Can People See What You Save on Reddit? Privacy Guide
No, other users cannot see your Reddit saves. Here's a complete breakdown of what's private on Reddit, what's not, and common misconceptions about profile visibility.
No, Nobody Can See What You Save on Reddit
Your Reddit saved posts and comments are completely private. No other user — not friends, not moderators, not subreddit admins — can see your saved list. This is one of the few things on Reddit that is truly and permanently hidden from everyone but you.
What's Private vs. Public on Reddit
Reddit's privacy model is a mix of public-by-default and private-by-default features. Here's the complete breakdown:
Always Private (Nobody Can See)
| Activity | Visible to Others? |
|----------|-------------------|
| Saved posts/comments | Never |
| Hidden posts | Never |
| Browsing history | Never |
| Downvoted posts | Never |
| Private messages (DMs) | Only the recipient |
| Blocked users list | Never |
Public by Default
| Activity | Visible to Others? |
|----------|-------------------|
| Posts you submit | Yes (unless in a private subreddit) |
| Comments you write | Yes |
| Karma score | Yes |
| Account age | Yes |
| Subreddits you moderate | Yes |
| Awards you've given (on older posts) | Yes |
Configurable Privacy
| Activity | Default | Can Be Changed? |
|----------|---------|----------------|
| Upvoted posts | Private | Can be made public in settings |
| Active communities | Shown on profile | Can be hidden |
| Online status | Visible | Can be turned off |
| Profile followers | Count only | Followers list hidden |
The Upvote vs. Save Confusion
The most common misconception about Reddit privacy is confusing upvotes with saves. Here's the critical difference:
- Saves are always private. There is no setting to make them public.
- Upvotes are private by default, but there's a legacy setting in Reddit preferences that can expose them.
To verify your upvote privacy:
- Visit old.reddit.com/prefs (this setting isn't easily accessible on new Reddit)
- Scroll to "privacy options"
- Ensure "make my votes public" is unchecked
If this box was checked (it's off by default), your entire upvote history was visible on your profile. Unchecking it makes your votes private again.
What About Subreddit Moderators?
Moderators have more tools than regular users, but save visibility isn't one of them. Here's what mods can and cannot see:
Mods can see:
- Posts and comments in their subreddit
- Who reported content (sometimes, depending on mod tools)
- Moderation logs
- Modmail
- Traffic stats for their subreddit
Mods cannot see:
- Your saved posts
- Your voting activity
- Your browsing history
- Your DMs
- What other subreddits you visit
What About Reddit Admins?
Reddit employees (admins) are a different story. They have access to Reddit's backend database, which includes your saved posts. Reddit's privacy policy covers what data they collect and how they use it.
In practice, admins don't casually browse individual users' saved posts. This data is mainly used for:
- Recommendation algorithms
- Ad targeting
- Content moderation investigations (in response to legal requests or policy violations)
Third-Party Apps and Your Saves
Any third-party app or extension you've authorized through Reddit's OAuth system can potentially access your saved posts. This includes:
- Reddit mobile apps (official and third-party)
- Browser extensions
- Bots you've authorized
- Export tools
You can review which apps have access to your account at reddit.com/prefs/apps. Revoke access for anything you don't recognize or no longer use.
Extensions like Readdit Later access your saves through this same authorized OAuth connection and store everything locally in your browser — the data stays on your machine and is never sent to external servers.
The "People You Follow" Complication
Reddit added a follow feature that lets users follow other users and see their posts in their home feed. Being followed does not expose your saves. Followers can only see your public posts and comments — the same content any visitor to your profile would see.
You can see your follower count in your profile settings, though Reddit doesn't show you who specifically is following you.
Practical Privacy Tips
- Use saves instead of upvotes for sensitive bookmarking. Saves are guaranteed private; upvotes might not be if you've ever toggled the public setting.
- Audit your authorized apps. Go to reddit.com/prefs/apps and revoke access for anything you don't actively use.
- Be aware of your post/comment history. While your saves are private, your public comments can reveal a lot about you — especially when combined by someone reading through your history.
- Consider an alt account. Many Reddit users use separate accounts for different topics, especially sensitive ones. Your saves on each account are independent and private.
- Remember that Reddit the company can see everything. Your saves, votes, browsing patterns, and all other activity is accessible to Reddit's systems. If this concerns you, review their privacy policy.
Related: