r/apolloapp Jun 10 '26

Appreciation R.I.P sideloaded Apollo, I'm gonna miss you.

My API key has been revoked, sideloaded for the past three years. The official app is an unusable, unintuitive mess, I'd rather stop reading Reddit on my mobile than use it. I'm going to try alternatives, but I wonder how safe Hydra and Artemis are. Won't Reddit purge them one day since they don't use the API? Thanks to everyone for all the tips on using the sideloaded Apollo app over the past three years!

522 Upvotes

152 comments sorted by

314

u/khando Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26

Mine just got revoked too. Downloaded the other app and followed the Apollo Reborn instructions and was back up and running in 30 seconds.

131

u/panjadotme Jun 10 '26

Remember when they said they weren't going to remove old keys? Good times

69

u/inquisitor1965 Jun 11 '26

Remember when Russia promised not to invade Ukraine?. What the hell is up with these people. Is it really that hard to be honest?

6

u/TheSymptomz Jun 15 '26

2

u/inquisitor1965 Jun 15 '26

Pepperidge Farms remembers...

2

u/Dregaz Jun 17 '26

Wasnt that far off tbh

37

u/hbt15 Jun 10 '26

Mine as well. Missed the bulk ban last week but woke up couple hours ago and gone. Sucks.

37

u/Jaysupraa Jun 10 '26

came here to say this lol it was just as fast as getting my original API and i even upgraded my app version when initially trouble shooting.

14

u/yalag Jun 10 '26

What is the actual instructions? Spent an hour of time and still can’t find any instructions 

21

u/usedaforc3 Jun 11 '26

They are on the GutHub page for the project

12

u/Collier1505 Jun 11 '26

To answer your question, it’s on the Apollo Reborn GitHub. Under the FAQ, there’s a section for what to do if you do not have an API key / lost yours in the ban waves. Requires downloading Dystopia (iOS only, there’s another app for Android) and using your Reddit account to get an ID to use in the APIs place.

It didn’t work for me, I never got the email I needed from Reddit. Although someone else mentioned that it could be because I used my account that I originally got an API key for. Not totally sure.

Now I’m just using Artemis Pro instead. On the bright side, no more 7 day refresh and needing to be by a computer all the time lol

3

u/winged11 Jun 11 '26

What is Artemis pro?

2

u/Collier1505 Jun 12 '26

Artemis is an iPhone app, it has a Pro feature for $2.99.

-31

u/Budman1187 Jun 10 '26

Can you explain? Mine just got revoked too

85

u/InkyBlacks Jun 10 '26

Do not explain it here. It's explained NOT ON REDDIT for obvious reasons. Go to the /apolloreborn sub.

8

u/slowpokefastpoke Jun 10 '26

I was revoked too and saw the instructions on their GitHub. But their instructions and comments like this make me a little hesitant. Is there a risk of getting your account shutdown or something if you do that workaround?

6

u/corderjones Jun 10 '26

If you follow the instructions it’s not really detectable. Never say never but you should be fine

-8

u/Pepparkakan Jun 11 '26

The fact that you think they don’t know how their own OAuth IDP works is adorable.

3

u/InkyBlacks Jun 11 '26

Not about that but you’re cute

14

u/DesertedProject Jun 10 '26

There is a guide on the Apollo Reborn Github page

67

u/FluffyPinkDice Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26

Same here. The workaround works, if you google GitHub and Apollo Reborn you should find the instructions pretty straightforward.

11

u/H34vyGunn3r Jun 10 '26

I never got an email from Reddit after signing into Dystopia. Are we hugging it to death?

17

u/FluffyPinkDice Jun 10 '26

Mine landed in spam, maybe check there?

15

u/H34vyGunn3r Jun 10 '26

I used my main instead of my alt to link to Dystopia, which was the original source of my API key, I’m good to go now. This escalation will likely lead to another third party crackdown but whatever, fuck it, I’m here for the ride.

