Reddit gets TikTok-like videos – but has it missed the boat?

Reddit is the subsequent social platform to tackle video, with an replace to its iOS app that’s slowly rolling out to customers.

The standard web site has lately had some massive redesigns on each its desktop website and its cell apps on iOS and Android, making it simpler for customers to seek out and create content material in sure teams, or subreddits as they're known as.

If you’re a heavy Reddit consumer, you’ll probably be subscribed to many subreddits that revolve round sure subjects, and you may upvote, downvote and remark as you would like.

But many individuals are submitting videos to those subreddits, which is the place this characteristic is available in, making it simpler to scroll by means of the video with out having to manually go to every publish.

How do you employ the characteristic?

For customers on iOS, a video icon is slowly displaying up beside the search bar. You’ll be introduced with a rolling feed of video on the subreddit you’re presently viewing, which you'll swipe by means of, much like TikTok.

There’s additionally the possibility to observe video from all the subreddits you’re subscribed to, so you may maintain updated with what’s been submitted.

Reddit has mentioned by way of TechCrunch that the characteristic is rolling out to everybody in the coming months, but didn’t touch upon whether or not it would even be coming to Android in that timeframe.

Analysis: Another video characteristic, one other fad?

After years of social media platforms refining and introducing new options, video nonetheless appears to be the subsequent massive problem that firms wish to get proper in a bid to draw new customers.

With the rise of Stories that started in Instagram, and the rising reputation of TikTok with its rolling video feed of recommendation, memes and influencers, Reddit desires to see how it can broadcast video in a extra participating strategy to its customers.

Browsing by means of Reddit on the web has usually felt like utilizing a web site from the late 90s, with its shade scheme and format leaving loads to be desired. However, its up to date apps on each iOS and Android have been acquired properly, and Reddit appears to be conscious that these apps are actually a extra standard strategy to browse the web site than by way of a desktop browser on a PC or laptop computer.

With this newest effort, time will inform whether or not the characteristic will carry new customers to Reddit, but it’s encouraging to see this characteristic work so properly already, with out it being one more step into the Stories saga that Facebook, LinkedIn and others have been making an attempt to good.

Couple this with the means of this characteristic to compile the videos into one lengthy feed on all of your subscribed subreddits, and this could possibly be a characteristic that appeals to extra customers than some might imagine at current.