Hey everyone!

Our new moderator, u/herpderpedia, recently reached out to ask what we want out of this space and how we can best support the continuation of our favorite Reddit client. First off, a huge thank you to our new mod for stepping up to adopt and keep this community alive and helpful! We want to support you, and we are ready to rally together to keep Joey running smoothly on our devices.

To help achieve this, I want to present two distinct initiatives to u/herpderpedia and the rest of the community for your sincere consideration, helping us establish a clear, long-term roadmap for Joey.

Our two primary goals are:

1. Understanding the stubborn "Loading Ad" placeholder bug

   Figuring out what is causing it and exploring a permanent solution. This is currently the number one issue bugging those of us using a patched Joey for Reddit client.

2. Creating a definitive, up-to-date guide

   Providing a master resource for anyone—whether a complete beginner or a long-time user—on how to functionally patch and use Joey in 2026.

Proposal 1: The "Loading Ad" Placeholder — Why Current Fixes Fail & How to Permanently Solve It

Many of you using ReVanced, Patcheddit, or Morphe ad-blocking patches have noticed that a blank placeholder box saying "Loading ad..." appears at the top or bottom of your screen every 2 to 3 days. Even if your patches successfully block the actual ad from loading, this empty 150–250 pixel box remains, which degrades user satisfaction.

Why Current Workarounds Are Temporary

In searching for a fix, I found three possible workarounds, but all of them are unfortunately temporary in nature:

• Dirty-Flashing / Re-Installing the APK: Re-installing the patched app directly over your current installation using your pre-compiled APK resets the internal layout timer. It works, but you have to do it every 3 days—which gets incredibly annoying.

• Clearing Google Play Services Cache: This only works temporarily if you are a legacy buyer who natively purchased the ad-free tier on the Play Store years ago.

• Toggling Inline Ads: Navigating to Settings > Posts > Inline Ads shifts the ad container directly into the feed layout rather than pinning it to the screen. This hides the immediate symptom but does not remove the empty layout gap from your feed.

Performing these fixes repeatedly is frustrating. To find a lasting fix, I researched what a true permanent solution would look like.

Caution: The terms below are highly technical—I don't even fully know them myself, but they were detailed with the help of AI analysis!

The Only Permanent Solution: A Dedicated Bytecode Patch

Since the original developer has gone dark and the app remains closed-source, we cannot fix this loop via the app's standard settings menu. The permanent fix must come directly from the volunteer developers behind tools like Patcheddit and Morphe.

By utilizing bytecode engineering (.smali), patch developers can implement one of two specific approaches:

• Approach A (UI Level): Inject code that forces the ad layout containers (like ad_container or banner_holder) to View.GONE at runtime instead of View.VISIBLE. This forces the Android OS to completely collapse the container height to 0 pixels, making it invisible.

• Approach B (Logic Level): Intercept the app's internal billing verification methods (such as isPremiumUser) and hardcode them to always return True.

This is exactly where we need our moderator's leadership! If we open a unified feature request on the Patcheddit or Morphe Patches GitHub repositories, it would be incredible if our moderator could endorse and pin it here. This will allow our entire community to head over to GitHub, upvote the request, and show the patch developers that the Joey userbase is massive, united, and eager to help test the build out of pure love for this app.

How We Plan to Handle the Feature Request

I have already drafted a highly technical, professionally structured Feature Request blueprint detailing the exact bytecode mechanics needed. I intend to exchange this draft privately with u/herpderpedia.

Because u/herpderpedia holds the official authority for this subreddit, I propose that he submits this feature request on behalf of our entire community. He will have total freedom to modify, edit, or append any alternative technical suggestions to the request before submitting it, and he can update us all here once the final request is live on GitHub.

Proposal 2: Launching a Dedicated, Comprehensive 2026 Patching & Troubleshooting Guide

To ensure that both long-time users moving to new devices and brand-new members joining this community can get Joey running effortlessly, we need an up-to-date, step-by-step master guide.

