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Culture > News

Snapchat’s Latest Update Has The Internet Shook & Their CEO High-Key Predicted This Would Happen

Hannah Harshe
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Katherine Speller

When I heard about the horror that is the new Snapchat, I resolved never to update the app.

However, to my disgust, I must have put auto-updates on a while ago. Last night, I set my phone down for just long enough to make myself hot chocolate, and when I reopened the app, I didn’t even recognize it anymore. It had updated on its own, and the update was just as horrible as everyone had said. I don’t think I’ll ever forget how disappointed I felt in that moment.

Apparently, Snapchat predicted that its users would strongly object to this update, which it first announced in November.

“One thing that we have heard over the years is that Snapchat is difficult to understand or hard to use, and our team has been working on responding to this feedback,” CEO Evan Spiegel said on a conference call with analysts. “As a result, we are currently redesigning our application to make it easier to use.”

Although the update is different than what current Snapchat users are accustomed to, it does make sense that it may be a little bit easier for new users to understand. Stories and snaps are now both on the same screen, instead of stories being on the right screen and snaps being on the left screen. The right screen, where stories used to be, is now the Discover page, which features articles from various media outlets as well as group stories.

Because Snapchat has added so many new features in the past few years, some folks think a complete new design might be the best way to accommodate them. (Remember when Stories were this wild new feature and we were all shook?)

Spiegel claimed that users total aversion to the update will likely only be in the short term: “There is a strong likelihood that the redesign of our application will be disruptive to our business in the short term…We’re willing to take that risk for what we believe are substantial long-term benefits to our business.”

Hopefully, he’s right. I mean, most users were also angry about Instagram stories, Instagram videos, the Twitter update and Facebook creating a separate app for messages — but for now the suspicion (and Internet outrage) is all too real. And, apparently it is that bad to these users…

Me saying “good night streaks” to my roommate before bed.

Hannah is an editorial intern for Her Campus and the editor of the High School section as well as a chapter writer for the University of Michigan. Achievements include being voted "Biggest Belieber" (2010) and "Most Likely to Have a Child Born Addicted to Starbucks" (2016), as well as taking a selfie with the back of Jim Harbaugh's head.  Goals for the future include taking a selfie with the front of Jim Harbaugh's head.  She's also an obsessive Instagrammer, so hit her with a follow @hannah.harshe
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Katherine (or Katie) is the News Editor and resident witch at Her Campus. She first fell in love with journalism while attending SUNY New Paltz ('14). Since then, she has worked on the staffs at MTV News and Bustle writing about politics, intersectional social issues and more before serving as staff researcher at Lady Parts Justice League. Her work has been published in Women's Health, the Daily Dot, Public Radio International (PRI) and WNYC and she's been a regular panelist on a few podcasts (mostly screaming about repro rights.)  She is a Libra with a Taurus moon and a Scorpio ascendant, which either means nothing or everything. She loves strong diner coffee, reading tarot for strangers at the bar and watching the same three horror movie documentaries. She lives in the Hudson Valley with too many animals.