The short answer is 'yes'. The longer answer is 'Nothing on the internet is ever safe. Why are you asking this question. Show me on the doll where the JPG hurt you.' (I'm being silly, not trying to be mean.) Answer from Dump-ster-Fire on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/cybersecurity_help › is downloading pictures from reddit safe?
r/cybersecurity_help on Reddit: Is downloading pictures from Reddit safe?
July 23, 2021 -
I'm curious if downloading pictures from Reddit is really safe from viruses or not.
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The short answer is 'yes'. The longer answer is 'Nothing on the internet is ever safe. Why are you asking this question. Show me on the doll where the JPG hurt you.' (I'm being silly, not trying to be mean.)
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If reddit compresses or modifies the image in some way I think it would modify any malicious code the image could have inside (the file bytes change) thus making it harmless
Reddit
reddit.com › r/nostupidquestions › is it safe to download vids from reddit??
r/NoStupidQuestions on Reddit: Is it safe to download vids from Reddit??
August 23, 2021 -
Like will I get a virus
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The act of downloading videos from Reddit is fine, but stay away from shady sites. Edit: If you use an ad-blocker though, you should be fine, as there isn't really good way to embed viruses inside the video files themselves. I recommend the youtube-dl downloader since all of those Reddit video savers online pretty much just use youtube-dl on the backend.
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Why would you ? Reddit is one of the biggest website in the world, so no reason to worry too much. also internet isn't the virus hell. If you have up to date OS, a firewall in your router and some common sense you can use internet at an acceptable risk-level.
Videos
Is the Reddit app safe?
Yes, the Reddit app is safe as it follows the same security standards as the main website. It uses secure protocols to protect your data. But keep in mind that scammers, false information, and offensive content can show up anywhere on Reddit. Staying cautious while browsing helps you avoid most risks.
comparitech.com
comparitech.com › home › blog › vpn & privacy › is reddit safe?
Is Reddit safe? A complete safety guide for 2025
How safe is the Reddit app?
The Reddit app is generally considered to be safe and secure. It’s protected by the same protocols and standards as the Reddit website. However, users must still be cautious against scammers, inappropriate content, and misinformation.
us.norton.com
us.norton.com › blog home › scams › is reddit safe? how to protect yourself and stay private
Is Reddit safe? How to protect yourself and stay private
Does Reddit track users?
Yes, Reddit collects data and tracks user activity and a for various purposes, including advertising, personalization, and site optimization. This tracking allows Reddit to tailor content, recommend posts, and serve targeted ads based on users’ browsing behavior and preferences. You can manage some tracking preferences through their account settings and browser options. In addition, you can use VeePN — a trailblazing VPN service that prevents tracking and helps you stay anonymous.
veepn.com
veepn.com › home › is reddit safe? yes, but only with right precautions
Is Reddit Safe? How to Use It Safely with VeePN | VeePN Blog
Reddit
reddit.com › r/techsupport › is downloading videos from reddit is safe?
r/techsupport on Reddit: Is downloading videos from Reddit is safe?
May 14, 2024 -
Can i get any virus or smth after downloading videos/photos from Reddit on android ?
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no
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If you suspect you may have malware on your computer, or are trying to remove malware from your computer, please see our malware guide Please ignore this message if the advice is not relevant. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
VeePN
veepn.com › home › is reddit safe? yes, but only with right precautions
Is Reddit Safe? How to Use It Safely with VeePN | VeePN Blog
July 1, 2025 - While Reddit malware and phishing links are under constant watch of Web Risk, the site also has a strong Content Policy to fight cases of misinformation, fake news, hate speech, abuse, scams, and social engineering appearing from time to time ...
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 256098336
Is possible to get a virus from downloadi… - Apple Community
July 15, 2025 - That is done by the user inadvertently giving information to a scammer, not through a download. ... no, in most cases, downloading a video directly from Reddit is safe, especially if the video is hosted by Reddit itself (you’ll usually see links like v.redd.it).