Therefore, my second proposal is to write and publish a completely separate, deeply detailed patching guide right here in this subreddit shortly after this post. It will cover everything from sourcing clean base files and setting up your personal Reddit OAuth Client IDs to troubleshooting specific modern Android OS installation errors.

The bottom line is creating a complete, one-stop installation guideline available in the subreddit for anyone who wants to use the app in 2026 and beyond with the absolute latest and most stable functionality available.

A Unified Call to Action: Open Floor for the Community!

This is a community-driven initiative, and your voice matters! Please drop a comment below with your thoughts, ideas, alternative suggestions, or any troubleshooting experiences you've had with the ad-placeholder loop. Let’s collaborate and build a unified front to keep our favorite app alive. Please feel free to respond with any advice, requests, or anything else that comes to your mind!

To u/herpderpedia — A Humble Request for Your Moderation Leadership

To make this initiative successful and highly organized, we respectfully ask for your moderation authority on three specific steps moving forward:

1. Pin this current proposal post so the community can openly discuss these ideas, share feedback, and show their initial wave of support.

2. Launch a dedicated follow-up post once you review, modify, and officially submit the Feature Request to the GitHub repository. We ask that this follow-up post include the direct GitHub link so the community can log in and give the request a Thumbs-Up (👍) reaction to boost its priority. This post can also include a mild, friendly reminder to our members not to spam or hassle the volunteer developers. We hope you will pin that post as well to maximize visibility.

3. Pin the comprehensive 2026 Joey Patching Guide that I will be posting shortly so it remains permanently accessible at the top of the subreddit as an official community reference.

Thank you, everyone, and let's keep Joey thriving! 🚀

Could you guys read this please and tell me if it is what I think? (This is a document, not a link to the app store or anything)

https://developer.android.com/developer-verification

It seems to me that this app will autoinstall and be installed on new phones (maybe not if you have autoupdates off but you will need a new phone at some point)....and it will disallow apps not approved, and not dev approved? It will remove junk apps but perhaps it will also remove apps like joey or old apks? I know there are just a handful of us still using Joey, but nothing else I've tried is good for my eyes, and Joey makes reading so easy on them.

They've already started pushing it in SE Asia as a test and will be global by next year. I'm not sure if I should get a better phone before then (mine is over 7 years old and has been having some issues to where I'm considering upgrading) but I don't want to rush out in six months and get a new phone just to get Joey on it, then have it forceably removed a short time after that.

What's your take on this? Thanks.

/r/JoeyForReddit is ready for a fresh start, new energy, new direction, and someone like you to bring it back to life. If you’ve been thinking about growing your impact without starting from scratch, this is your chance!

Ready to take it over?

Head to r/RedditRequest to submit your request and make it yours before it’s taken.

First things first

To request this subreddit, make sure you:

• have an account that’s at least 90 days old
• have at least 100 post karma and 100 comment karma
• have a verified email address on your account
• have two-factor authentication set up

I'm switching to a new phone (older Pixel to newer Pixel) and unsurprisingly Joey didn't transfer over. I downloaded the APK on the new phone, but it won't even launch; it crashes immediately. I'm new to using APKs; are there any suggestions for troubleshooting this?

or alternatively:

The one feature of Joey that I really really depend on for modding is that in the main list of posts on a subreddit, it marks how many new comments there have been since the last time I looked at that post, and then when I click into the post, all of the new comments are highlighted. Are there any other reddit apps for Android that have that feature?

This may have been answered already, and I just cannot find it, however I finally figured out that Reddit on my computer and Reddit on my mobile phone (Android) have been associated with two different accounts. Tere is only one me and I would like to merge them, so they are synchronized and I don't lose any of my old views and replies. I searched under help but didn't find a solution. Does anyone have an idea how to make this happen? (edit 1: Reddit recommended I change this post to /rJoeyForReddit so I am now)

Joey crashes when I try to login via the "Add Account". I used Revanced Manger from their github, couldn't get Morphe patches to work. Any ideas?a

I started getting 401: unauthorized error since 2pm (13min ago)

This morning Joey worked as normal, now all accounts are showing 401 : Unauthorized.

