Reddit is making a big change to how users browse the platform, introducing separate “For You” and “Following” feeds to make it easier to discover new communities while sticking 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 personalized recommendations, while Following will feature posts from communities users have chosen to follow.
It’s a familiar approach already used by platforms like TikTok and Instagram, but Reddit puts its own spin on it by focusing on community discussions rather than individual creators.
According to the company’s official announcement, the goal is to help users discover relevant conversations and communities they might otherwise miss.
The app will initially open on the For You feed, although Reddit won’t force users to stick with it. If you’ve switched between the two, the app remembers your last used feed and opens there the next time you launch it. This should make the change a little easier for those who prefer to see posts from communities they are already a part of.
Judging by the reactions on Reddit, however, many users would like to retain control over their feeds anyway. One commenter, whose answer received more than 400 upvotes, wrote: “I don’t like the For You feed. I prefer to choose what I see.”
Others raised concerns about the quality of the recommended posts. One user said her previously curated feed started showing divisive political content and anger bait unrelated to her interests, while another complained that blocking unwanted communities only brought similar recommendations to her feed.
For some, it’s another reason to reconsider using the platform altogether. One commenter said they were close to giving up on Reddit if the changes removed their ability to choose what appears in their feed, while another said they would stick with RSS feeds instead.
The redesign also fits within Reddit’s broader efforts to make the platform more appealing to casual users. CEO Steve Huffman previously discussed making it easier for people to return to Reddit and discover interesting content, even though those discussions are several years old.
Reddit has also experimented with video and audio versions of popular posts, though 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, in addition to tools that allow users to provide feedback on recommendations.
For regular Reddit users, the biggest difference is having a dedicated place for recommendations and subscribed communities. Whether this separation makes browsing better probably depends on how well Reddit respects the preferences of users, especially those who have little interest in an algorithm deciding what to see.