https://www.reddit.com/r/blog/comments/lb2p7a/a_new_video_player_updated_email_designs_mobile/
created by BurritoJusticeLeague on 02/02/2021 at 18:29 UTC
2189 upvotes, 144 top-level comments (showing 25)
​
Welcome back (or welcome for the first time) r/blog readers! Today we’re happy to share the beginning of one of our bigger initiatives, updates and iterations on features we’ve rolled out in previous posts, and new changes we haven’t shared with you yet.
Redditors have been asking for an improved native video experience on Reddit for some time, and yesterday in r/changelog we announced[1] the first of many efforts to make watching, sharing, and creating videos on Reddit an easy and enjoyable experience. Using the advanced performance of the Reddit live streaming (also known as the RPAN/Reddit Public Access Network) video player as a foundation, we’re building and testing a new video player and feed that allows you to view videos on demand in a full-screen experience.
Here’s what it looks like today:
1: https://www.reddit.com/r/changelog/comments/lactjo/an_update_on_reddit_video/
As we work on improving the new player, we’re asking redditors to help identify any UI or performance bugs and let us know what is and isn’t working for them. We ran an initial test last week, that we’ve turned off after we received early feedback from the community. With help from redditors’ in the test, we’ve already identified some good fixes (such as starting video in the player where you left off watching in the feed) that will be going out in the upcoming weeks, and gathered some great feedback (like that people don’t need to see the title or the right column of action items/buttons for the whole duration of the video) that we’ll be exploring options for.
After iterating on the design and improving/tuning the player performance more, we’ll be rolling out to 2% of users on iOS and Android to gather more feedback and continue to iterate in the weeks ahead. This is the first of many steps to make watching videos on Reddit a more enjoyable experience, and as we learn more and gather more feedback, we’ll be updating you on the progress and learnings along the way. To get more information and join in the conversation, head over to the r/changelog post[2] and let us know what you think.
2: https://www.reddit.com/r/changelog/comments/lactjo/an_update_on_reddit_video/
In our last roundup[3], we shared some of the things we’re doing to improve notifications, including the updated notifications inbox and settings. This week, we’ve got more updates on the design, functionality, and roll out—some of which are based on feedback you gave us last week.
3: https://www.reddit.com/r/blog/comments/l0uh11/updates_to_notifications_avatar_enhancements_a/
The notifications inbox and settings are rolling out to more people and on more platforms. Android logged in inbox rolled out to 5%, logged out inbox went from 30% to 60%.
If you’re using the notifications inbox on the web, now you can *Mark All As Read* just like iOS and Android can. (Thanks to those of you who called this one out.) Right now this is only rolled out to 5% to make sure everything’s working correctly, and we’ll be ramping up over the week.
When you subscribe to smaller communities that don’t have as many members (and thus have posts that may not get as many upvotes) it’s hard for them to compete for a space in your feed. To help them out, we’re running a test to feature them more often in notifications for the first one to two weeks. People in the test (and all redditors) will have the ability to visit their settings to lower the frequency of the notifications they receive from a specific community or turn them off altogether.
If you’re opted in to emails, you may have noticed that the emails you receive when you get a post or comment reply, username mention, or direct message have changed. Previously, we had some issues where people reported not getting emails for posts and comment replies, so we made some fixes on the backend to ensure things were triggering and being tracked correctly. And the frontend got an update too. Check out the new look:
In addition to the updates, we also added three new emails that we’re testing to let redditors know about new chat requests, upvotes on their posts and comments, and new followers. This is going out to 5% of redditors who have opted in to similar emails about their activity, and all of these are included in users’ email settings so they can pick and choose what they want to receive.
We know some mobile web users will never download the app. It’s just not for them. So instead of prompting them to download the app, we’re testing asking people to create an account and/or log in to view content instead. Right now this is being tested in select countries with five different variants.
Keep your eye out for new awards this week. In addition to the new *Sidevote* award, you’ll also find *Hehehehe* (when hehehe isn’t enough), *Heartbreak* (just in time for Valentine’s Day!)*, Calculating, Blow a Kiss,* and *Wait, What?* awards.