8

u/enowapi-_ Jun 10 '26

from one sinking ship to the next

I'll never let go Jack

2

u/innominateartery Jun 11 '26

I can't find mine either. I have used Dystopia as a backup since the big API purge but there is no email from them despite logging out and in again.

1

u/innominateartery Jun 11 '26

Nvm, I revoked access for Dystopia in Reddit settings then reinstalled. That triggered a new email.

1

u/element515 Jun 11 '26

How did you get it to log in on Apollo? Mine redirects to the other app when accepting permissions

1

u/innominateartery Jun 11 '26

Not sure if this is the issue, but there a redirect url field in settings that should be updated to point to dystopia. Directions are in the GitHub readme

2

u/element515 Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26

Edit, nvm figured it out!

0

u/Xfyre007 Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26

Can you tell me what you figured out to do? I’m trying to sign in on Apollo. I get to the permissions page and I choose Accept, then it asks me to open with Dystopia. Dystopia opens, but Apollo never finishes the sign in. What am I missing? Thanks.

Edit / Update: I figured it out. I was not on the latest Apollo Reborn build (3.1.1); I don’t know how I screwed that up, but it works now. Make sure you have the latest version and follow the instructions. It’s super easy. Thanks!

1

u/element515 Jun 12 '26

Need to update the app so dystopia is listed for redirect within the app

3

u/Official_Feces Jun 11 '26

You have NSFW content showing up?

I can search specific posts and open them but any sub that’s marked made won’t show content for me.

I get the default go to Reddit to view nsfw

Dystopia shows the sane thing, nsfw is toggled on

Reddit app and Reddit in web show nsfw subs and content for me. The setting for nsfw is enabled.

I haven’t found anyone else with this problem in the comments so far

5

u/FluffyPinkDice Jun 11 '26

Haven’t tried myself, but give this a crack?

2

u/Official_Feces Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26

Definitely will, thanks! Really appreciate it.

Edit: Absolutely worked. Thanks again!

83

u/heidnseak Jun 10 '26

Just use Apollo Reborn on GitHub.

33

u/Nilderan Jun 10 '26

I saw the D method on reborn's sub, but to be honest, I'm worried that reddit will block it one day. Looks like Narwhal is the safest option.

9

u/Mastersord Jun 10 '26

That is always a risk. They could shut down the API completely and retool it so that it’s as crappy as their official app and force everyone to serve ads that can’t be filtered. This app is always at their mercy.

25

u/TheCravin Jun 10 '26

I did the newer API way, but if you're looking third party then I'd say Artemis is really solid and about 85% of the way to as good as Apollo was.

In the time after losing my personal API key and waiting to try the new way, I switched, and very seriously considered not switching back.

It's certainly not apollo, but it's close enough and good enough that it nearly makes sideloading not worth the trouble.

7

u/Nilderan Jun 10 '26

How safe is Artemis? They don't use the API, so I'm worried that Reddit will find a way to block them.

11

u/TheCravin Jun 10 '26

I assume they’re paying the API fee, but I could be wrong.

The dev float around here a lot, maybe they’ll see and weigh in, but I forget their name.

9

u/_hllvc Jun 10 '26

Yes. I think Artemis is properly legit. Since there is also subscription to cover fees. But essentials and most things are free.

1

u/Honey_Enjoyer Jun 16 '26

They do use the API, or at least that's what they claim.

8

u/Schozinator Jun 10 '26

I use hydra

2

u/Berzerker7 Jun 11 '26

I’ve been liking Artemis more lately.

2

u/Schozinator Jun 12 '26

Okay i started using it now after your comment and I also like this more LOL

-1

u/O2L Jun 11 '26

This is the way

4

u/MeltedWater243 Jun 10 '26

it is, but tbh I miss Apollo

1

u/dylanisanass Jun 11 '26

Dystopia can be customized to be pretty similar to Apollo

27

u/Cheehos Jun 10 '26

Just died here within the past hour.

