How to Browse Reddit Anonymously: Tips for Private Surfing
We’ve all been there. You click and join in on a Reddit thread, only to pause and think, “Can people see what I’m browsing?” or, “Great… is this going to be showing up in my ads?”
As with many social media platforms, Reddit tracks users’ activities. So, these are valid questions to have.
The good news is that you can browse Reddit anonymously. Whether you want to engage in trending topics without being tracked or research sensitive topics without catching the attention of people who may know you, there are more than a few ways to get what you want.
This blog takes an in-depth look at anonymous browsing on Reddit, exploring why it might be a good idea and how to do it.
What Account Data Does Reddit Collect?
Reddit collects data to help personalize content recommendations, improve the relevance of targeted ads, and enhance user convenience. Here’s what the platform collects when you create an account and visit:
- Account details: These include your username, password, email address, and avatar. The data helps the platform know who you are.
- Activity and content details: The platform tracks what you post, save, and comment on. It also monitors who you follow, what you vote on, how you vote, whether you report posts, what kinds of posts you report, and the communities you join. This information helps with content personalization and can inform targeted ads.
- Technical details: Reddit collects device information, including your device type, model, operating system, IP address, and browser type. These details enable it to monitor your activity on the platform. They can also help connect your accounts if you have multiple of them.
- Location information: It collects this data if you’ve enabled location sharing. If you’ve not, it approximates your location using your IP address. This information allows for personalized ads and recommendations.
Anonymous browsing reduces the amount of data Reddit can collect and use, giving you a semblance of privacy.
Why Browse Reddit Anonymously?
Reddit users primarily browse anonymously to enhance their privacy and safety. Here are some reasons why you may want to hide your identity:
Research and Express Yourself Freely
Reddit has become a popular platform for discussing sensitive topics such as finances, health, and relationships. Some users ask for relationship advice on the platform, others use it to freely discuss their health issues, and others even seek opinions on money and legal matters.
If these are things you want to look into or discuss without revealing who you are, anonymous browsing is your best bet. It allows you to engage in different topics without your activity tying back to your identity. Essentially, it makes it difficult for anyone to know what you’re interested in if you don’t want them to.
Prevent Algorithmic Bubbles
Reddit uses account and activity information to personalize your experience on the platform. For example, your posts, communities, and voting information determine your content recommendations.
Anonymous browsing makes sense when you’re looking into something you don’t want affecting future recommendations. Say you’re interested in researching or participating in health topics, but don’t want such content recommendations in the future. You can browse the platform anonymously.
Reduce Targeted Ads
Let’s be honest. Half the things we browse on Reddit are out of pure curiosity, not because we actually want them. For example, you may read an interesting thread on home gym setups without actually wanting one. The problem is that Reddit and third-party advertisers don’t know this. So, they might send home gym ads your way, assuming you’re likely to convert.
Anonymous browsing helps prevent such advertisements. You can browse through topics you find entertaining or join trending discussions without worrying about them taking over your ads.
Manage Your Identity
People on Reddit use pseudonyms as their usernames. So, it’s already pretty difficult for individuals to access your personal details.
That said, bullies can find you by following your trail on the platform — the communities you browse, the subreddits you participate in, the posts you vote for, and the comments you leave. They may be unable to identify you, but they can still stalk you on Reddit.
Anonymous browsing makes you virtually invisible by reducing your footprint. It then becomes harder for bullies or unwanted parties to track you via your activity.
Ways to Browse Anonymously on Reddit
Now that you know why anonymity on Reddit may be a good idea, how can you maintain it? Here are some practical tips you could implement:
1. Use Reddit’s Anonymous Browsing Feature
Reddit allows users to browse in anonymous mode to protect their privacy. When this feature is on, the platform doesn’t save your activity or searches. As such, it can’t use them to personalize content recommendations, notifications, and ads.
To activate the Anonymous Browsing feature:
- Log in to your Reddit app.
- Go to your avatar.
- Tap the arrow icon near your username.
- Select Anonymous Browsing.
While this feature is great for minimizing targeted ads and reducing your Reddit footprint, it only offers surface-level anonymity. Your IP address and device fingerprint will still be visible to Reddit itself.
This feature also limits what you can do on the platform. It disables voting, commenting, and posting, so all you can do is browse.
Further, it’s only available on the Reddit app. So, if you’re a desktop user, you’ll need to consider other alternatives.
2. Use Your Browser’s Incognito Mode
This could be worth considering if you access Reddit via desktop and want to do quick research on a sensitive topic. Most modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, have built-in incognito mode features, so you don’t need to install any other tool. Here’s how to access them:
On Chrome
- Tap the three-dot menu (⋮).
- Select New Incognito Window.
- Log in to Reddit.
On Firefox
- Tap the hamburger menu (☰).
- Select New Private Window.
- Log in to Reddit.
On Safari
- Head to the File menu.
- Tap New Private Window.
- Access Reddit.
When you browse in incognito mode, people who use your desktop can’t see your activity. However, your internet service provider (ISP) and Reddit itself will still log your device, IP details, and actions.
So, while it may be great for protecting your privacy on shared devices, it may not do much to prevent targeted ads or algorithmic bubbles.
3. Use Privacy Browsers
Browsers like Tor enhance user privacy by blocking trackers and masking IP addresses. They can be a good option if you want to hide your Reddit history from other device users or your ISP.
However, these browsers don’t provide complete anonymity. Reddit can still track your activity (posts, votes, and comments), as long as you’re logged in to your account.
4. Use Proxy Servers
Proxy servers mask your IP address, making it hard for Reddit and other platform users to identify you by your location.
However, proxies do little when used alone. Reddit can still access your login info, actions, and device information, meaning it can connect your activity to your account.
5. Create New Reddit Accounts
Separate accounts help maintain anonymity by allowing you to adopt different online personas.
When creating your accounts, be sure to use different usernames and email addresses, and avoid linking any personal information that could point to you.
Of course, this doesn’t provide complete anonymity against Reddit’s systems. They can still read your device info and IP address. This enables them to connect your accounts even when you use varying sign-up details.
To improve anonymity with multiple Reddit accounts, use a cloud phone solution like GeeLark. GeeLark allows you to set up cloud phones, each with unique device fingerprints, so you can run separate accounts independently. What’s more, you can customize each phone’s proxy settings. With our cloud phone solution, each Reddit account appears to originate from a different mobile device and location, giving you the highest degree of anonymity.
Mistakes to Avoid to Protect Your Anonymity
The truth is, even the best tools will fail you if you’re not careful on Reddit. To protect yourself, avoid the following mistakes:
- Using the same email address when creating multiple Reddit accounts: This is the easiest way for Reddit to connect your accounts.
- Reusing the same username across platforms: While it may be convenient to maintain the same usernames, doing so can make it easier for users to connect your online identities.
- Posting personal details: Information like your location, exact age, or job details can help people identify you.
- Using the same proxies across different accounts: Reddit can connect accounts by IP address, limiting your anonymity.
Maintain Your Anonymity on Reddit With GeeLark
Browsing Reddit anonymously can enhance your privacy, allow you to express yourself freely, and prevent algorithmic bubbles and targeted ads.
As you’ve seen from this post, there are more than a few ways to maintain your anonymity. However, they provide limited security. To completely stay anonymous, you’ll need to combine multiple strategies.
With GeeLark, you can enhance your privacy on Reddit by isolating different accounts and customizing your IP addresses. With us, you don’t have to worry about your device fingerprint or IP address giving you away.