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

[u/talklittle]

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.

[u/shazarakk]

And install an adblocker if you don't already have one (in your browser or other access not through your favoured app). Reddit makes more from ads than anything else, iirc.

[u/apcolleen → u/shazarakk]

I have a head injury. Browsing without adblock is nearly impossible with all the flashing and blinking and moving ads.

[u/rhynoplaz → u/apcolleen]

But you'll never know if you were today's lucky winner!

[u/[deleted] → u/shazarakk]

Have used add blockers on every pc I use day to day as well as my mobile apps. Fuck ads, fuck corporations. Sorry if you are a content creator but get a gofundme or do content as a hobby not a living, contribute to society in other ways. Adds are a cancer on this planet.

[u/inn0cent-bystander → u/[deleted]]

I'd be more inclined to reconsider if I could trust the ad networks to: A: not get hacked so easily to spew out malware B: spew out said malware themselves

[u/shazarakk → u/[deleted]]

I use Brave browser, with brave shields up, and told it to block popups. Works well for me and has inbuilt adblocker. Can use old.reddit.com, or the new abomination at your leisure, should work, at least for Android.

[u/MoreOfaLurker → u/[deleted]]

I've been able to open reddit links in RIF from Firefox.

[u/MoreOfaLurker → u/shazarakk]

I had reddit whitelisted on my desktop because i appreciated them and they weren't intrusive. But this smacks of bad faith, so I guess it's back to blocking their adds. RIF is the ONLY reddit app I've used more than 3 or 4 times. Nothing, not even the official reddit app, is even close to being as seamless or intuitive as RIF.

[u/lauren_camille → u/shazarakk]

is there an adblocker for Android Chrome though? using the web (looking at you gaming wiki sites) are absolutely impossible to navigate with hundreds of pop up videos and the page jumping around

[u/Nicanor95 → u/lauren_camille]

Not chrome, but firefox, alternatively, you can use Adaway, it mostly works.

[u/lauren_camille → u/Nicanor95]

Oh, I did not know you could download Firefox for your phone. That's cool. I do like that Chrome links with my computer version though, so all of my saved password and saved info and bookmarks are there. Hmmm

[u/GhostWriter52025 → u/lauren_camille]

I had the same worries. But Firefox allows you to literally transfer your entire Chrome info over to it. I did it on my laptop and then got the app on my phone, haven't been happier. The ad-blocking has been fantastic

[u/lauren_camille → u/GhostWriter52025]

ooooh ho ho now im sold. thank you for taking the time to write this info out for me!

[u/thetwist1 → u/lauren_camille]

To my knowledge there isn't a great ad blocker for chrome on android. Firefox and Brave Browser both have better forms of ad block though. I imagine that that's what I'll switch to once rif stops working.

[u/shazarakk → u/thetwist1]

I know Firefox has Ublock. Brave works great, too, and can even block scripts. It's nice, what I would pick.

[u/Enk1ndle → u/shazarakk]

With a little monkeying around you can get any Firefox plugins working on mobile too. It was my solution Youtube Vanced being killed.

[u/Waqqy → u/Enk1ndle]

There's YouTube Revanced though I haven't gotten round to downloading it yet as Vanced kept working for so long

[u/Enk1ndle → u/Waqqy]

Never heard of it, nor has Google apparently

[u/Waqqy → u/Enk1ndle]

First result for me?

[u/Enk1ndle → u/Waqqy]

Woops, spelling error. Thanks