Checking the Server Status
This is usually where I got stuck for a bit—before messing around with my device, I wanted to make sure Reddit wasn’t having a major meltdown. Sometimes, their servers just go down for maintenance or random outages, and it’s not your fault at all. The first thing I did was hop onto redditstatus.com—it’s surprisingly reliable for checking current outages. Open your browser, type redditstatus.com, and see if there are any ongoing problems. If there’s a notice about downtime or heavy outages, basically all you can do is wait until they fix it. No point wasting time trying to fix something that’s not broken on your side.
Another quick check: open your terminal (or Command Prompt) and ping Reddit’s main servers directly with ping Reddit.com or ping www.reddit.com. If the pings are failing or you get no replies, then chances are it’s not your internet. But if things look okay there, then the issue is likely local—something on your device or network.
Restarting the App or Browser
After confirming Reddit’s servers are up, the next step is the classic restart trick—super annoying but often works. Sometimes, the app or browser just gets hung up, especially if there’s a cache glitch or a minor bug. Make sure to fully close out of Reddit or your browser. Don’t just click refresh; use Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) on Windows or Force Quit (on macOS) to shut things down. Then, wait a second, and relaunch. If you’re on a browser, it helps to close all tabs related to Reddit, then reopen in a fresh window—or try incognito mode, which often bypasses stubborn cached data.
I also found clearing the cache can help a lot. On Chrome, that’s Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear Browsing Data. Pick “Cached images and files” and clear everything. That often clears out whatever endless spinning or loading hang-up was happening for me. Sometimes a full reboot of your device can clear the weird things that happen behind the scenes too, so don’t skip that step if you’ve tried everything else.
Updating the App or Browser
If the reboot or cache clean-up doesn’t do the trick, then it could be your software itself—outdated browsers or app versions can definitely cause weird loading issues. I recommend checking for updates. On your phone, visit the App Store or Google Play, or if you’re on desktop, help menu sections like Help > About Chrome or Safari > About Safari. Update if there’s a newer version available. For Linux users, a command like sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade will do the trick if you installed your browser via a package manager. Staying up-to-date patches bugs and compatibility issues that might cause loads to fail or hang, so it’s always a good step before diving into more complex fixes.
Trying Different Devices or Browsers
If you’re still hitting a wall, try switching devices. Sometimes the problem is isolated to one device or browser. I swapped from my main Windows PC to an old Chromebook, and surprisingly, Reddit loaded fine there. Similarly, trying a different browser like Firefox or Edge can reveal whether the issue is browser-specific. Sometimes extensions or misconfigured network settings mess things up—ad blockers and VPNs are notorious culprits. They can block scripts or content from loading, especially on sites like Reddit that use a lot of third-party scripts. Clearing cookies and cached data on these browsers can often fix weird loading behavior too. On Chrome, again, Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear Browsing Data is your best friend.
Using Incognito Mode or Third-Party Clients
When everything else fails, I’ve found that opening Reddit in “Incognito” or “Private Browsing” mode can bypass the cache, cookies, or extensions causing issues. On Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + N. Other browsers have similar shortcuts. This cleaner environment often reveals whether the problem is on Reddit’s end or something local to your setup. Also, check if you’re running any VPNs or ad blockers—that stuff can block certain scripts or parts of Reddit, especially if they’re aggressive filters. Turning them off temporarily can help diagnose if they’re the source of the issue.
Hope this helped — it took me way too long to figure it out. Good luck, and don’t get too frustrated—you’ll get there eventually!