Reddit users are reporting that desktop browsers are being covered by a full-screen “Get the Reddit App” prompt that has no dismissal button. The overlay can block scrolling and make the site effectively unusable; refreshing may clear it briefly, but it returns. Reports appeared in Reddit’s help forum, and the problem affected the writer as well. One user said a Windows computer running Chrome was directed toward Apple’s App Store, suggesting Reddit may be misidentifying desktop devices. The issue resembles an earlier Reddit test that targeted frequent mobile-web visitors, though why desktop users are now seeing the prompt is unclear.
A workaround is available for people using uBlock Origin: add two custom filters, one to hide the app-promotion panel and another to undo the page’s scroll-lock styling. Hiding the overlay alone can leave the page frozen, so both filters are needed. Users without a compatible ad blocker may have to wait for Reddit to fix the problem; using Old Reddit is also suggested as an alternative. The disruption is especially unwelcome amid user frustration over a possible requirement to log in to browse. The reported explanation is a faulty backend update or device-detection code, rather than an intentional effort to bar desktop access, but Reddit has not provided a resolution.
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