Reddit Is Ending RSS Feeds: What Changes and What to Do -

Quick answer: Reddit will switch off RSS feeds on 13 November 2026, limit Old Reddit to logged-in users who’ve used it in the last six months, and end its public API in March 2027. If you read Reddit in an RSS app, on old.reddit.com or through a third-party app, you’ll need a plan before those dates. The official app and the main website aren’t affected.

Reddit announced the changes at the end of September 2026 in posts for moderators and developers. Its reason is AI scraping: the company says RSS has become “a common surface for large-scale scraping and automated abuse,” according to TechCrunch.

Here’s what’s changing, when, and what to do if you’re one of the people who’ll notice. For more platform changes, see our social media coverage.

What exactly is Reddit changing?

There are four separate changes, each with its own timing:

Change	When	Who notices
RSS feeds switched off	13 November 2026	Anyone following subreddits or users in a feed reader; moderators using RSS alerts
Old Reddit limited to recent users	“Coming months”	People who use old.reddit.com
Third-party apps and bots must register	12 January 2027	Users of unofficial apps, tools and bots
Public API ends	March 2027	Researchers, developers, social listening tools

The Next Web also reports that new API requests stop on 31 October 2026.

Why is Reddit removing RSS?

Reddit says the feeds are being misused by bots that copy content at scale, much of it to train AI systems. Reddit makes money licensing its content to AI companies, so free, easy-to-scrape copies cut into that. TechCrunch notes Reddit’s non-advertising “other revenue,” which includes those data deals, grew 24% year over year to $43 million in the second quarter of 2026.

Reddit did acknowledge the loss for ordinary users. “We know RSS has been a beloved part of the open web for a long time, and we’re grateful to everyone who used it to stay connected to Reddit,” the company said.

The Next Web reports there’s no replacement for regular users. Once the feeds stop, your reader will simply stop getting new Reddit posts.

What should RSS users do before 13 November?

If you follow subreddits in Feedly, Inoreader, NetNewsWire or any other reader, take a few minutes now:

List the Reddit feeds you follow. Most readers let you export your subscriptions as an OPML file. Keep a copy so you know which communities you were following.
Join those subreddits in your Reddit account. Your home feed in the app or website will then show their posts.
Use notifications for the few that matter. In the Reddit app, you can turn on alerts for a community you don’t want to miss.
Check where else the source posts. Many news and hobby communities mirror important posts on a website, newsletter or Discord server that still has its own feed.
Remove dead feeds after the cut-off so your reader doesn’t keep showing errors.

If you’re a moderator

Moderators lose a common way of getting alerts about new posts. Reddit is pointing them to Developer Platform (Devvit) apps instead, especially a Discord Relay app that sends community activity to a Discord channel, according to 9to5Mac. The Next Web also reports that new communities and those that never used AutoModerator will lose access to it, with Rules Hub and Automations becoming the default tools.

What happens to Old Reddit?

Old Reddit, the classic text-heavy design at old.reddit.com, isn’t being shut down yet, but it’s getting harder to reach. Reddit says it will “further limit access for logged-in users to only those who have used Old Reddit in the last 6 months,” per 9to5Mac. TechCrunch notes the window was previously 90 days. The Next Web says moderators will keep access too.

If you like Old Reddit, the practical advice is simple: log in and use it at least occasionally, so you stay within the six-month window. If you’re logged out, you’ve likely already been redirected to the new design.

Will third-party Reddit apps stop working?

Some might. Every third-party app and bot must register on Reddit’s Developer Platform by 12 January 2027 or lose access, TechCrunch reports. The free public API then ends in March 2027.

The Next Web reports more than 14,000 apps and bots have already registered, and that Reddit is offering $1,000 to each eligible app that completes the migration, from a $1 million fund. If you depend on an unofficial app, check its website or changelog for news about registration. If the developer is quiet by December, plan to switch to the official app.

What about researchers and businesses?

Researchers and social listening tools that pulled public data through the API will lose that route in March 2027. TechCrunch says AI products and other commercial users will need to negotiate paid data deals with Reddit after the shutdown. Small businesses that track brand mentions on Reddit through a monitoring service should ask that provider how it’ll handle the change.

Is this part of a bigger trend?

Yes. Platforms are closing the open doors that let outsiders read their content, largely because AI companies were walking through them. X sent cease-and-desist letters to Nitter and similar no-login mirrors, and by mid-September 2026 Nitter and XCancel had shut down again, TechCrunch reported. Reddit’s move follows the same logic: content is valuable, so it’ll be sold rather than given away.

For everyday users, the trade-off is convenience. The most flexible ways to read Reddit, through feeds, classic layouts and independent apps, are shrinking, and the official app is becoming the default way in.

If you mostly use social apps on your phone, you may also want to review your WhatsApp privacy and security settings while you’re tidying up your apps.

Frequently asked questions

Is Reddit shutting down RSS completely?

Yes. Reddit says RSS feeds will stop working on 13 November 2026, and The Next Web reports there’s no replacement for regular users. Moderators are being pointed to Devvit apps such as Discord Relay.

Will old.reddit.com stop working?

Not completely, for now. Over the coming months it will be limited to logged-in users who’ve used Old Reddit in the last six months, plus moderators, according to reports on Reddit’s announcement.

Does this affect the official Reddit app?

No. The changes target RSS feeds, Old Reddit access and the public API. The official app and the main reddit.com site keep working as before.

When does Reddit’s public API end?

TechCrunch reports public API access ends in March 2027. Third-party apps and bots must register on Reddit’s Developer Platform by 12 January 2027 to keep access.