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Bulletins

Reddit is joining the real-time bandwagon

Refreshing your browser may become a thing of the past.

A Reddit app icon

Reddit users won't need to refresh the page to see new interactions.

Photo: Brett Jordan/Unsplash

Reddit is allowing users to see when others are typing, commenting and reading their posts in real time, the company announced Wednesday.

The real-time features include animations where users can see interactions like voting and commenting as they happen, as well as typing and reading indicators. The new features are aimed at making the service feel “lively and in-the-moment,” Reddit said in its announcement.

The features are available on Reddit’s iOS and Android apps, as well as its desktop site. The vote and comment count animation features are optional and can be turned off.

Reddit is the latest company hopping on the real-time bandwagon. Originating in messaging apps that displayed indicators when the other party was typing, real-time features are seen as a way to boost engagement and skip the tiresome need to refresh a browser or pull down an app page. Companies like Slack and Snapchat have long allowed users to see as-they-happen interactions on messages. Even music-streaming app Spotify launched a real-time lyrics feature in 2020, which it rolled out globally last month.

Nat Rubio-Licht

Nat Rubio-Licht is a Los Angeles-based news writer at Protocol. They graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in newspaper and online journalism in May 2020. Prior to joining the team, they worked at the Los Angeles Business Journal as a technology and aerospace reporter.

real-timeengagementsocial networking
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