Update to Reddit adds new real-time features

The competition among social media sites is fierce and requires each one to constant add new features so as not to fall behind rival apps. For example, the popular Reddit app is getting some new features that will allow users to see when a post has been upvoted or downvoted in real-time. Previously, comments and vote counts would update on the screen only after a page was refreshed, or if the user was the Reddit subscriber doing the upvoting or downvoting.

But that has changed. Reddit has announced that votes on content will now update (with animations included) in real-time on both posts and in feeds. In addition, comment count animations will also appear.

Typing indicators have been added to Reddit that will show when two or more redditors are commenting on the same post at the same time via "anonymized avatars" placed near the comment window. A similar notification will surface when five or more redditors are reading the same post simultaneously.

When viewing a post, redditors will now be able to see when new comments are being submitted thanks to the new comment pill. Clicking on the new comment indicator will sort comments and show the new ones first and highlight live comments in real-time.

These features started rolling out on Wednesday across Reddit's desktop, iOS, and Android platforms. And if the vote and comment count animations are not your cups of tea, they can be disabled under user animation settings.

To install the Reddit app on your phone, look for the listings on the iOS App Store and Android's Google Play Store.