Reddit signals changes ahead for old.reddit.com and third-party apps

Reddit has indicated that major changes are coming to its platform, with the classic Old Reddit interface facing an uncertain future. In a statement, the company said it does not have a concrete timeline but will coordinate with moderators, developers, and communities that rely on its systems, promising to keep them informed.

This follows comments from a Reddit employee in June, who said “we can’t promise it will be around forever” regarding Old Reddit. Earlier, CEO Steve Huffman had pledged to support the interface as long as people continued using it.

The announcement also builds on Reddit’s controversial API policy changes. The company previously fought unauthorized data scraping by filing lawsuits against companies such as Perplexity and Anthropic, blocking the Internet Archive, and limiting access for search engines without agreements. In 2023, Reddit introduced fees for API access, a move that led to the closure of most third-party Reddit apps. At the time, the stated goal was to prevent generative AI companies from using Reddit content to train large language models for free.

Now Reddit says it is restricting new API access requests and will require third-party apps to move to its Developer Platform. According to Reddit’s blog, the goal is to create an ecosystem where “all good, trusted automation on Reddit” can be supported and policed consistently. As The Verge reported, developers who want to build third-party Reddit mobile apps will still need to request API access, and no exact deadline has been set for the full migration. Reddit stated that the changes will apply to all API apps except those specifically granted exceptions.

The news comes amid Reddit’s ongoing efforts to control how its data is used. Advance Publications, the parent company of Ars Technica’s owner Condé Nast, holds the largest stake in Reddit.