How to Fix Reddit Search Not Working

In a Nutshell

If Reddit search is not working for you, it could be because Reddit is facing an outage and their servers may be down. If that’s not the case, try updating the Reddit app, disabling ad blocker and browser extensions, signing out of your account, and clearing the app or browser cache.

Reddit is home to some of the biggest communities on the internet. It is a place where users from all around the world can come together to discuss a range of topics, including education, entertainment, and politics.

Reddit is filled with lots of posts which is where their search functionality comes in handy. If you’re looking for a specific topic, you can search for it and Reddit will display all the relevant results.

Some users have reported issues with the Reddit search feature where it returns zero results, shows blank search suggestions, and doesn’t work at all. It sometimes returns the following error:

  • Sorry, there were no post results for “[some keyword]“.
  • Sorry, for some reason Reddit can’t be reached.

If you’re facing a similar problem, this guide showcases a number of effective solutions to fix the problem.

Why is the Reddit search not working?

If Reddit search is not working for you, the most common cause for this issue is when the website has glitched or Reddit’s servers are down. In such cases, the issue is from the platform and you have to wait for the developers to fix the problem.

The problem can also be due to the following:

  • Network issues such as slow or disconnected internet.
  • Using an outdated version of Reddit.
  • Your browser may be outdated.
  • Conflict with ad blockers.
  • Corrupted app or browser cache.

How to fix Reddit search not working

1. Check if Reddit is down

Reddit Status Page

It could be that Reddit is down or some of their servers are facing an outage. In such cases, some or all features of the platform are impacted and will malfunction. The issue could also be due to bugs and glitches on Reddit’s website or app.

To find out if Reddit is down, check their official Status page, Down Detector, or user reports on Twitter.

2. Update the Reddit app

Update Reddit app

If you’re having issues with the Reddit app, then you must check if you’re using the latest version of the app. Old versions usually contain bugs and glitches that are fixed in new updates.

Go to the App Store or the Google Play Store and search for Reddit. If there are any updates available, install it and check if the issue is resolved.

3. Turn off ad blockers

Disable Ad blocker Google Chrome

Ad blockers usually block certain scripts that could be in use by Reddit and this causes some features of the platform to stop working, such as the search functionality.

If you have installed ad blockers in your web browser, disable them and check if it resolves the issue.

4. Sign out of your account and log in

Your account could be facing some form of a temporary glitch that is preventing the Reddit search from working.

To fix this, sign out of your account and log in again to check if the issue gets resolved.

5. Clear cache and data

A corrupted cache or data can cause certain features of Reddit to stop working properly. The solution to this is to clear all cached data to check if it fixes the Reddit search functionality.

Here’s how to clear the Reddit cache on certain platforms:

Android:

  • Open the Settings app.
  • Go to Apps.
  • Find and open Reddit from the list of installed apps.
  • Tap on the Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons.
  • Restart your phone, then open Reddit.

iOS:

  • On your Home screen, find the Reddit app.
  • Tap and hold on to it, then select Remove App.
  • Once uninstalled, go to the App Store and reinstall the Reddit app.

Google Chrome on PC:

  • Click on the three-dots icon in the top right to open the Google Chrome menu and select Settings.
  • Go to Privacy and Security.
  • Click on Clear browsing data.
  • Change the Time range to All time. Tick the Browsing history and Cached images and files checkboxes.
  • Press Clear data.
  • Now go back to Reddit and check if the Reddit search is broken or is working.

6. Open Incognito/Private mode

If you’re using browser extensions, then they could be conflicting with Reddit and preventing it from functioning properly. This usually happens when using certain ad blockers.

In your web browser, open a new window in Incognito or Private mode. For instance, in Google Chrome, you can do this by going to FileNew Incognito Windows.

Open Incognito Window in google chrome

Now go to Reddit’s website and check if the search returns any results. If it does, then it means that the issue is due to an extension that you’ve installed in your browser. You can disable each extension one by one until you find the culprit.

7. Contact Reddit

Contact Reddit support

If none of the solutions above fix the problem, then you should contact Reddit’s customer support team to report the problem. You can contact Reddit by going to this page: https://www.reddit.com/contact/.

Wrapping Up

The search functionality of Reddit is an essential feature for users to find anything that they’re looking for. If the Reddit app search is not working and the Reddit search is not showing any results, the solutions above will help you fix the problem.

Suggested articles:

Default image
Ali Mahdi

Ali Mahdi is the founder of CyberTips and a seasoned software developer. His expertise lies in programming, cryptocurrency trading, and social media marketing. In addition to CyberTips, Ali has written for other prominent blogs in the past for 5+ years, including iDrop News, Redmond Pie, iPhone Hacks, and iDownloadBlog.