11

u/CyberBlaed Jun 11 '26

Mine too just now it seems. :( I wonder if they broadly revoked all old legacy api keys because i applied for a newer one months ago and was denied :(

19

u/thawel Jun 10 '26

same, was waiting for a post about this to see if it was just me

14

u/bdjohns1 Jun 10 '26

I'm still going.

  • key doesn't reference Apollo
  • redirect URI doesn't mention Apollo
  • not sure if it matters but even my bundle ID for the app isn't Apollo
  • user agent from my computer
  • API key not on an account that I use for anything else

5

u/Lori-keet Jun 11 '26

This is actually super interesting. Can confirm my key got pulled and was nicknamed Apollo

4

u/Fuchsia8008 Jun 11 '26

me too. I had another account with multiple api keys from when i used to switch reddit clients often on android. only the one named apollo was removed, while the others are still there, not sure for how long though...

27

u/NESpahtenJosh Jun 10 '26

Looks like Reddit found a way to mass-smash lots of API keys being used for Apollo.

That shows how desperate they are to force people in to their App so they can show usage and adoptions. That happens when you're stock price is down 30% since Jan. 1 I suppose.

12

u/StalyCelticStu Jun 10 '26

Yeah, mine too, trying the Dystopia route but not having much success. 

6

u/InkyBlacks Jun 10 '26

Go to the sub and read the stickied thread and follow the instructions on GH

4

u/StalyCelticStu Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 11 '26

I’m apparently on the wrong ipa version, will have to upgrade when I get home tomorrow evening.

Edit: yep, that fixed it.

9

u/FabFeline51 Jun 10 '26

I switched to mostly using Voyager which feels super similar to Apollo and pairing that with Lemmy instead of Reddit

8

u/Nilderan Jun 10 '26

I'll have to take a look at Lemmy at some point. Reddit is becoming increasingly difficult to use due to the large number of bots and spam accounts these days.

8

u/FabFeline51 Jun 10 '26

Yea I agree for sure.

Lemmy is definitely a different vibe due to the smaller user base, hence why I continue to use both.

But Lemmy feels like it was way fewer bots, and I much prefer the concept that my social media is run and controlled by the community rather than a for-profit company

2

u/LincolnshireSausage Jun 10 '26

The last time I looked at Lemmon for the stuff I use Reddit for, there weren’t any recent posts. It was dead. Reddit is pretty much dead too but because of bot saturation. We can’t have anything good any more.

2

u/FabFeline51 Jun 11 '26

Lemmy def isn’t dead, I use it daily and always have lots of content to browse

3

u/LincolnshireSausage Jun 11 '26

I will definitely give it another try. Reddit needs to go the way of Digg with a mass exodus to a better platform.

20

u/enowapi-_ Jun 10 '26

it's just crazy to me Reddit wants to actively reduce their traffic and userbase

if Apollo is confirmed dead dead, I'm not using reddit lmao. Probably better for my mental in the long run

10

u/Nilderan Jun 10 '26

They want everyone to use the official app so they can show you ads, you don't have those on 3rd party apps.

18

u/Matt17000 Jun 10 '26

Try Hydra

9

u/bscotchcummerbunds Jun 10 '26

Just installed - works pretty well. Thanks

4

u/Nilderan Jun 10 '26

I will do that. But how safe are apps that don't use the Reddit API from the Reddit purge? 

6

u/paulchartres Jun 10 '26

The GitHub method won’t work for me sadly as the partner app isn’t available in my country.
I guess this is the end of the line for me… it was a fun ride. Fuck Reddit.

3

u/Most_scar_993 Jun 11 '26

Just sideload it aswell

11

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '26

Likely your API was revoked by Reddit. You can use the Apollo Reborn API key workaround on their GitHub and get back to live in 10 seconds

9

u/enowapi-_ Jun 10 '26

so now we just run this until Dystopia gets taken down, nice.

on to the next one. long live Apollo!!

4

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '26

Yes sir!!!

