With huge update, Snapchat will help you find Friends faster
Snapchat is going to sport a very different look.
The messaging app’s parent company, Snap Inc., detailed Wednesday a massive update that it says will draw a clear line between messages you send to friends and content users consume through Stories, which often include short, text-heavy videos from news publishers such as CNN.
In a promotional video, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said the changes will foster a more personal experience for users as it “separates the social from the media.”
“One of the complaints we’ve heard about social media is that photos and videos from your friends are mixed in with content from publishers, creators and influencers,” Spiegel said. “But your friends aren’t content. They’re relationships.”
The app will open by default to your smartphone’s camera.
Swiping left pulls up all stories and chats from friends, while swiping right brings up stories from publishers and creators.
Snapchat will also include a dynamic Friends page, which shows your contacts based on how you interact with them.
“We’ve all had the frustrating experience of scrolling endlessly through our Chats to find the right person — now your Friends will be listed in the order that you want to talk to them,” a blog post published by Snap reads.
The Discover section will feature subscribed-to Stories from publishers and will change based on what other Stories you view.
This month, Spiegel revealed plans to upgrade the user experience for Snapchat, which remains among the most popular social media apps for young people.
Snap faces increased pressure from Wall Street investors to deliver results similar to Facebook, a key competitor that owns photo-sharing app Instagram.
Last quarter, Snapchat’s daily active users grew 17%, but Snap’s losses widened to $443 million.