One of the goals for the year ahead is to make it easier to mod from mobile. Today, moderators on Android will be happy to know that they now have all the mobile settings that iOS mods have. Moderators can set their primary language, add and edit posts and user flair, and manage post types (including specific link types) from Android.
Here’s what’s up with the native apps:
iOS updates and fixes:
Android updates and fixes:
And that’s it for this week! We’ll be around to answer your questions and hear your thoughts.
Comment by graepphone at 02/02/2021 at 20:54 UTC*
237 upvotes, 5 direct replies
.
Comment by lowtoiletsitter at 02/02/2021 at 21:17 UTC
80 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I'm going to copy/paste from a previous comment to voice my displeasure in the usability of the new video player:
"I feel the same way. Here's the new flow:
• The video autoplays in my feed, and I finish watching it. • I click on the comments wondering what people have to say, but the video plays again • I have to find the comment button on the right hand side and click again, as the video plays in the background • The comments are half loaded on the screen, I have to swipe up the see full comments • They were also defaulted to new comments at the time I was being A/B tested. • The video also is unmuted when you click into it.
To go back to my feed is equally annoying:
• Swipe down the comments to go back to the video • Swipe right to go back to the feed
They're different actions/motions that get tiresome very quickly. Compare this to the old method of only swiping right to get back to where you were.
You have multiple actions with differing gestures, to get to the content you want to see (comments), versus the old simplicity of click and load comments/go back."
I think it would be nice to have an option if you wanted the new video player. Many videos are less than a minute, and the time to watch the video doesn't seem worth the effort to watch it because of so many actions to watch. I noticed the votes and awards went slightly down for posts when the video format changed. Not a great amount, but enough to affect views.
At the very least, don't enable the player for gifs. That wasn't thought out very well, but I understand the need to test it. Still...no gifs please
Comment by gnashersaurus at 02/02/2021 at 20:40 UTC
56 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Please revert the video player; the new one is awful. I hate having to tap a button to bring up the comments. I hate that the video continues playing in the background when I bring up the comments. I hate that the comments overlay is so small.
I just want to be able to scroll to the comments without a video being flashed in my face. I really don’t understand how anyone thought this was an improvement. It just screams, “we want our videos to be more like <product X>, UX be damned”
Comment by RXSarsaparilla at 02/02/2021 at 22:56 UTC
117 upvotes, 5 direct replies
Can we please block subreddits from appearing in the Popular feed? There are certain very popular subreddits that I have no interest in seeing all the time. Thanks.
Comment by Miserable_Fuck at 02/02/2021 at 18:35 UTC
156 upvotes, 3 direct replies
we’re testing asking people to create an account and/or log in to view content instead
is the content still viewable if they choose not to sign up?
Comment by KillerFrenchFries at 02/02/2021 at 18:38 UTC
353 upvotes, 9 direct replies
So when are you going to stop asking mobile web users to download the app?
Why do I ask?
Comment by [deleted] at 02/02/2021 at 19:10 UTC
255 upvotes, 7 direct replies
New video player sucks, I can’t stand having to open up a stupid tik tok style interface when all I wanted to was scrub though the video. Now if I so much as blink in the direction of a video post, it opens up and I can’t easily scrub through or look at comments. Total downgrade.
Comment by tom_fuckin_bombadil at 02/02/2021 at 22:22 UTC
40 upvotes, 2 direct replies
We know some mobile web users will never download the app. It’s just not for them. So instead of prompting them to download the app, we’re testing asking people to create an account and/or log in to view content instead. Right now this is being tested in select countries with five different variants.
Geez y’all really are getting desperate now. You guys aren’t even in hiding why you are pushing the mobile app so much and making the mobile browser site so horrible.
Comment by IMovedYourCheese at 02/02/2021 at 19:18 UTC*
38 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Can there please be an option to at least collapse all the awards together to not be so obtrusive? Scrolling the top comments on any post is a sparkly mess. Multiple rows of awards (sometimes longer than the comment itself), flashing backgrounds, thick multi-color borders, seizure-inducing animations. I just want to be able to read the actual text..
