Reddit finally has a Windows app, but it’s just a PWA

Today, Reddit launched an official app for Windows through the Microsoft Store. While you could already access the platform through your web browser, this app makes it a bit more convenient to find. However, if you were expecting anything tailor-made for Windows users, you’re out of luck. The Reddit app for Windows is simply a progressive web app (PWA), meaning it’s just like the website.

When you launch the Reddit app, it does indeed open as a normal app would. You see the icon on the taskbar, a title bar, and everything you’d expect. However, this is simply a custom Microsoft Edge window opening the Reddit website. In fact, after installing the app, you’ll find a Reddit app in Microsoft Edge itself. The entire experience is just the Reddit website.

You also don’t have to use the Microsoft Store at all to get this experience. You can also install the Reddit PWA on Windows through Edge itself, using the icon that shows up in the address bar.

For many users, this might seem like a pointless release, but this is part of Microsoft’s strategy for the Microsoft Store. The company wants this to be the one-stop-shop for all your apps, and it’s opening up the platform to do exactly that. Not only are PWAs and all kinds of apps allowed, but developers can also bring their own monetization tools and keep all the revenue from apps distributed on the Microsoft Store.

You could use the browser to find those apps, but having them all accessible through the Microsoft Store can be more convenient for many. PWAs like this are low-effort projects, but that’s also part of the appeal for developers. This can expand the audience of Reddit users without having a significant added cost. And for Microsoft, it could potentially get more users to notice the Microsoft Store. Hopefully, if the Reddit PWA gains traction, more effort can be put into fleshing out the experience to feel more native on Windows.

You can download the Reddit app on the Microsoft Store if you want to try it for yourself.

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