Reddit is making a major change to how users browse the platform, introducing separate “For You” and “Following” feeds to make it easier to discover new communities while keeping up with the ones they’ve already joined.
The update replaces Reddit’s existing main feed, which currently mixes recommended posts with content from subscribed subreddits. Instead, the new For You feed will focus on personalised recommendations, while Following will show posts from communities users have chosen to follow.
It’s a familiar approach already used by platforms like TikTok and Instagram, but Reddit is putting its own spin on it by focusing on community discussions rather than individual creators.
According to the company’s official announcement, the aim is to help users discover relevant conversations and communities they might otherwise miss.
The app will initially open to the For You feed, although Reddit won’t force users to stick with it. Once you’ve switched between the two, the app will remember your last-used feed and open there the next time you launch it. That should make the change a little easier for those who prefer seeing posts from communities they’re already part of.
Judging by the reactions on Reddit, though, plenty of users would rather keep control of their feeds in the first place. One commenter, whose response received more than 400 upvotes, wrote: “I dislike the For You feed. I prefer to choose what I see.”
Others raised concerns about the quality of recommended posts. One user said their previously curated feed had started showing divisive political content and rage bait unrelated to their interests, while another complained that blocking unwanted communities only seemed to bring similar recommendations into their feed.
For some, it’s another reason to reconsider using the platform altogether. One commenter said they were close to abandoning Reddit if the changes removed their ability to choose what appeared in their feed, while another said they were sticking with RSS feeds instead.
The redesign also fits into Reddit’s broader efforts to make the platform more appealing to casual users. CEO Steve Huffman has previously discussed making it easier for people to return to Reddit and discover interesting content, even when those discussions are several years old.
Reddit has also been experimenting with video and audio versions of popular posts, although it hasn’t introduced a full-screen, TikTok-style scrolling feed for that content. The company says it plans to continue testing new ways to navigate the app, alongside tools that will let users provide feedback on recommendations.
For regular Reddit users, the biggest difference will be having a dedicated place for recommendations and subscribed communities. Whether that separation makes browsing better will likely depend on how well Reddit respects users’ preferences, particularly those who have little interest in an algorithm deciding what they should see.