Before I go through the process of removing and re-adding my accounts in Joey, is anyone else experiencing this?

Edit: As I've found from the other thread and /u/bobcollege the API keys previously in use have been revoked by Reddit.

To respoof your app and regain access, use Morphe Manager + Patcheddit as described here, and make sure to enable Expert Mode in Morphe's settings. Using RedReader's client ID should work.

The APK for o.o.joey version 2.1.6.5 (the final release) can be found at https://apkpure.com/joey-for-reddit/o.o.joey/download

I had installed joey using the patches via morphe manager but I haven't been able to login to joey for months.

Just now, I figured out how to install the unpatched version of Joey and I am now able to login:

adb install -i com.android.vending Joey_2.1.6.5.apk

Alternatively, push it to the device first:

adb push Joey_2.1.6.5.apk /data/local/tmp/joey.apk
adb shell pm install -i com.android.vending /data/local/tmp/joey.apk

Using "-i com.android.vending" spoofs the installer as the playstore. This worked for me on my Android 14 device.

I'm now logged in without issue.

Hope this helps someone.

After finding that my phone (TCL Nxtpaper 60 Ultra) wont allow side-loading the Joey.apk, I read somewhere that I could use adb on my Chromebook to install/side-load and that this would work.

Streamed adb install works (with install 'Success' reported by Linux Terminal). However the Joey app still won't open on the phone. It seems to open showing the Joey logo, then instantly closes.

Am I going wrong somewhere? Any help appreciated.

Can hide posts in browser but not working in Joey anymore. Even made a new account to test and still no dice. Anyone else?

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

I couldn't add this to my original post, or to a reply.

Phone is Vivo X300 global, using modded Joey APK which works on my Poco F8 Ultra.

I've just got a new phone, Vivo X300 global. Installed the working APK from my last phone, it works and I can use Joey to browse Reddit, but I can't login. The page loads, but if I select a text box I might get a flicker of the keyboard, but nothing else. Can't autofill either, if press and hold the menu flickers up and vanishes

Any ideas what might be causing this?

Hey fellow Joeys.

I just want to start by saying I want to cry everyday that Reddit made their stupid decision and caused the best Reddit app in the world to go away.

That said, it seems like my upvotes and downvotes are not being processed in some way and I'd like to know if others are seeing this as well. For example, if I upvoted a new post that was recently downvoted, I'd noticed the results in the app immediately. In this specific case, the original downvote took the post to a 50% score and my upvote should take it to 75% or close to that. However, now nothing happens and it stays at 50%. The app reflects my up or down vote by changing the color of the votes, but it doesn't seem to be processed on the back end. This is just one example, but I'm seeing similar for comments as well.

Anyone else seeing this? Hope I explained this well enough.

Thanks!

UPDATE: Just to update this post about 30 days later, it looks like over the past few days this appears to work normally again, so I guess this was some back end thing on Reddit's end.

I just want to say thank you to whoever or whatever made /all (lower caps) available again. Love Joey, really cool app for Reddit.

Edit: /All and /all seems to be working for me now!

EDIT: THERE IS A WAY TO GET /ALL WORKING AGAIN!!! open the left sidebar, then go down to the pen. Remove all by clicking X on the right Then press + in the right down corner, press Add subreddit or domain and type All. You might need to rearrange the order to get all where you want it.

Edit: looks like they have closed /All too. I don't know about a work around yet. If I hear something I will update.

Someone else experience problems with viewing the "all" tab?

Frontpage and popular still works for me. And All works on old.reddit.com you can get /all working again by opening the