If you love Reddit and use a third-party app to explore “the front page of the internet,” we have some bad news. The social media site is about to kill free API access for third-party apps, which will likely transition them into a paid subscription model.
Many third-party (unofficial) Reddit apps add additional features, change the interface on mobile to match what you see on a PC, or even help eliminate all those ads. Some apps include Sync, Relay, Boost, or RIF (Reddit is fun,) to name a few.
However, many of those apps offer paid features, which take cash out of Reddit’s pocket. Now, Reddit is looking to make major changes to how developers access its API, the terms, developer terms, and even ads APIs, which could spell trouble for app developers.
According to a Reddit post by Christian Selig, the developer of a popular Reddit app called Apollo, these changes will allow apps to access Reddit still, but they’ll have to pay for it. Essentially, it sounds like Reddit will begin charging developers to access the platform. As a result, app developers will likely pass that cost down to their users.
However, it’s important to note that the amount charged depends on each app’s usage and other metrics, so we’re not entirely sure how this will play out with the vast selection of apps currently available. On the plus side, this could give third-party devs access to more of the platform’s features, which could be a good thing for the many apps available. Either way, we’ll have to wait and see.
via 9to5Google
