Home News Shutdown of Apollo and Other Renowned Third-Party Reddit Applications

Shutdown of Apollo and Other Renowned Third-Party Reddit Applications

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Third-party Reddit apps shutdown

Various well-liked third-party Reddit applications have ceased operations, with a handful deciding to implement user fees for access in response to Reddit’s new API regulations. Christian Selig, the founder of Apollo, said farewell in a detailed post after Reddit prematurely terminated Apollo’s access to the site’s content. Selig previously disclosed that maintaining Apollo under the new rules would require $20 million annually, a cost he cannot cover with the current revenue from the app’s subscriptions. Therefore, he announced in early June that Apollo would stop running by month-end.

BaconReader, another favored Reddit application, has also been discontinued. Users who open the app now encounter a message expressing gratitude and clarifying that the app’s termination is due to “Reddit API changes.” Sync for Reddit faces a similar scenario, having already informed its users about its shutdown. Nonetheless, two third-party clients will continue operating but will implement user charges to offset the cost of API access.

Relay for Reddit disclosed its plans to transition to a subscription model in the forthcoming weeks, with the developer assuring an attempt to maintain the lowest feasible price point, likely aiming to keep subscription prices economical. Now for Reddit, in a similar vein, announced the introduction of subscriptions to finance API access costs, although the timeline for this rollout remains unspecified.

Back in April, Reddit declared its intent to begin charging firms for API access starting July 1st, primarily to monetize the data used in training comprehensive language models for generative AI. “The Reddit corpus of data is really valuable,” stated Reddit CEO Steve Huffman in a New York Times interview. “But we don’t need to give all of that value to some of the largest companies in the world for free.” However, this alteration impacts third-party clients too, leading communities to protest by turning private in mid-June.

While most of the participating subreddits have returned, a few of the most popular ones permitted explicit posts temporarily to financially impact Reddit, as advertisers are unable to target NSFW communities. As for the subreddits that remain closed, Reddit administrators have allegedly issued threats of removal unless they reopen this weekend.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Third-party Reddit apps shutdown

Why have Apollo and other popular third-party Reddit apps shut down?

They have ceased operation due to Reddit’s new API rules. The implementation of these rules would result in significantly increased operational costs, making it financially unfeasible for these apps to continue.

What will happen to the remaining third-party Reddit apps?

Some third-party Reddit apps, such as Relay for Reddit and Now for Reddit, will continue operating but will transition to a subscription model to afford the costs of API access.

Why is Reddit charging for API access?

The company announced that it would start charging for API access to monetize the data used in training comprehensive language models for generative AI. This decision affects not only large companies but also third-party clients.

How did the Reddit community react to these changes?

Many Reddit communities staged protests by turning private in mid-June. Some popular subreddits allowed explicit posts to financially impact Reddit, as advertisers can’t target NSFW communities.

What will happen to the subreddits that remain closed after the protests?

Reddit’s administrators have threatened to remove them if they do not reopen by the weekend.

More about Third-party Reddit apps shutdown

  • [Apollo and Reddit API changes]
  • [The impact of Reddit’s new API fees on third-party applications]
  • [Transition to subscription models for third-party Reddit apps]
  • [Reddit communities’ response to API changes]
  • [The future of closed subreddits after protests]

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5 comments

HappyRedditor July 1, 2023 - 3:54 pm

Anyone knows good alternatives? Preferably free ones…$$ is a bit tight these days

Reply
BringBackBaconReader July 1, 2023 - 6:15 pm

baconReader was my fav app! 🙁 why does everything good have to end?

Reply
TechFan89 July 2, 2023 - 3:11 am

can’t believe Apollo’s gone! man, these new API rules are ruining everything, ain’t they?

Reply
SociableSquirrel July 2, 2023 - 8:01 am

Reddit admins threatening to remove closed subs, oof… this whole thing’s turning into a mess. someone’s got to step up and fix things, and fast!

Reply
IAmDataScientist July 2, 2023 - 11:11 am

Charging for data access seems fair, considering its value. But, the small players are hit hard. isn’t there a better solution?

Reply

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