Reddit CEO Steve Huffman confirms end of r/popular feed on the platform: What it means for users

reddit

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has confirmed that the platform is ending the r/popular feed as a default front-page experience, marking one of the biggest changes to Reddit’s user experience since 2017. The decision shifts the platform away from a single catch-all feed for new users and towards personalised recommendations tailored to each user’s interests.

Why Reddit is removing r/popular

According to Huffman, r/popular “sucks” and does not represent what is truly popular across Reddit. He explained that the feed largely reflects the preferences of Reddit’s most active users — not the broader community — creating a false impression of a unified Reddit culture.

Huffman added that Reddit has “outgrown a singular front page for everyone,” emphasising that every user engages with different communities and topics. As a result, Reddit will begin “moving away” from r/popular and introduce feeds that are more relevant, personalised and reflective of individual interests.

The company has already started testing the changes, with some users expected to see the new experience this week. While Huffman did not provide specifics about the replacement feeds, he indicated that Reddit is exploring improved filtering options, including a potential return of category-based news filters.

What happens to the r/popular feed

In the coming weeks, Reddit will stop showing r/popular to new users. For existing users, the feed will only remain visible if they regularly visit it. Otherwise, it will be removed from the app’s core set of feeds. The changes apply to both the app and the logged-out homepage, where r/popular has been the default since 2017.

Moderator policy changes

Reddit is also updating its moderation policies to reduce the dominance of “powermods.” The company will limit moderators to overseeing a maximum of five communities with more than 100,000 weekly visitors starting March 31, 2026. Reddit says the rule will affect less than 0.1% of active moderators. Huffman said the goal is to ensure “distinct communities have distinct leaders,” addressing concerns that a handful of moderators control a large number of high-traffic subreddits.