Reddit broken on desktop browsers as full-screen mobile app prompt takes over page for many

If you’re trying to access Reddit on your desktop browser, you’ve probably noticed that the website is acting up. For some odd reason, Reddit has decided it’s okay to hijack the screen, forcing users to switch to the mobile app with a banner that says, “Get the Reddit App.” Worse yet, there’s no button to dismiss the banner either.

One of our team members actually ran into this exact issue first, which sent me digging around to see if others were having the same problem. Sure enough, I spotted multiple Reddit threads popping up on the r/help sub. 

Heck, while I was attempting to read those very threads to put this story together, I too was slapped with the mobile app prompt. You can check it out in the screenshot below:

For me, refreshing the page got rid of the pop-up for a few seconds, but then it came back again.

If this feels familiar, it’s because it’s the same thing that happened earlier this year when Reddit started blocking mobile users from accessing the site on their browser apps. At the time, the company admitted that it was running a test on frequent mobile web visitors, though at least those people actually had their phones in their hands to download and install the app.

So it’s unclear why Reddit is now forcing desktop users to switch to the mobile app, especially since desktop usage makes up just under 40% of the platform’s traffic according to estimates from Semrush.

In one of the threads, a frustrated Redditor wrote, “The stupidest part is I am using a Windows desktop computer and running Google Chrome, and it’s sending me to the Apple App Store.”

Fortunately, it looks like someone has come up with a solution to this bizarre problem. Redditor u/Ok-Anywhere shared a quick fix for people who have uBlock Origin installed. Because simply zapping the banner leaves the page frozen, you need to paste both of these lines into your custom filters to hide the prompt and unlock your scrolling.

[www.reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com)##.configured-xpromo-bottom-sheet.configured-xpromo.rpl-bottom-sheet

reddit.com##body.rpl-scroll-lock:style(overflow: auto !important; position: static !important; height: auto !important)

Give this a try and let us know if it works for you or not. Though it’s worth noting that if you’re on a browser that doesn’t support uBlock Origin, you might just have to wait for Reddit to sort this mess out. It’s unlikely that the company wants to block desktop users from accessing the platform.

At a time when folks are already mad about the company considering making it mandatory for users to log in to access the site, this move is downright infuriating.

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