Reddit
reddit.com › r/help › is it safe to download images from reddit?
r/help on Reddit: Is it safe to download images from reddit?
March 19, 2024 -
My laptop is being sent for repairs and I would like to download a bunch of images from reddit before that happens. Is it safe just to right click and save as or can there be some hidden code in the image files? Also, does the op know if I download their image this way or is there a better way to do it?
Thanks for help
Security.org
security.org › home › digital safety › is reddit safe?
Just How Safe is Reddit? | Security.org
October 10, 2025 - Verify links before clicking. Phishing scams are still prominent in 2024, so be wary when clicking links or downloading files shared on a subreddit. They’re so prominent that we made a complete guide to avoiding phishing attempts.
Wikihow
wikihow.com › computers and electronics › internet › social media › social bookmarking › reddit › is reddit safe? how to protect your privacy and safety
Is Reddit Safe? How to Protect Your Privacy and Safety
January 14, 2025 - The Reddit app itself is safe to use, however other users may post links to harmful websites. These may include virus and malware downloads as well as phishing scams that may steal your information.
Comparitech
comparitech.com › home › blog › vpn & privacy › is reddit safe?
Is Reddit safe? A complete safety guide for 2025
June 17, 2025 - You can manage ad preferences, limit tracking, and even request to download or erase your data if you choose to stop using the platform. Plus, Reddit also publishes a Transparency Report each year. This report outlines how the platform handles user data, government requests, content removals, and other key issues related to privacy and safety.
Norton
us.norton.com › blog home › scams › is reddit safe? how to protect yourself and stay private
Is Reddit safe? How to protect yourself and stay private
May 12, 2025 - Generally, Reddit is considered a trustworthy platform, but like any social media site, it comes with risks. Since Reddit is largely curated and moderated by users, harmful content — such as malicious links and scams — can sometimes slip through.
NordVPN
nordvpn.com › blog › is-reddit-safe
Is Reddit safe? | NordVPN
June 15, 2021 - While it won’t directly protect you from Reddit’s social media bullies, trolls, predators and data hoarding, it will encrypt your traffic, hide your IP, and enhance your privacy and safety online.
Onerep
onerep.com › blog › is-reddit-safe
Is Reddit Safe To Use? Evaluating Its Security Measures And Remaining Risks
August 18, 2025 - Reddit itself is safe from viruses. However, scammers can post malicious links in comments, messages, or posts that may lead to phishing sites or download harmful software if clicked.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/it › how safe is it to download something, an app or an update, on public, even with a vpn?
r/it on Reddit: How safe is it to download something, an app or an update, on public, even with a VPN?
November 30, 2023 -
Probably not the best place, but I'll take it to another subreddit if recommend a better place.
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Just downloading an update? That's fine. Any software worth it's salt is going to do an integrity check before it installs itself. If you're downloading an installer, it's more likely to be tampered with on the server-side than in-transit to you, regardless of whether or not you're using a VPN. You're more likely to download a bad executable from a malicious site than have someone at the local coffee shop just suddenly inject something nasty into something you're downloading. I avoid public wifi in particularly "noisy" places like airports and large hotels - and if I'm ON the public wifi I'm doing the bare minimum of emails or something - absolutely no purchases or banking, and only if I know my email client is using encryption (or webmail over HTTPS; your browser should alert you to any man-in-the-middle attempts to intercept the SSL). But as far as 'downloading an update?' Shouldn't be that big a deal.
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Hard to know without understanding the router/local network and the VPN's protocols! With a proper VPN, probably safe. Id be keen on checking the certificate and ip and dns im getting if I had to bank at the airport
Reddit
reddit.com › r/antivirus › does reddit contain spyware and viruses?
r/antivirus on Reddit: Does Reddit Contain Spyware And Viruses?
May 5, 2024 - Reddit is a website where people talk about different topics, share links, and post content like photos or videos. It's mostly safe, but some users might share harmful things like malicious links.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/antivirus › may i know if this is safe to download?
r/antivirus on Reddit: May I know if this is safe to download?