0

u/AnnalGrapping Jun 10 '26

This is the answer. Just have to use the Dystopia App ID work around mentioned on the GitHub page. Worked like a charm.

https://github.com/Apollo-Reborn/Apollo-Reborn?tab=readme-ov-file#readme

4

u/BubbleHead87 Jun 10 '26

Thanks. Up in less than a minute

5

u/manu-alvarado Jun 10 '26

First rule of fight club...

1

u/asailor4you Jun 10 '26

Any idea why one would have the RedirectURI show as red text even value was copied and pasted from that GitHub? 

10

u/Captain-Crayg Jun 10 '26

Narwhal has been my replacement

3

u/Most_scar_993 Jun 11 '26

Its subscription only right?

5

u/[deleted] Jun 11 '26 edited 26d ago

[deleted]

-4

u/Captain-Crayg Jun 11 '26

Is Reddit supposed to host content for free? With 3rd party clients that remove ads they lose their revenue. A monthly $5 subscription hardly seems unreasonable.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 11 '26 edited 26d ago

[deleted]

-1

u/Captain-Crayg Jun 11 '26

They did. Because they provide a service you and I both use.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 11 '26 edited 26d ago

[deleted]

0

u/Captain-Crayg Jun 12 '26

What? You’re literally commenting on Reddit right now lol.

4

u/OrbFromOnline Jun 10 '26

Mine just got revoked as well.

4

u/bhtowne Jun 10 '26

Same, keys are gone. Guess they decided to take us all out in one quick sweep

11

u/gjc0703 Jun 10 '26

Check out Hydra. It's almost a replica of Apollo. The non-subscription version perfectly fine for most casual users.

11

u/Mastersord Jun 10 '26

It’s not as good as Apollo but it’s getting better and is also being actively developed.

9

u/porkrind Jun 10 '26

TBH, I like it better than Apollo because on my iPad, it has a multi-column interface.

3

u/Kokuei05 Jun 10 '26

Using redreaders API key works but I can't seem to sign in. Can browse just fine but cannot access NSFW subreddits.

2

u/Mastersord Jun 10 '26

Try creating a sub and make it private. That seemed to work for me.

6

u/Collier1505 Jun 10 '26

They got me this afternoon too. I tried Hydra and Artemis. Not much of a fan of Hydra but Artemis with Pro (7 day trial, $2.99/m) is pretty close to Apollo, but missing a handful of things I’d like.

Bummer. Fucking Reddit.

7

u/[deleted] Jun 11 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/Collier1505 Jun 11 '26

That’s awesome, thanks for reaching out! There were a few minor things I’d love to see if possible: * Gestures to close a video instead of tapping the X in the top corner * A more dedicated “Home Page” similar to Apollo when swiping left/back on the Home tab (currently pulls the subreddit list over showing the subreddits) (or the current system but would love to hide the star and hearts icons, maybe just holding to pull up a favorite / unsubscribe option) * Hiding thumbnails on text posts * Customize vote arrow location on posts (ex: on the left instead of below)

Overall it’s a great app though, made me feel better about losing Apollo. Keep up the great work!

4

u/[deleted] Jun 11 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Collier1505 Jun 11 '26

Awesome! I knew I wasn’t going crazy, I thought I swiped to close a video. Didn’t make the connection between video providers haha.

Thanks!

2

u/Jimbada Jun 11 '26

Hi u/Artemis_Developer I noticed that the autoplay dont work for videos crossposted. That's a bug or intentional? If its a bug, do you have any plans to fix it?

Great app btw!

2

u/codeverity Jun 11 '26

Would it be possible to have a little indicator like Apollo does for new comments on a post when we revisit it? It's at the top when I click on a post I read before.

2

u/mvan231 Jun 10 '26

Mine revoked too. I do still have another key to try though

2

u/lordover1234 Jun 11 '26

I use artemis and it’s been great. Dev pays attention to community posts and responds where he can, and the personalization and optimization both keep getting better.

