The reaction against Snapchat has been building in the months since the organization rolled out a major revamp, which intended to make the social app more available to a mainstream audience. Snapchat users have left the app bad reviews, criticized on social media, aimed to rival Instagram, and they signed a Change.org petition entitled, “Remove the new Snapchat update.”
Users are upset over a many of things in the new design, including the mixing of Stories in a particular “Friends” page, developed difficulties with finding friends and rewatching Stories, and a revamped Discover section which connects content from professional creators, big news breaks, video makers, and social media stars.
The Change.org petition didn’t delve into the specifics concerning the changes Snapchat users hate but say the update is “annoying,” and has made “many traits more difficult.” It asks Snap, Inc. to “change the app back to the basics.”
To date, Snapchat has been firmly standing behind the update, with Snap CEO Evan Spiegel saying ahead this month that, basically, people just need experience to get used to it.
“It’ll take time for people to adjust, but for me working it for a couple months I feel way more attached to the service,” said Spiegel.
The user backlash is suggestive of the one Facebook had faced years ago when users upset over the addition of News Feed which basically changed the Facebook experience. News Feed was ultimately a success; whether Snapchat can pull over is still unknown.
Snap’s earnings, however, looked to the redesign’s potential to positively impact the company’s numbers. Publisher Stories on Discover grew 40 percent matched to the old design, and users older than 35 were engaging with the app more, the company said when posting its first earnings beat.
But many users, right now, are not happy. As of February 13, 2018, the Change.org appeal had grown to over 800,000 signatures. Today, it stands at 1,227,058, as of the time of writing.
Last night, Snapchat posted an official response to the appeal, reiterating its position but also promising a few tweaks that may help to direct users’ concerns.
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