How To Block Specific Subreddits

Evan Gower January 17, 2023

Reddit, also known as the front page of the internet, is one of the biggest and most frequented sites on the internet. Like all other sites with user-generated content, it has its fair share of not-so-appropriate content. So what do you do when an unsavory post gets upvoted and appears on your r/all list?

Back in the day, blocking subreddits that weren’t your cup of tea was a piece of cake. All you needed to do to get a bothersome subreddit off your feed was enter its name into the search box labeled filter subreddit, click the + icon, and you’d be done. Nowadays, Reddit users need to dig deeper to reclaim the sovereignty of their r/all feeds.

However, in 2018, after more than 12 months of development and testing, Reddit rolled out the redesigned site. It was the first major visual overhaul of the site in more than a decade. With the new design came sleeker graphics and some other changes. The r/all page lost the filter subreddit search box.

How to Block Subreddits: Reddit Premium

With the filter subreddit search box gone from the feed, unfortunately there’s pretty much nothing a regular user can do to expel the unwanted content that’s been upvoted by the community. This is true for the desktop version of the site and for the native mobile apps.

But not all is lost for those who don’t want to use third-party apps and extensions – they can switch to Reddit Premium. The premium version of the site or app, depending on the platform you’re using, will allow you to block specific subreddits from the r/all feed.

To upgrade to Premium membership:

Click on the downward-facing triangle next to your avatar (upper-right corner of the browser window)
Then click on the User Settings option.
Next, click on the Subscriptions tab.
Click on the Get Reddit Premium button on the next page and select your payment option. Follow the rest of the instructions.

When you’ve completed the upgrade, go to the r/all page and start slamming the block hammer. The process is largely the same as on the old version of Reddit.

Upgrading to Premium on Native Mobile Apps

When it comes to blocking specific subreddits, mobile users are out of luck, just like their desktop/laptop comrades. There’s no option to use block hammer on either the Android or iOS version of the Reddit app. What they can do is upgrade to Reddit Premium and use their computer browser to weed out the unwanted subreddits. To upgrade via mobile:

Download and install the Reddit app.
Launch the app from the Home screen of your device.
Tap on your avatar (it is in the upper-left corner on Android)
Tap on the Reddit Premium tab and follow the instructions.

Aside from the ability to block subreddits, a Premium membership will allow you to buy Reddit Gold, the onsite currency you can use in interaction with other users and their content. Finally, Reddit will stop showing you ads. The monthly fee is $5.99, and once bought, Reddit Premium will be available on all devices you use.

Third-Party Solutions

If you want to reclaim your r/all feed, but you’re reluctant to pay Reddit your hard-earned money, you can use one of several browser extensions. Our favorite is the Reddit Enhancement Suite. The app is available for Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari.

For the purposes of this article, we’ve used the Google Chrome version. What’s best about this extension is that there are numerous tips and tutorials on how to use it on Reddit. Download and install the extension. Now, let’s see how to hide a troublesome subreddit from your r/all feed.

Open your browser. Go to https://www.reddit.com.
Click on the RES extension button. A drop-down menu will appear. (If you’re in Chrome, you click the button that looks like a puzzle piece, then click the three dot icon next to the RES extension)
Click on the Options. Depending on the version, you might see a cog icon. Click on it.
Reddit Enhancement Suite’s page will open up. Click on the filteReddit tab in the menu on the left side underneath the Subreddits category.
Toggle the filteReddit option On.
Scroll down the page and check the +add filter button in the lower-left corner of the box titled Subreddits.
Enter the subreddit you don’t want to see.

If there are other subreddits you want to block, repeat steps 8 and 9. When you’re done, scroll up and click on the Save options button.

Stand Your Ground

With the new layout and design, Reddit decided to claim the r/all feed. However, users not willing to take whatever’s served on the feed can still reclaim their independence from Reddit’s algorithm. Available options include paying for the Premium membership and installing third-party apps.

What are your experiences with unsavory content on Reddit? How do you go about it? Do you report posts and posters, or do you block entire subreddits? Tell us more in the comments below.