Reddit is moving in a direction that more platforms have taken before: pushing users toward the app. The company says this test is meant to see whether people who use Reddit without logging in can get a better experience through the app.
For users who prefer the open web, this kind of push is frustrating. Not everyone wants another app on their phone, and using blocking prompts to steer people toward the app is a heavy-handed way to promote a feature that is supposed to be in their best interest. In this case, clearing cookies in the browser restored access to the mobile website, and logging in may also be another way around the prompt.
Reaction from users has been largely negative. Many complaints have appeared across Reddit, including in r/bugs, r/help, and r/enshittification. A common complaint is that Reddit is a website, so it should not force people into the app.
At the same time, the app may offer some real advantages. Reddit says the app can provide a much better experience, and logged-in users can get more personalized feeds and stronger search features. For some people, that may be enough reason to switch.
Still, there is a broader concern here. The more a platform pushes people to log in, customize their feed, and spend more time on the service, the more it can become optimized for attention rather than usefulness. For users who already feel they spend too much time on Reddit, stronger nudges toward the app may have the opposite effect and make them want to leave instead.
