When Snapchat announced a redesign of the user interface last year, the company said the change could be temporarily disruptive and many users that have access to the update would probably agree. The reorganized Snapchat is only live in a handful of countries including Australia, Canada, and the U.K., with a global rollout planned before the end of March.
Even with the slow rollout, the reviews of the update have been largely negative and there are now even Change.com petitions to fix or remove the update. The updated user interface splits public posts from friends with a left swipe for friends and a right swipe for publishers, but there are a few other changes mixed in with the new organization scheme. So should you go in and turn off the automatic updates? Here’s what some users saying about the new design.
*new Snapchat update*
Snapchat: “YAHH SOMETHING NEW!”
the world: pic.twitter.com/wQWLelfDLd
— Gabe Erwin (@gabe) February 7, 2018
Snaps aren’t in chronological order
Instead of chronological order, Snaps and Stories are algorithmically ranked based on the users you interact with the most.
why is every social media app in the history of ever now NOT in chronological order….? what is the purpose of that? @ snapchat update #snapchatupdate #snapchatisoverparty
— lexy rose (@lexyrose95) February 8, 2018
Publishers may be separated from friends, but mixed with users you don’t follow
Dear @Snapchat I am not Interested on watching the stories of people I don’t even follow, obviously. I am here for my friends and some influencers I like, not random influencers or bloggers on the platform. Please, fix this. #makesnapchatgreatagain #snapchatisoverparty
— Miriam Zapata (@miriamszapata_) February 7, 2018
You should change the stories back to the way they were; but if you keep the new boxes then put them in order of when they were posted; not how you want them to be ordered. @Snapchat @snapchatsupport #snapchatupdate #snapchatisoverparty
— SHĀKIRÃ (@ItsShakiraMarie) February 8, 2018
Stories are harder to find
Stories, Snaps and messages are all mixed in on a left swipe to access the friend section rather than located in separate spots. Re-watching a friend’s Story also now requires navigating to their profile.
The only plus side to this #Snapchatupdate is that you don’t have to watch someone’s fortnite or bath bomb stories because you can’t find them!!
— Tessa Joy (@tessajoy3) February 8, 2018
Or not
I wish @Snapchat would stop trying to force me to watch people’s stories. I do not care what my friends had for breakfast this morning. #snapchatupdate
— John Turner (@johnmturner70) February 8, 2018
With more ads
Hey, Snapchat’s gotta pay the bills. Snapchat just posted a profit in the last quarter of 2017 after a rough year on Wall Street — and of course, some of that is from advertising.
Dear @snapchatsupport – we want to see our FRIENDS stories not ads. I don’t want to have to search through all my friends to view stories, I want them all to flow. Y’all won’t listen though #snapchatisoverparty
— LEXI (@sexilaba) February 9, 2018
Making Snapchat easier for new users can confuse current users
My phone updated @Snapchat and I’m livid. I’ve had #Snapchat since the beginning and I literally don’t even know how to work it now. #snapchatupdate is trash.
— Emily (@eethomaswick) February 9, 2018
But while you’re updating…
That’s all we’ve ever asked for…Thank God my snap didn’t update #snapchat #snapchatupdate pic.twitter.com/iQnLAd0pcu
— Ragnar (@RagnarsFavSon) February 7, 2018
At least the Bitmojis are good…
I’m surprised #SnapChatIsOverParty isn’t trending worldwide. @Snapchat you messed up the app. The only new thing I like is the more life like bitmoji’s. But You messed up stories; and limited the views that they get. #snapchatupdate
— SHĀKIRÃ (@ItsShakiraMarie) February 8, 2018
But Snapchat isn’t done updating
Snapchat saw its highest user growth numbers yet in the last quarter of 2017, along with growth among users older than 35. Snapchat isn’t done updating the app though — CEO Evan Spiegel said the team has already started optimizing the update based on feedback but that the team will continue optimizing the new design through the next several months.
Here’s how to give @Snapchat @snapchatsupport @Snap feedback to remove this update.. RT to spread the wave of feedback. The more people that do it, the more likely it is to be removed. #snapchatupdate #snapchatisoverparty #snapchatupdate fix #snapupdate #snapchat update pic.twitter.com/nyLJOJP9YK
— Chy Sky (@Eternaaphrodite) February 9, 2018
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it #snapchatupdate pic.twitter.com/ynSHZaRQ8C
— Noah Mullenax (@Noah_Mullenax) February 9, 2018
