Snapchat tweaks app slapped in flap
Snapchat’s parent just can’t seem to get it right.
Snap Inc. shares tumbled after it announced changes to a redesign — one that caught a ton of flak almost two months to the day after a divisive facelift irked celebs like Kylie Jenner.
Stock in the Venice, Calif., company headed by Evan Spiegel declined 7 percent, to $14.54, and is off 16 percent since the first design debacle.
Jenner, who tweeted “Sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore?” in February, carries enormous power on the social network because of her massive following. Shares fell 7 percent, wiping out $1.6 billion in market value the day of her tweet.
Snap said the tweak to this latest look came following user feedback. “We are always listening to our community and will continue to test updates that we hope will give Snapchatters the best possible experience on our platform,” the company said in a statement.
The change in the winter was meant to simplify and streamline the Snapchat experience, but appeared to have the opposite effect for many users.
Snapchat’s user interface was split in two, with conversations and stories in one window, and content from brands and celebrities in another.
Users complained it made it difficult to follow their best friends’ stories — and that it put their all-important Snap Streaks in danger due to confusion about how to send messages.
Snap also will be unveiling its next-generation single-camera Spectacles glasses, according to Wired.
The first generation, which had two cameras, was not a hit and resulted in $40 million in losses.