Reddit announced platform updates today, including the testing of a TikTok-like feature that separates text and video content into separate feeds. The two split-view feeds, dubbed “Read” and “Watch,” will allow users to switch from browsing text-based posts to browsing videos, depending on their mood.
The new feeds are currently being tested, but will go live in the coming weeks, according to a Reddit spokesperson. As part of the test, both the “Read” and “Watch” feeds will include posts that users are subscribed to as well as recommendations, at least for now, the spokesperson added.
The update aims to simplify the discovery experience for Reddit users by allowing them to select the feed that they want to see (or read).
“By focusing on the core tenets of Reddit, new and existing users coming to Reddit will be greeted by better experiences and options to discover new and interesting content and communities in uncluttered spaces,” Pali Bhat, chief product officer of Reddit, said in an official statement.
To compete with TikTok, Reddit has incorporated video into its platform in a variety of ways over the last few years. In 2020, the company purchased Dubsmash, a short-form TikTok like video platform, to integrate it’s video creation tools into Reddit. Reddit’s iOS app received a TikTok-style video feed in August 2021.
The company confirmed last year that it was exploring the idea of bringing more user-generated video content to its online discussion forums as well as a feature that would allow users to react to other videos.
Many companies, including Amazon, SoundCloud, and Spotify, have videofied their apps and have been spotted testing vertical video feeds. Instagram and YouTube have both introduced TikTok-like features called “Reels” and “Shorts,” respectively. Snapchat’s “Spotlight” feature debuted in 2020.