The app will have a “following” tab to surface content from subreddits you’ve joined.
Reddit is changing up its main feed as it looks to emphasize more recommended content. The platform is splitting its feed into “for you,” which will surface algorithmic recommendations, and “following” which shows posts from subreddits you’ve joined.
The change makes Reddit’s central feed more like other mainstream social platforms. Up until now, the company has had one main feed that mixes in recommended posts alongside updates from subreddits you’ve joined. The new “for you” section will be more focused on allowing users to “discover relevant communities and conversations you might not otherwise come across,” the company said in an update. With the change, Reddit will initially open to the new “for you” feed, but it will default to whichever feed you were last using the next time you launch the app.
The company is likely hoping the move will boost users’ engagement with the platform. CEO Steve Huffman has said he wants to make it easier for casual users to come back to the service and that Reddit should find more ways to surface relevant posts, even if they are older. The company is also experimenting with video and audio versions of popular posts, some of which are from threads that are several years old.
So far, the company hasn’t put those posts into a full-screen scrollable TikTok-like feed. But in its blog post announcing the change, Reddit said that it would “continue experimenting with ways people can more intentionally explore Reddit,” including “new ways to navigate” the app. The company also said it’s working on ways for users to offer feedback on recommended content to make it easier to fine tune its suggestions.
