Snapchat to Redesign Critics: Keep Using the App — It Will Get Better

Snapchat has responded to a hugely popular Change.org petition against its recent redesign — and once again made clear that it has no intention to roll back these design changes. Instead, it told critics to keep using the app for personalization features to kick in.

“We hear you, and appreciate that you took the time to let us know how you feel,” the company told critics in an answer posted directly to Change.org. “We completely understand the new Snapchat has felt uncomfortable for many.”

Snapchat’s response came after more than 1.2 million users signed a petition on Change.org, demanding that the company undo its recent design changes. Snapchat’s advice to these critics: Just keep using it, and it may get better over time.

“The new Friends page will adapt to you and get smarter over time, reflecting who you’re most likely to be Snapping with at that moment,” the company wrote on Change.org. “This same personalization is also true of the new Discover, which will adapt to you the more that you use it.”

Snapchat also announced that it as going to add tabs in the Friends and Discover sections of its mobile app in the coming weeks to make it easier to follow stories of both friends and celebrities. “Once you receive the update, you’ll be able to sort things like Stories, Group Chats, and Subscriptions, allowing you to further customize your own experience on the app,” the company said.

Snapchat’s redesign was meant to simplify the app for new users, and was first launched in select markets in late 2017. In recent weeks, the company brought the redesign to the U.S. as well; it plans to make it available to all users by the end of this quarter.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel recently reiterated the company’s commitment to stick with the new design in an appearance at a Goldman Sachs investor event, where he told critics that they were proving the company right. “Some of the complaints we are seeing are reinforcing our philosophy,” he said.

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