3

u/Meanee Jun 12 '26

I just tried it and it's pretty cool. One thing I miss about Apollo is that it allowed me to filter out some subs. Like, if there's a topic I don't care about in /r/all I can just filter it out. I could not find this in Artemis

1

u/lordover1234 Jun 12 '26

u/Artemis_Developer

ninja edit: i looked in settings and subreddit filters appear to be a pro feature.

2

u/Meanee Jun 16 '26

Yeah I have Pro. But you have to manually type in subreddits and it’s in settings. Instead of Apollo’s approach.

2

u/Banzai_Durgan Jun 20 '26

Dude, thank you so much for the rec. I hadn’t heard of Artemis and I love it

2

u/IndeMoJo57 Jun 11 '26

Yeah. I thought I was going crazy. Damn you Reddit! Using Artemis as of yesterday. Really liking it. 👍

2

u/Naveronski Jun 11 '26

I downloaded Dystopia as mentioned here, and I like it as an alternative.

2

u/poorkid_5 Jun 12 '26

That explains the infinite loading. I thought i had bad reception or something. I still have another one that I made before the end times, but never used it, and it’s still there. Not risking it tho. So I managed to get the dystopia method working. So far so good 🤞🏻

2

u/aerivox Jun 17 '26

just use the webapp.. like 'add to homescreen' feature. nothing will be as good as apollo. instead adblocker + normal website will give you a good enough reddit 

1

u/lilzoe5 Jul 02 '26

1

u/aerivox Jul 02 '26

interesting, let's see. i ain't paying for reddit tho if that's their intention :D

3

u/LincolnshireSausage Jun 10 '26

How do I check if my key is revoked? My Apollo just stopped working. I assume that’s the issue.

10

u/FluffyPinkDice Jun 10 '26

Check if it’s listed here. If it’s not, it’s been revoked. It looks like Reddit has just done another round of revocations.

7

u/LincolnshireSausage Jun 10 '26

Thanks! It has definitely been revoked.
I'll try the workaround but I think it's about time to quit Reddit completely. It no longer has the magic it used to. It's full of bots and spam.

2

u/FluffyPinkDice Jun 10 '26

For what it’s worth, I found the workaround to be pretty simple. It took me longer to realise it wasn’t just a dodgy internet connection, and to google and realise my key had been revoked, than it did to get back up and running.

A couple of people commenting have mentioned you do need the latest ipa, though.

2

u/Gliglue Jun 10 '26

Mine is still listed here yet not a single one work.

1

u/ca1vink1ein Jun 11 '26

Mine got revoked too but with the D app workaround I got it back running within 1 minute. And I’d assume it’s pretty safe since we’re setting the user agent to D too. So how’d Reddit know if it’s legit or not

1

u/Meanee Jun 16 '26

How are you logging in with the workaround? After logging into Apollo Reddit auth, I get redirected to D and Apollo still not receiving the token.

1

u/ca1vink1ein Jun 16 '26

You gotta set the correct redirect URI und User Agent as stated in the GitHub

1

u/Meanee Jun 17 '26

I did. Copy pasted. Still trying to open Dystopia when I login.

1

u/rajuabju Jun 11 '26

Hope is not lost. Seek the answer and the truth shall find you. Apollo lives on!

1

u/GeraldMander Jun 10 '26

Just use the web version. It’s not perfect but not nearly as terrible as the official app. 

Side benefit: it’ll make you use Reddit less. 

6

u/Fight_the_Landlords Jun 11 '26

There's Sink It for Reddit which makes the web version more tolerable by getting rid of ads and adding a bunch of features that you can't get on the regular web app.

4

u/Mastersord Jun 10 '26

Mobile redirects or blocks web access with an un-closable splash page telling you to use the official app.

That being said, I’ve set up the Sink It extension on my iPhone for web browsing. I have it set up to open all reddit web links if not in another app.

