Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app or else not use Reddit

Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by hunterhod on Monday June 12, 2023 @08:57AM (#36292689)

So I actually worked at Reddit a few years ago and our “cohort” got to chat with Steve as a part of onboarding. I was super nervous and I guess I wanted to appear sharper than I actually was, so I asked Steve directly “why do you push users from mobile web to the app? That’s a pretty bad experience.”

Apparently there are metrics showing that mobile app users are “stickier” than web users, meaning they come back to the app more.

That was a long time ago though and my perspective on this probably isn’t relevant anymore.

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Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by jeltz on Monday June 12, 2023 @09:13AM (#36292884)

But third party app users are likely to be even more sticky. Doesn't that mean they should encourage everyone to install third party apps? No, this is just idiocy.

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Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by tezgon on Monday June 12, 2023 @11:33AM (#36295255)

Yes, but the third party apps don't allow Reddit to take in heaps of tracking data or run ads every 3 posts, so for the company's purpose they're useless

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Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by pixl97 on Monday June 12, 2023 @09:05AM (#36292797)

You can do push notifications to the app and gamify them opening up and reading again. FB was the masters of doing this.

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Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by jeltz on Monday June 12, 2023 @09:15AM (#36292915)

I have uninstalled several apps that I actually wanted to use due to trying to do this. I feel you probably increase engagement of the users who stay at the cost of scaring away a whole bunch of other users. I have for example uninstalled the FB app and only user their website.

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Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by paulmd on Monday June 12, 2023 @12:22PM (#36296057)

> I have for example uninstalled the FB app and only user their website.

Well, that is why Facebook and others are pushing to "allow alternative app stores" on iphone. Getting past the app-review process means the dark patterns and data mining can get way more noxious, and at that point they just do like reddit and kill the mobile experience. No, no phones allowed on the website, we have a native app for that.

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