March 16, 2024 -
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PureVPN
purevpn.com › home › blog › is reddit safe? some easy ways to stay safe online
Is Reddit Safe? Some Easy Ways to Stay Safe Online!
June 20, 2023 - Some threat actors on Reddit are cunning and try to partake in most discussions to appear friendly and harmless. After that, threat actors might send you a message to start a conversation about something completely random. This is how things begin to roll in, and victims end up giving sensitive information to a cybercriminal or threat actor. There are many things parents should be aware of when it comes to social media to keep their children safe.
ExpressVPN
expressvpn.com › home › blog › featured › is reddit safe? avoid scams and stay protected | expressvpn
Is Reddit safe? Avoid scams and stay protected | ExpressVPN
June 25, 2025 - Reddit is generally safe, as long as you follow healthy online habits and avoid threats. The platform itself does not pose inherent security risks; however, the open nature of user-generated content can harbor dangers.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 7820848
Is Reddit a safe app? - Apple Community
January 9, 2017 - I've been using reddit for a while with no account but decided to download the app today. Is it safe from malware?
Reddit
reddit.com › r/techsupport › is downloading videos from reddit safe
r/techsupport on Reddit: Is downloading videos from reddit safe
November 24, 2025 -
I downloaded a nsfw video from a reddit community. Now I am getting paranoid about malwares .
I use a acer aspire 7 , win 11 laptop
Edit - i didn't leave reddit
Reddit
reddit.com › r/techsupport › i downloaded a video uploaded on reddit but i’m worried it could have a virus encrypted to it?
r/techsupport on Reddit: i downloaded a video uploaded on reddit but i’m worried it could have a virus encrypted to it?
June 12, 2024 -
There was no link to another website or anything like that, it was literally just a video and i accidentally held my finger over it and clicked download but it saved to my photos not my files. i deleted it, but worried i’ll get some sort of virus because i tend to try to avoid doing that. My IOS is up to date.
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So I could just tell you "no, you don't have a virus". But it's important you educate yourself on the matter, because this kind of question comes up A LOT and it's more helpful in the long run to prevent that. Video files generally speaking can't contain malware. Technically they can have malicious data embedded in the file somewhere that can exploit a vulnerability in a specific version of a specific media player, and if you happen to open the file in that software then it might execute that malicious data as code. But the chances of that are incredibly unlikely, and this is one of the reasons why you are constantly told to keep your software up to date for security. The same is true of most non-executable file types - images, audio, config files, documents. If the file doesn't execute, it can't execute malware; but it might potentially have some data or script that tricks the program it opens in to do something malicious. But additionally, Reddit Video - like most media file hosts - re-encodes the videos uploaded to it to ensure a consistent, efficient format for long term storage. So not only would someone have to hide malicious code inside a video that exploits a vulnerability they know about in a video player that you use that hasn't been patched yet, but they'd also need to embed it in a way that survives whatever re-encoding and malware scanning and other processing Reddit does to those uploads. So basically, it's not happening. On top of that, you're using iOS, which compared to a desktop computer implements lots of security protections that prevent a malicious app (or a regular app that has a vulnerability that could cause it to act maliciously) from having much of an impact on the device as a whole. Most apps run in their own little sandbox, they can't interact with other apps on the device, or do anything iOS doesn't let them do; to even access certain critical resources like the camera or shared files, you need to explicitly grant them that permission. Or, the malware needs to be so sophisticated that it can exploit a weakness in iOS itself to gain that access, on top of everything else it's doing. Any individual act above is incredibly unlikely. Like, spy agencies and hacker groups pay many millions to people who discover those kinds of flaws. The idea that the whole chain of them occurs, well let's just say you've got a better chance of being struck by lightning while being attacked by a shark on land after having won a $100 million lottery. I'm not sure what you think encryption is, but it has nothing to do with this.
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If you suspect you may have malware on your computer, or are trying to remove malware from your computer, please see our malware guide Please ignore this message if the advice is not relevant. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.