Reddit Tests TikTok Style Audio and Video Posts on iOS and Android
Reddit is testing playable audio and video versions of select English posts on iOS and Android, while preserving original text and comments for users.
Summary
On Monday, August 17, 2026, Reddit began limited tests that turn select English language posts into playable audio and video across certain communities in its iOS and Android apps. Users can choose to read or play supported posts, listen while exercising, walking or running errands, or watch written conversations presented through combined sound and video. Reddit told TechCrunch the experiments will measure which formats resonate, could scale and feel authentic to the platform.
CEO Steve Huffman announced plans for narrated Reddit videos during the second quarter earnings call in July, noting that TikTok and Meta’s Reels already carry Reddit stories read by creators or text to speech systems, sometimes with onscreen words, gameplay or cooking footage. Reddit’s versions will preserve the original text post and comments, with existing viewing and engagement unchanged.
The company previously introduced native video hosting and tested several TikTok style feeds. Its newer video comments feature now generates more than 10% of video posts, providing an established base as Reddit evaluates whether spoken and visual storytelling deserves wider deployment.
Positives
- More than 10% of Reddit video posts now come from video comments, showing users already create substantial visual content within discussions.
- Both iOS and Android users in selected communities can access the initial audio and video experiments.
- Original text posts and comments remain available, preserving existing reading, discussion and engagement options.
- Read or play controls let users choose between traditional posts, background listening and combined audio and video.
- TikTok and Meta’s Reels demonstrate existing demand for narrated Reddit stories outside Reddit’s own platform.
Risks & concerns
- Only select English language posts and communities are included, sharply limiting initial availability.
- Reddit describes the rollout as an early, limited experiment, so user demand and broader deployment remain unproven.
- The company is still determining whether audio and video formats can scale while feeling authentic to Reddit.
- Several previous TikTok style feed iterations preceded this test, leaving the long term format unsettled.