Since we last talked in 2021, here at Reddit we’ve shipped a few updates, cleaned up some code, fixed some bugs, and done a lot of New Year’s planning and reorganizing—and now we’re here to chat about it. Thanks in part to a lot of the feedback you’ve given on these r/blog posts, the first bit of news is that these posts (and all of the posts in r/blog) are moving on up to our new apartment in the sky at r/reddit.

At the end of last year, you let us know that having different admin-run communities that focus on a variety of niche topics (some of which overlap) is confusing. And, you know what, you were right. Knowing where to post what announcement got confusing for us too. But no more. Moving forward, posts that you would normally read here in r/blog and other places like r/announcements and r/changelog will all be over in r/reddit.

That means, today’s post will be the last r/blog post, but in two weeks you’ll see me posting over in r/reddit instead. And we’ll also be sharing more about the long-term product goals and roadmap, featuring more in-depth dives into specific updates (keep an eye out for more episodes from the Search team), and even some history on Reddit and how this crazy corner of the internet got to be the way it is. (Check out this recent gem from u/kethryvis on the birth of subreddits.) And for more about r/reddit and the changes to admin-run communities, check out u/Go_JasonWatersfalls’ post all about it.

Until then, let’s make this last post count eh? For the last time in r/blog…

Here’s what’s new in 2022

(Ok, did not mean for that to rhyme, but we’ll go with it.)

New features for Reddit Talk
Since its introduction last year, over 1,000 communities have used Reddit Talk to host live audio conversations in their communities, including a r/cryptocurrency Reddit Talk featuring Kevin O’Leary; a r/movies Reddit Talk with Johnny Knoxville, Chris Pontius, and Paul Scheer; a r/space Reddit Talk with Chris Hadfield; as well as community talks in r/wallstreetbets, r/dadjokes, and r/relationship_advice.

With help and feedback from moderators, a number of new features were introduced throughout the last month:

• Recordings so community members can listen to Reddit Talks after they’ve happened. (I HIGHLY recommend you check out the recording of this r/dadjokes open mic night.)

• A web experience so more redditors can access and take part in talks.

• Comments and emojis so listeners have more ways to interact and enjoy talks.

• A live talk bar so that it’s easier to know when talks are taking place in communities you’re a part of. (This one’s an experiment.)

Thanks to all the mods, communities, and early-adoptors who partnered with us on this latest round of updates. To learn more about the new features and see how you can host a talk in your community, head over to the latest r/modnews post, check out reddit.com/talk, or listen to the recording of the AMA with the Reddit Talk team and fellow moderators.

A small update to make life easier for mods
In 2021, a big focus was building tools that make mods’ lives easier and in 2022 that work continues. With the latest update to Crowd Control, moderators can choose to review posts from people who aren’t trusted members of their community yet in Modqueue before they go live to the whole community. It’s an extra tool mods can use to combat spam or people interacting with their community in bad faith.

New image editing tools
To make it easier to post images directly to Reddit, next week those adding images on iOS will have the ability to crop, rotate, or markup images with text, stickers, or drawings. Next up is Android, so stay tuned for more updates. And here’s Luna to demonstrate what’s possible:

Small but mighty updates
The latest round of release notes from the native apps.

On Android

• The new full-screen video player has come to Android, complete with performance updates and improved recommendations. There will be many more refinements and features coming to the new player soon, so keep an eye on r/reddit for more.

• Now mods can tap the flag on reported comments to get more details.

• You can swipe down to dismiss videos now.

• Fixed a bug with navigating comments on videos.

• Fixed the “people are here” indicator so it doesn’t obstruct any text or actions.

• Fixed an issue where some crossposted videos wouldn’t expand.

On iOS

• Fixed a bug that sometimes hid the close icon when posting.

• Fixed a bug that prevented clearing the flair search bar in mod tools.

• Made some improvements to adding links in text posts and comments.

Thanks for following all the updates here in r/blog. Even though we won’t be posting anything new in this community, all the posts and comments will be saved and available so you can reference them whenever you’d like. I’ll be hanging around for a bit today to answer questions and will see you in two weeks over in r/reddit.

Hello peoples (and bots) of Reddit,

I come with a very important and exciting announcement from the Safety team. As a continuation of our blocking improvements, we are rolling out a revamped blocking experience starting today. You will begin to see these changes soon.

What does “revamped blocking experience” mean?

We will be evolving the blocking experience so that it not only removes a blocked user’s content from your experience, but also removes your content from their experience—i.e., a user you have blocked can’t see or interact with you. Our intention is to provide you with better control over your safety experience. This includes controlling who can contact you, who can see your content, and whose content you see.

What will the new block look like?

It depends if you are a user or a moderator and if you are doing the blocking vs. being blocked.

How is this different from before?

Previously, if I blocked u/IAmABlockedUser, I would not see their content, but they would see mine. With the updated blocking experience, I won’t see u/IAmABlockedUser’s content and they won’t see mine either. We’re listening to your feedback and designed an experience to meet users’ expectations and the intricacies of our platform.

Important notes

To prevent abuse, we are installing a limit so you cannot unblock someone and then block them again within a short time frame. We have also put into place some restrictions that will prevent people from being able to manipulate the site by blocking at scale.

It’s also worth noting that blocking is not a replacement for reporting policy breaking content. While we plan to implement block as a signal for potential bad actors, our Safety teams will continue to rely on reports to ensure that we can properly stop and sanction malicious users. We're not stopping the work there, either—read on!

What's next?

We know that this is just one more step in offering a robust set of safety controls. As we roll out these changes, we will also be working on revamping your settings and finding additional proactive measures to reduce unwanted experiences.

So tell us: what kind of safety controls would you like to see on Reddit? We will stick around to chat through ideas as well as answer your questions or feedback on blocking for the next few hours.

Thanks for your time and patience in reading this through! Cat tax:

edit (update): Hey folks! Thanks for your comments and feedback. Please note that while some of you may see this change soon, it may take some time before the changes to blocking become available on for everyone on all platforms. Thanks for your patience as we roll out this big change!