Reddit is Changing its App so that Comments Take Center Stage

According to the firm, Reddit is making changes to its iOS and Android mobile software to highlight comments.

Though they are minor, the adjustments result in comments becoming a more prominent part of the user interface. Users clicking on a post’s comment icon will now see comments load more quickly and open “instantaneously.” Users can skip the main post and go directly to the top remark by clicking the comments icon.

The text, picture, or video material will be compressed and pinned to the top of the screen as a “context bar” containing the original post. The user can see an enlarged image or return to the text of the original post by clicking on the thumbnail.

Additionally, the upgrade makes it easier for users to browse to comments, promoting uniformity among the various post formats (text, video, and photos). Regardless of the media type in the original post, users can now swipe left to navigate between new posts and swipe up to go directly to the comment section.

The changes show Reddit is attempting to promote greater interaction through comments in addition to reading and watching posts, but they may cause some context to be missed. To read the entire article without expanding the image, for instance, you may have developed the habit of clicking the comments symbol on an image post right away rather than clicking on the photo. However, doing so would cause the app to compress the image and caption and go directly to the comments. To put it another way, if someone clicks the comments icon out of habit or forgets to scroll up, this new feature could cause them to miss important details in a post.

The modifications were tested and developed with user feedback, according to Reddit.