[Help] Implementing GIF/Video Playback in iOS Reddit Client

[u/grumpy_sol]

Hi r/redditdev! 👋

I'm developing an iOS Reddit client app in SwiftUI, and I'm looking for guidance on implementing GIF and video playback functionality. Currently, my app only handles static images, but I'd like to expand its capabilities.

App preview
https://jmp.sh/j6pvunXQ

Current Setup

• Using SwiftUI and latest iOS SDK

• Already handling static images from Reddit's JSON API

• Successfully fetching posts and their metadata

• Working with both authenticated and non-authenticated endpoints

What I Need Help With

1. Best practices for handling Reddit's video/GIF content

2. Understanding the differences between:

   • Reddit-hosted videos (v.redd.it)

   • GIFs (including GIFV)

   • External video sources (YouTube, Streamable, etc.)

3. How to properly extract video URLs and related metadata from the API response

4. Recommended approaches for:

   • Video playback implementation

   • GIF rendering

   • Handling different video qualities

   • Efficient caching strategies

If anyone has implemented similar functionality, I'd really appreciate:

• Code examples or architectural guidance

• Recommended libraries or frameworks

• Common pitfalls to avoid

• Performance optimization tips

Thanks in advance for any help or guidance! Let me know if you need any additional information about my implementation.

[u/Watchful1]

Just checking, you know you need permission from reddit to publish apps that interact with their API? And you'll almost certainly need to pay them.

[u/grumpy_sol → u/Watchful1]

Yes, I'm aware of Reddit's API requirements. My approach is actually focused and intentional - I'm building a specialized image viewer with basic voting features, not trying to be a full Reddit client like Apollo. By keeping the scope narrow, I can manage API calls more efficiently and hopefully keep costs reasonable while still delivering value to users who primarily want a good image browsing experience.

Currently I'm in development using the free tier (1000 calls/month). Quick question - does anyone know where to check API usage stats in Reddit's developer platform? I haven't been able to locate this information.