Ever for the reason that nice third-party Reddit shoppers purge of 2023, I’ve used my browser as my go-to Reddit shopper. However a few month in the past, I lastly tried the official Reddit app. By the seems of it, I’ll maintain utilizing it as a result of it presents a ton of options not obtainable on cellular and desktop browsers.
On the spot Notifications
Now, you possibly can allow e-mail notifications from Reddit, which work quite effectively, even in case you don’t use the official Reddit app. However when you begin utilizing the app, you possibly can turn Reddit notifications off and as an alternative use prompt app notifications which can be extra well timed than e-mail, don’t pollute your email inbox, and may notify you a few ton of occasions e-mail notifications can’t.
Whereas getting bombarded with notifications about each single factor you do on Reddit might be tiring, you possibly can solely allow alerts about stuff you care about. That’s an enormous plus, and the explanation why I turned off e-mail notifications and switched to app notifications.—after I disabled most of them, after all.
Sooner Efficiency
Whereas my Reddit expertise, performance-wise, isn’t that shabby when utilizing a desktop browser, the cellular shopping expertise leaves heaps to be desired. It’s sluggish and crammed with bugs—tapping on a picture in a feed takes me again to the start of stated feed not less than as soon as a day.
Opening footage and movies all the time takes an additional second that provides up over time. Feedback additionally take a second or two to load after you faucet on a put up and loading new posts when scrolling will get damaged fairly often. The general Reddit expertise on a cellular browser simply feels paltry at each step.
However, the official app, whereas additionally having some bugs and quirks, is miles higher in comparison with the cellular browser Reddit expertise. It’s blazing quick, posts are opened instantly, movies play with out hitching, new posts all the time load appropriately when scrolling, and picture galleries are a lot simpler to browse as a result of swiping left and proper simply works, not like in browsers the place solely each fifth swipe is registered.
Whereas I respect different options unique to the Reddit app listed on this textual content, a quicker efficiency that doesn’t embrace the aforementioned bug that takes me to the start of the feed, mixed with shopping picture galleries with the swipe gesture that truly works, was the tipping level that made me completely swap to the Reddit app.
You possibly can add photographs and GIFs to your Reddit feedback on a cellular browser, however the process is tremendous cumbersome. Firstly, you have to swap to the desktop website in your browser settings. Then it’s important to zoom in on the web page as a result of the Reddit desktop website is so zoomed out on telephones by default it’s unusable. Lastly, you possibly can faucet on the picture or GIF icon within the remark field now that you just truly see them, solely to search out out that tapping them does nothing 9 out of 10 occasions. It’s tremendous irritating.
In-app, nevertheless, if the subreddit permits photographs in feedback, a picture icon ought to watch for you within the remark field. Simply faucet it and add a picture to your remark. For GIFs, simply faucet the remark field, and you need to see a GIF icon proper subsequent to the picture. Straightforward as pie.
For some purpose, Reddit’s cellular website doesn’t embrace the search feedback field. You possibly can nonetheless comb through comments by activating the desktop website, however once more, that is removed from optimum since it’s important to zoom in and navigate the clunky desktop interface that isn’t designed for compact telephone screens.
The official app, nevertheless, has a search icon on the highest that dynamically adjusts the search relying on the place you’re. When you’re scrolling down a feed, tapping the search icon enables you to search the whole Reddit. When on a subreddit, tapping the icon switches to the subreddit search. Lastly, while you open a put up, activating the icon will search by feedback. Neat and intelligent.
Getting Notifications for Particular person Replies
When utilizing a browser to scroll Reddit, you don’t have the choice to get notified about particular person replies to a selected remark. The characteristic isn’t obtainable on cellular or desktop browsers.
The official Reddit app, then again, contains this characteristic. Simply faucet the three-dot menu situated on the left aspect below each remark and choose “Get Reply Notifications” to get notified about each reply to stated remark.
You possibly can block Reddit accounts, even subreddits, on desktop and cellular browsers, however to take action, it’s important to click on on an account you wish to block, go to its profile web page, then click on the three-dot menu, and solely then you definately’re served with the “block account” choice.
In-app, simply faucet the account or faucet the three-dot menu below any remark, and also you’ll instantly see the “Block Account” choice.
Including Customers to Customized Feeds
You possibly can create a customized Reddit feed each in a browser or the app. Nonetheless, including customers to your customized feeds is just obtainable within the app.
Sadly, not like the block choice, including customers to your customized feed isn’t obtainable proper after you faucet on a username. As an alternative, it’s important to faucet the “View Profile” button, faucet the three-dot menu button when you land on the profile web page, and solely then add stated consumer to your customized feed by tapping the “Add to Customized Feed” button.
Extra Feed Choices (Watch and Newest)
Reddit presents a strong variety of totally different feeds when utilizing a desktop or cellular browser, not less than for my style. There are Dwelling, Widespread, and r/all feeds, and it’s also possible to choose between various totally different sorting choices when scrolling down the r/all feed.
The official Reddit app presents much more customized feeds to select from.
Other than the feeds I’ve simply listed, it’s also possible to verify the “Watch” and the “Newest” feeds. The previous is type of a TikTok-like feed that solely exhibits video posts, with movies being auto-played, naturally. The latter is a group of recent posts from the subreddits you comply with, which is type of a Dwelling feed, solely sorted by new.
Gesture-Primarily based Feed Navigation
After I first opened the official Reddit app and tapped on a picture put up, I used to be greeted with an animation displaying I can navigate by feeds with gestures. Swiping left and proper takes me to the following and former put up, respectively, whereas swiping up pulls up the remark part. Whereas certainly cool to have a look at and use, because of snappy animations, the official Reddit app’s gesture navigation is type of a dud.
It’s as a result of the characteristic doesn’t supply a constant expertise. For instance, in case you faucet on a picture or a video, you’ll open it and be capable of summon feedback by swiping up. Swiping left, nevertheless, doesn’t open the following put up in your feed. As an alternative, it takes you to a unique picture/video put up from the identical subreddit, which is bizarre.
However in case you faucet the house above or beneath the picture/video of a picture or a video put up, the put up might be opened usually, with feedback displaying from the get-go, and swiping left and proper will take you to the following and former put up in your feed.
It is not likely usable in case you ask me. For starters, after I scroll down a feed, I’d prefer to see posts from that feed and never random posts from a subreddit the put up I tapped on was posted in. Additionally, shopping this manner is far slower than merely scrolling down a feed as a result of it’s important to verify each single put up as an alternative of merely scrolling previous people who don’t curiosity you.
Earlier than I began utilizing the official Reddit app I didn’t have a clue that Reddit achievements have been a factor.
So far as I do know, you possibly can earn Reddit achievements by being an energetic member of a subreddit e.g., by posting, commenting, voting, incomes Reddit karma, establishing consumer aptitude in subreddits that help them, and so forth.
When you earn your first achievement, you possibly can present it proper subsequent to your username and aptitude in your feedback. The catch is which you could solely see different customers’ achievements within the official app. They’re not seen on desktop or cellular browsers.
Have you ever additionally determined to change to the official Reddit app? Are you aware some other options unique to the app I missed itemizing right here? If that’s the case, be happy to share them within the remark part and let me know what you consider the in-app Reddit expertise. To be sincere, it isn’t good, however in comparison with perusing Reddit in cellular browsers, the app expertise is far snappier and dramatically much less buggy.
Source link
