Apollo App Allows Users to Decline Refunds Before Costly Shutdown
Apollo's developer introduces an option for users to decline their pro-rated refunds ahead of the app's June 30 closure. The move comes as Reddit's expensive new API pricing forces the popular third-party client to shut down permanently.
Popular Reddit client Apollo updates its app to give users the choice to decline their remaining subscription refunds before the app closes on June 30. Users who take no action automatically receive a pro-rated refund, but developer Christian Selig asks satisfied customers to consider declining the payout because he covers these costs out of his own pocket. Selig estimates that issuing these automatic refunds costs him roughly $250,000.
The impending shutdown directly results from Reddit's new API pricing structure that takes effect on July 1. While Selig acknowledges Reddit's right to charge for API access, he notes that the fees are prohibitively expensive and the 30-day implementation window is far too short. Because Apollo cannot afford these sudden and steep costs, the app stops working entirely at the end of the month.
To help offset the massive refund burden, the latest Apollo update includes a "Goodbye Apollo" wallpaper pack that users unlock through voluntary donations. This closure marks the end of a nine-year run for the highly popular app, which downloads over two million times since its 2017 launch. Reddit's strict API pricing continues to spark widespread controversy, prompting thousands of subreddits to protest despite the CEO's refusal to reverse the policy.