Social media major Snapchat is trying to convince its users that they will get used to the changes that have been brought about on the app and they must have some patience. But the users don’t seem to be happy with Snap Inc for having made these design changes and simply want the old layout restored.
An online petition Change.org has gone viral and the number of people sighing on is only going up. Within a week, the Change.org petition has witnessed a 50% jump from around 800, 000 to over 1.2 million now.
After seeing such an overwhelming criticism, Snap finally stepped in, but has explained that it sticks by its decision to make these changes and says these are meant to make the users’ experience more personalized. As the Snapchatters keep using these features, they will find its usefulness, says the official note sent by Snap in response to the Change.org petition. Even some popular names and celebrities, like Chrissy Teigen have joined the nay-sayers for the changes made by Snapchat.
As far as the changes are concerned, they were a result of a complete revamp of the site, including a new Friends page. There are also changes in the way the stories are clubbed and in the Discover section, a lot of new things have been added. Many users have been quite upset with these new design features and functions and claim it has made the use of the app very difficult for them.
The response to this huge outcry from Snapchat has been quite consistent. Even the CEO of Snap, Evan Spiegel tweeted that he has been using the new design himself and it has become a habit now and he has grown used to it. He feels the others will also feel that way. Some observers point out that Facebook had attempted a similar large-scale revamp and had been fiercely resisted by the users. But gradually there has been the acceptance of the changes. Possibly, Snapchat can also come through with the users reconciling to the revamp.
Snap has, meanwhile, announced that they are making some minor improvements to the changes. They are introducing tabs within the Friends and Discover sections giving some options to the users.