Reddit has made another huge change in its iOS app icon. Some users think that the new trademark is ugly. To add insult to injury, the original icon is now hiding on the paywall and this forces Redditors to endure seeing the 8-bit icon which isn't widely received even by some experts.
Coupled with Reddit's recent API charging and strained relationship with its user base, concerns about the platform's financial stability are rising.
Reddit's iOS App Icon Redesign is a No-No For the Community
In an attempt to refresh its brand image, Reddit unveiled a revamped app icon with an 8-bit, retro video game-inspired design. The new icon features Reddit's signature Snoo alien within an orange circle, as per Gizmodo.
Unfortunately, the update has been widely criticized as one of the ugliest app icons ever seen, surpassing even Instagram's infamous Polaroid camera replacement.
wait Reddit changed its app icon to some ugly 8-bit pixel art and put the original icon behind the paywall pic.twitter.com/9EkDgYLmsI
— Benjamin Mayo (@bzamayo) July 18, 2023
The tacky 8-bit icon was spotted by Benjamin Mayo, an Apple blogger who described the new trademark as an "ugly 8-bit pixel art."
Premium Users Gain Icon Customization
While Reddit allows mobile users to change the app icon through settings, this privilege is restricted to Reddit Premium members. The premium subscription costs $6.99 per month. What's worse about this is that you can't use the previous icon and you have to pay first before you re-use it.
With this, speculations about the financial motivations of Reddit are surfacing online. Others believe that the face of the internet is preparing for an IPO.
Reddit's Strained Financial Situation
Reddit's financial troubles came to light when the platform announced charging companies for API access. With the actual cost initially undisclosed, Reddit later revealed its plan to charge $12,000 for 50 million API requests, sparking significant outrage among programmers. In response, many subreddit moderators protested by making their communities private temporarily.
Reddit's CEO, Steve Huffman, further fueled tensions with his antagonistic comments toward the user base. While the company claims the API charges aim to prevent AI data scraping, skeptics view it as an opportunistic revenue stream.
In an interview with The New York Times in April, Huffman said that it's now the time to "tighten things up" for everyone.
The controversial blackout on Reddit way back in June prompted several online communities to shut down in support of the protest.
Tech Times reported at that time that the outage was far from over since Huffman did not care about the potential removal of mods. Reddit might be considering changing its policies for it to take effect.
Removal of Chat History on Reddit
Recently, another report pointed out that Redditors also noticed that their chat and message histories from 2023 have disappeared in a blink of an eye.
Initially, the users were not happy about this change. Fortunately, there's a way to retrieve these precious messages on the platform.
To do this, users should submit an online platform about the particular messages they want to restore. Up to this date, no one knows how long the request will take, but it's still better than having no viable solution at all.
