Reddit to split its main feed into "for you" and "following" tabs
Social platform Reddit is dividing its main feed into an algorithm-driven "for you" tab and a "following" tab with posts from joined subreddits. The company is hoping to boost user engagement.
Reddit, the social platform built around topic-based communities known as subreddits, is changing its main feed in its app. The feed will be split into two tabs: "for you," which will show algorithmic recommendations, and "following," which will display posts from the subreddits a user has joined. The company announced the change in a blog post.
Until now, Reddit has had a single main feed that mixed recommended posts in with updates from joined communities. The new layout brings Reddit's central feed closer to those of other mainstream social platforms.
How it will work
According to the company, the "for you" section is intended to help users "discover relevant communities and conversations you might not otherwise come across." After the change, the app will initially open to the "for you" feed. On later launches, it will default to whichever feed the user was last using.
Possible motivation
The company is likely hoping the move will increase engagement. CEO Steve Huffman has said he wants to make it easier for casual users to return to the service and that Reddit should find more ways to surface relevant posts, even older ones.
Reddit is also experimenting with video and audio versions of popular posts, some drawn from threads that are several years old. So far, it has not placed such posts in a full-screen, scrollable, TikTok-style feed. In its blog post, however, Reddit said it would continue experimenting with ways people can more intentionally explore the platform, including new ways to navigate the app.
The company is also working on ways for users to give feedback on recommended content, which would help fine-tune the suggestions.
