Snapchat update: Petition for redesign to be reversed attracts 700,000 signatures

One of the biggest criticisms surrounds 'stories', which now live on the new friends page

Aatif Sulleyman
Tuesday 13 February 2018 10:12 EST
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Snapchat release new version of the app for 2018

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A petition calling for Snapchat to reverse its latest update has been signed by more than 700,000 people.

The app has been dramatically redesigned and the changes have received overwhelmingly negative feedback.

The petition, which went live shortly after the update started rolling out to users, pleads for the return of Snapchat's old look.

“With the release of the new Snapchat update, many users have found that it has not made the app easier to use, but has in fact made many features more difficult,” it read.

One of the biggest criticisms surrounds "stories", which you used to be able to access by swiping left on the main camera screen.

You now have to swipe right on the camera screen to access your friends’ stories, which are mixed in with regular "snaps" and messages on the new friends page.

Critics argue it looks messy and say it does not help that stories are no longer ordered chronologically.

“There is a general level of annoyance among users and many have decided to use a VPN app to go back to the old Snapchat, as that’s how annoying this new update has become. Many ‘new features’ are useless or defeats the original purposes Snapchat has had for the past years,” the petition page noted.

“This petition aims to help convince Snap Inc. to change the app back to the basics, before this new 2018 update.”

The company, however, has called for patience, and is urging users to give the update “a chance”.

“An update as big as this one can take a little getting used to, but we hope you’ll enjoy it once you settle in,” it told upset users on Twitter.

Snapchat has also said it “isn’t possible” to revert back to the old version of the app, though users have discovered a workaround that lets them do exactly that.

However, security experts have warned users that reverting back to the old version of Snapchat and avoiding all updates for the app could leave users vulnerable to cyber criminals.

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