How to Maintain Your Privacy While Using Reddit: 8 Tips
Reddit is primarily a discussion forum where people can talk about anything. Over time it has been seen as an interactive place for all users. From news to debates, cooking and fashion, Reddit has you covered.
Despite all this, many people are worried about their privacy on the platform. However, you can increase security and maintain maximum account privacy with a few simple measures. Let’s learn how to maintain your privacy while using Reddit.
1. Create a secure password
The first tip for maintaining your privacy on Reddit is to create a strong password. Your password should be strong enough to act as a barrier against unexpected security breaches. A strong password also protects your account from phishing attempts.
It is recommended to create a strong password that combines numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and other characters to increase its strength. However, you should also be able to remember it, so occasionally enter hints into your password.
If you’re in the habit of forgetting your passwords, you can use a password manager to keep track of them and help you remember them.
2. Use two-factor authentication
After securing your account with a strong password, you should add an extra layer of security to improve protection. Two-factor authentication is a protection feature that requests permission from authorized devices/browsers before logging in.
To enable two-factor authentication for your Reddit account:
- Sign in to your Reddit account.
- Click the arrow next to the username at the top of your screen to open a drop-down menu and select user settings.
- Navigate to Security and Privacy Tab.
- Scroll down until you see Two-Factor Authentication. You may need to reset your password if you signed into Reddit with Google or Apple ID.
- Reset your password on a verified device.
- Use an authenticator app to scan the barcode to complete setup.
A six-digit code is requested for each login attempt.
3. Change your chat and messaging settings
Reddit is an app that lets you socialize, discuss, and connect with the world. On such a platform, you may receive messages from people you may not wish to associate with. You can change this by updating your chat preferences.
- open that Chats and Messages section on the site.
- change that Who can send you private messages? and Who can send you chat requests? the settings. Users have the option to make themselves available to all or no one.
- click No one in both menus if you want your account to be private and only have the ability to comment and vote on different posts.
This feature helps users protect themselves from spam and cyberbullying attempts on Reddit.
4. Personalize your Reddit outbound link settings
Like other apps, Reddit also records the links you click on the website. The platform uses this information to help marketers target their potential audience. Clicking on links also helps Reddit match your interests and show you the content you interact with frequently.
Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of privacy. You can change these outbound link settings to protect your Reddit account activity data.
- open that user settings and navigate to Security and Privacy Tab.
- Turn the Personalize Reddit based on the outbound links you click to turn it off.
We also recommend avoiding outbound links posted by people you don’t know.
5. Block users who seem suspicious
When you scroll Reddit, find an account that seems offensive and inappropriate? If this is the case, blocking is a great way to keep your account private.
How to block people on Reddit:
- Find or click the username you want to block. A username on Reddit usually begins with u/.
- click More options under Chat.
- Choose block user and confirm.
The account will be locked and you both won’t see each other’s posts and messages unless you unlock that account.
6. Use a virtual private network
Users who don’t want to reveal their location to Reddit can access the account through a VPN. Also known as a Virtual Private Network, it can hide your identity by creating encryption between the network and your device.
You can use a VPN on your PC and mobile devices. You will see users and groups from the selected location on Reddit. With the help of a VPN, you can also hide your identity from online marketers.
Remember that VPN is not intended to protect your device from viruses and malware. You still need to have a strong password and authenticate your account for maximum privacy.
7. Revoke third-party access
Reddit uses third-party apps to customize your user experience. Your profile will be made available to third parties depending on how much access you have allowed. Follow the steps below to revoke third-party access and increase your account privacy.
- Open user settings.
- Click on Security and Privacy.
- Scroll down until you see Manage third-party app authorization. You will see multiple apps and web browsers.
- click revoke access rights at the end of the list.
8. Change your content visibility settings
If you don’t want your content to be visible to unknown users, change the visibility of your content. This feature hides your recent searches and prevents your posts from appearing publicly.
With these settings, only your comments and likes are publicly available. These steps will help you increase the privacy of your content.
- Out of user settingsclick profile.
- Scroll down until you see Content Visibility.
- Toggle the tab to disable it.
After that, your posts will no longer be visible in r/all and the username will not be visible under /users.
Have a safe and solid experience on Reddit
Reddit is ranked as one of the top apps for users who want to discuss various topics and share their favorite stuff online.
At the same time, privacy can be a significant concern for some users. You can reduce your visibility by making changes to the privacy of your content and managing third-party apps. Apart from that, you can also use a VPN on your PC or mobile to hide your location and browse the internet without revealing your identity and location.