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Reddit Save vs Upvote vs Hide: what actually gets saved?
Three buttons, three different lists — and none is a viewing history. Here's exactly where each one puts a post, who can see it, and what to do when you tapped none of them.
| Action | Where it appears | Persists after refresh? | Visible to others? | Truth note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Save | Profile → Saved | Yes | No — private | Reliable bookmark. Must tap before you lose it. |
| Upvote | Profile → Upvoted | Yes — while upvoted | Public (unless you hide votes in settings) | A vote, not a bookmark. Un-upvote removes it. |
| Hide | Profile → Hidden | Yes — hidden from feed | No | Removes from feed; unhide to restore. |
| Just viewed | Nowhere | No | — | Reddit has no "recently viewed" shelf. |
Honest note: if you didn't Save, Upvote, or Hide before the post disappeared, none of these tabs will have it. See how to find it anyway below.
What Save actually does
Save is Reddit's bookmark. It adds the post to your private Saved list. It does not re-rank your feed, it does not notify anyone, and it is the most reliable way to keep a post you might want back.
Avatar → Profile → Saved tab. Works on desktop and mobile. Search within Saved is limited — scroll or use browser find.
No. Saving is private to your account. The author is not notified, and Saved is not visible on your public profile.
You must tap Save before you lose the post. Saving can't help after a refresh if you never tapped it.
What Upvote actually does — and doesn't
Upvote is a public signal, not a bookmark. It bumps the post's score, shows in your Upvoted tab, and — depending on your Reddit settings — may be visible to others visiting your profile.
Avatar → Profile → Upvoted. If you hide votes in Settings → Profile → Show upvoted posts, the tab may appear empty to you or to others.
Un-upvoting removes it from the list. If you habitually upvote dozens of posts a day, the Upvoted tab is noisy. Save is the deliberate keep.
What Hide actually does
Hide removes a post from your feed. It doesn't delete it, it doesn't block the subreddit, and you can undo it. People use it to declutter — not to save.
Profile → Hidden → Unhide. The post returns to its subreddit and to search; it just stops being hidden from your feed.
Hide affects only your view. The post stays live for everyone else. To block a subreddit or user is a separate action.
What none of them do: Reddit has no "recently viewed" shelf
Unlike YouTube's Watch History, Reddit does not record posts you merely scrolled past. Profile shows Saved, Hidden, Upvoted, and your own posts/comments — not browsed history. Browser history only records pages you opened, not feed items that crossed the viewport. That's why a refresh can feel like the post never existed.
For next time, how FeedUndo keeps the last 10 locally without an account — only after install, only the last 10 viewport hits, only on your device. Details: where your history actually lives.
If you didn't Save / Upvote / Hide — how to find it anyway
Browser history search
Ctrl + H (or chrome://history) → search reddit.com + a keyword or subreddit. Sort by today. Only helps if you opened the post — scrolling past on the feed doesn't create a history entry.
Reddit and Google search
Reddit search with the subreddit filter, or Google: site:reddit.com/r/SubredditName "exact phrase". Add quotes for an exact title fragment and use Tools → Past 24 hours if you saw it recently.
For next time: a local safety net
FeedUndo watches which Reddit posts cross the viewport on desktop Chrome and stores the last 10 locally in chrome.storage.local — title, subreddit, URL, thumbnail. Open the popup to reopen. No account, no cloud, no tracking. It can't recover posts from before install, and the detailed storage model is explained in where your history actually lives.
Make Save a habit
The simplest fix is behavioral: when something catches your eye, tap Save before you keep scrolling. Even if you never lose the post, Saved becomes a useful short-term inbox. Pair it with a local last-10 recorder for the times you forget — one covers the intentional saves, the other covers the accidental scrolls.
Does Reddit keep a history of posts I've viewed?
No. Reddit has Saved, Hidden, and Upvoted lists, but not a viewed-post history. Browser history only shows posts you opened, not feed items you scrolled past. FeedUndo adds a local last-10 history on your device after you install it — it can't look back.
Does saving a post notify the author?
No. Saving is private to your account. The author is not notified. Find saved posts at avatar → Profile → Saved.
If I upvoted a post, can I always find it in Upvoted?
Usually, yes — Profile → Upvoted. But if you un-upvote it, or have hidden upvotes in Reddit settings, it won't appear. Upvoting is a vote, not a bookmark; Saving is the reliable way to keep it.
Does hiding a post delete it?
No. Hide removes the post from your feed and moves it to Profile → Hidden. You can unhide it there. It does not delete the post for others and does not block the subreddit.
I didn't save or upvote — can I still find the post?
Try browser history (Ctrl + H → reddit.com + keyword/subreddit) and search with site:reddit.com/r/subreddit "exact phrase". For next time, FeedUndo stores the last 10 posts that crossed your viewport locally after install — see where it stores them.
Save the habit.
Keep the safety net.
Save what you mean to keep. Let FeedUndo remember the 10 you scrolled past — locally, on your device.
Chrome manual beta + Firefox on AMO · feedundo.pages.dev