Reddit shifts toward a logged-in experience
Reddit plans to make a logged-in experience the main way people use its platform, responding to changes in how audiences find content online. The company says search referrals fell by more than one million per week on average in October, as AI-powered search increasingly answers queries without sending users to websites.
The shift could also help Reddit personalize feeds and recommendations, while giving advertisers more insight into users' interests. Reddit is also developing licensing agreements that allow AI companies to use its data.
In its third-quarter 2026 results, Reddit reported 130.3 million global daily active users, unchanged from the previous quarter. U.S. daily active users stood at 50.7 million. Revenue rose 53% year over year to $895 million, including $48 million from non-advertising sources such as data licensing.
Reddit says the transition will be gradual. It plans to test the approach in selected markets outside the U.S. in the fourth quarter, while maintaining access to a logged-out front page. The company also says logged-in use will not eliminate anonymity, and that its incognito browsing option is being rebuilt.
As platforms adapt to AI-driven search, Reddit's approach could help shape how online communities balance personalization, access and the open web.