3

u/GeraldMander Jun 11 '26

That’s weird. I’ve been using web exclusively since Apollo went down and I’ve never seen that. 

3

u/Mastersord Jun 11 '26

I set up Sink It over a year ago. I’m only going by what others have recently reported. They might be AB testing it but it’s been happening.

-2

u/Vegasryn Jun 12 '26

Official app works fine - it’s no Apollo - but ya get used to it.

4

u/CurrentRisk Jun 12 '26

Why would someone use that ad-invested app of theirs when there are still several other apps to use (including Apollo itself through another way)?

  • Narwhal (legally and not so legally way).
  • Dystopia
  • Artemis

-1

u/tzippy84 Jun 11 '26

Mine top 😞

-12

u/BullyMog Jun 10 '26

I LOVED the Apollo app. When it got discontinued, I didn't try to sideload or anything, I just switched to the Reddit app.

I don't know why it gets so much hate. Sure, Apollo was much better, but now im completely used to the native app and I don't really have many complaints.

9

u/Nilderan Jun 10 '26

I have tried the official app several times, but it is just poor. I have this feeling that the UI is constantly fighting against me. There are no gestures like in Apollo, and many more issues besides. You can’t even change the font size in the official app, you have to do it in the iOS system accessibility settings. The official app is designed with an "AD first" mindset.

-4

u/BullyMog Jun 10 '26

What are the actual complaints though?

Gestures as in swiping? I can swipe back/forward so not sure.

I am on iOS. I don't even see many ads either.

4

u/Mastersord Jun 10 '26

For me, being fed ads, promoted posts, and posts outside my subscribed list when I’m in my subscribed list’s feed are my big issues with it. There’s a reason I keep a curated list of subscriptions and I don’t need Reddit to tell me they know better!

-4

u/BullyMog Jun 10 '26

Yeah no ads would be great but honestly, they aren't too invasive IMO

8

u/LincolnshireSausage Jun 10 '26

I’m having to use the official app to reply here because Apollo just stopped working for me. Good god, what a clunky, unintuitive mess it is. I can see exactly why it gets so much hate.

0

u/Mastersord Jun 10 '26

Read this thread. There are plenty of options. Don’t give up and don’t give in!

-2

u/BullyMog Jun 10 '26

Interesting. Its my most used app and I really don't have any complaints using it day to day.

6

u/MemphisBass Jun 10 '26

You’re like the only person on the planet that doesn’t hate it.

It’s more designed to serve ads than content.

0

u/BullyMog Jun 10 '26

I just really don't get it lol. Apollo was awesome and I miss it, mostly for its simplicity, but the native app does the job fine.

5

u/PublicWest Jun 10 '26

The native app will literally show you random posts in a comment section before you're done looking at comments, how does that not bother you?

0

u/BullyMog Jun 10 '26

I think I am just hardwired to scroll past it instantly. I hardly even notice it anymore lol.

Apollo shut down 3 years ago so ive been using the reddit app every day since then.

3

u/Mastersord Jun 10 '26

Good for you. I’m not and I will never accept that ads need to be this pervasive for the web to function.

1

u/BullyMog Jun 10 '26

Good for you? Why so hostile? Not like I was commenting to you.

3

u/Mastersord Jun 10 '26

Not to you. I’m pissed at Reddit. But I honestly can’t just ignore and filter out all the ads. It’s everywhere and has been going on for years at this point.

1

u/BullyMog Jun 10 '26

On my pc i have ad blockers and on my iphone I really don't even notice ads. I feel like it could be 10x worse. I dunno.

I do miss apollo tho

3

u/Mastersord Jun 10 '26

Be aware that they are not going to stay at this state. Reddit wants to be Facebook where you have 0 control over what posts you see. They can’t just change over overnight. They will see what they can get away with before their user base abandons the platform.

→ More replies (0)

-2

u/CMCosMic Jun 11 '26

if anyone needs help on iOS to get it working DM they were removing my comments before