Comment by I_for_a_y at 02/02/2021 at 18:38 UTC
146 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Can we please delete messages from the inbox?
Comment by Trump4Guillotine at 02/02/2021 at 20:44 UTC
39 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Have you tried making the website less shitty instead of adding new, unecessary features?
Comment by TheBananaKing at 02/02/2021 at 21:37 UTC
37 upvotes, 0 direct replies
So instead of prompting them to download the app, we’re testing asking people to create an account and/or log in to view content instead.
We realized that intrusive dialogs and banners prompting something that people clearly don't want otherwise they would have done it is not only futile but also hostile and shitty UX, so we've stopped doing that and started bothering people with intrusive dialogs and banners prompting them to do something *else* they don't want to do either.
Comment by [deleted] at 02/02/2021 at 20:10 UTC
75 upvotes, 1 direct replies
When replying to a comment, my comment shows up at the top and not underneath the comment I responded to. I hope this gets fixed
Comment by [deleted] at 02/02/2021 at 18:47 UTC*
147 upvotes, 4 direct replies
[deleted]
Comment by Scruffleshuffle777 at 02/02/2021 at 18:55 UTC
176 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Can there be an update to include the option for subtitles on videos? I'm hard of hearing and need subtitles in order to know what is going on.
Comment by meowrawrmoo at 02/02/2021 at 20:33 UTC
55 upvotes, 2 direct replies
old.reddit.com **forever**
Comment by lonesentinel19 at 02/02/2021 at 18:37 UTC
50 upvotes, 3 direct replies
More awards, great.
Comment by Zweihart at 02/02/2021 at 18:34 UTC
220 upvotes, 9 direct replies
RES > Snippets > snippet:
.awardings-bar
{display: none !important}
applyTo: Everywhere
Bam, no more paid emoji spam.
Comment by eatingbeansincars2 at 02/02/2021 at 19:21 UTC
72 upvotes, 2 direct replies
What was so bad about the original video player that you felt the need to change it? I strongly dislike the new one; I see literally no benefits to it. Could we maybe have the option to choose which video player we want in settings or something?
Comment by picardiamexicana at 02/02/2021 at 19:13 UTC
108 upvotes, 5 direct replies
The newer player is still dogshit. How about you just let mobile web users browse how they want and leave them alone? We don’t need more awards. Who reads emails from Reddit?
Jesus Christ, these assbrains are completely out of touch with their community.
Comment by Gibraltars-Left-ass at 02/02/2021 at 18:51 UTC
162 upvotes, 7 direct replies
The new video player is a downgrade from the previous simplicity, it’s bad and you should feel bad. Revert the changes. I cannot stand being forced into a different interface just to watch a video.
Comment by WeaponizedKissing at 02/02/2021 at 20:48 UTC
37 upvotes, 1 direct replies
So instead of prompting them to download the app, we’re testing asking people to create an account and/or log in to view content instead.
This is the move that earns Reddit its spot in the history books alongside Digg.
Comment by [deleted] at 02/02/2021 at 19:33 UTC
49 upvotes, 1 direct replies
will gifs get a redesigned player as well?the gifs always lag and have general loading problems across all my devices.
Comment by drewthepirate at 03/02/2021 at 02:00 UTC
16 upvotes, 0 direct replies
we’re testing asking people to create an account and/or log in to view content
Is this gonna be agressive, like pinterest and instagram and twitter? I don't use any of those sites because every time i am linked to one and scroll for a second or two, it demands i create an account in order to continue browsing their site. And every time i say nah i'm good and close the tab.
Comment by Constantinthegreat at 02/02/2021 at 23:07 UTC
15 upvotes, 1 direct replies
2 things from top of my mind as old.reddit user
Videos don't play at all (v.reddit.com). They do play if I open in incognito as it directs to new reddit.
Could we still have dark mode on old theme?