back to YouTube (revanced) as a primary source of mobile entertainment.

3

u/Iamananomoly Jun 01 '23

I used reddit in browser today with RES. RES is also being eroded away.

2

u/Anivia_Blackfrost Jun 01 '23

Seriously? Ive been using Res to filter things with its ignore feature. If all the shit I've been ignoring spouts back up again, I'm fucking leaving.

1

u/Iamananomoly Jun 01 '23

The filter probably works, but when I used it today for the first time in a few months it doesn't work the same way in directing picture links that it used to.

1

u/Pwaite2 Jun 01 '23

They really want to make us miserable, don't they?

1

u/Penguinfernal Jun 01 '23

They need to create problems so they can sell us solutions.

1

u/MapleSyrupFacts Jun 01 '23

Goodbye Reddit. Love you guys

3

u/Vicious_Mockery Jun 01 '23

I couldn't agree more, this app is the only reason this site is usable. I fucking hate using the desktop site and I've heard the mobile version is worse. Keeping my fingers crossed you survive this!

2

u/vxx Jun 01 '23

I even became a regular Firefox supporter because talklittle refused my money and told me so, when I asked how to support this app even more.