Sync for Reddit was a popular third-party client for Android users — in fact, it topped our list of the best Reddit apps back when those were still a thing. But after Reddit’s recent API changes effectively killed third-party apps, Sync developer Laurence Dawson decided to pivot toward a new project: bringing his app’s intuitive Material You interface to a different platform. Now, Sync is officially back from the dead.
After pre-registration opened earlier this week, Sync for Lemmy is now up for download from the Google Play Store. Instead of connecting users to Reddit, the new app works with the federated social networking platform Lemmy. Services on the fediverse, as it’s called, are interoperable and open source, and users are able to communicate with each other seamlessly across the various platforms, which include Twitter alternative Mastodon.
If you’ve used Sync for Reddit before, you’ll find a similar interface and feature set in Sync for Lemmy. Like its Reddit counterpart, the new app supports different layouts, swipe gestures, customizable quick actions, dark mode, and a host of minor personalization options. While the basic version of Sync for Lemmy is available as a free download and comes with ads, users can try the premium experience by subscribing to Sync Ultra. This version offers additional features like an ad-free experience, cloud backup, user tagging, text translation, and text selection from images. The subscription is available for $2 per month or $17 per year.
The decision to transition from Sync for Reddit to Sync for Lemmy was triggered by Reddit’s sudden changes to its API access pricing. In June 2023, the CEO of Reddit announced that it would be changing its API pricing structure. Many in the community criticized this change as it would make operating third-party apps unsustainable. Sync for Reddit’s developer decided to adapt his app to the Lemmy platform in response to this change and the growing interest in federated social media, saving the app from extinction and giving scorned Reddit users an easy way to transition to a new platform.
