snapchat

snapchat

Over the weekend, Snapchat did something to us that was reprehensible.  It was so incredibly despicable that I can’t believe it actually happened.  What did they do, exactly?  Well, they updated their app and the redesign merges your friends’ snap messages with their Stories.  I kid about the fact that it was reprehensible.  But many are using the #facepalm in relation to the change of design.  So many people were tweeting and posting on Instagram over the weekend with some pretty hilarious memes.  Most of which indicate that they’re not happy with the change.  Or their iPhone automatically applied the update and now they don’t know what to do.  But never fear – there is a way to switch back to the old Snapchat!

It’s actually kind of easy.

  1. Delete the existing Snapchat app
  2. Go to Settings > iTunes and App Store > Turn off Automatic Updates
  3. Download Snapchat (again)
  4. Type in your email address and then hit “forgot password”
  5. Choose to reset via your phone.  You will receive a code.  Type that in and then change your password.
  6. Log in and you will find that it’s the old Snapchat

Snapchat

But there’s a catch.  There’s always a catch, right?  According to Snapchat, this workaround is only temporary.  If you force quit the app and then re-open Snapchat, you will get the newly redesigned version again.  In theory, if you never force quit the app, you’ll have the old app forever. But at some point, you might need to quit the app (maybe your phone freezes or the app crashes) and then you’ll be forced onto the new app.

So what gives with this one? I mean, yes Snapchat is allowed to redesign their app whenever they want.  But why do these platforms not listen to what users want?  Or better yet, why aren’t they asking them at all?  I’m not saying that everyone who uses Snapchat should have a say in what the new app looks like, but at the same time, if you don’t ask the questions, you’re going to lose users.  In fact, 600,000 Snapchat users have signed an online petition urging Snapchat to change their platform back.

snapchat

While I think that Snapchat does need to listen to its users, I also think that they also shouldn’t change it back just because people are demanding so.  I realize that’s kind of talking out of both sides of my mouth, but hear me out for a moment.  Snapchat should not have made such large changes without having done some kind of testing to understand what people want and what they don’t want.  I’m going to assume that they did.  But the sample size is likely very small, so are they, in fact, getting enough user feedback?

At the same time, I also don’t think that they should cater to the whim of every person out there that don’t like the changes.  Change is a difficult thing to wrap your brain around.  It’s an uncomfortable place to be in.  I think that Snapchat should have rolled out some kind of small change before moving full boar with this one, but what’s done is done.  We all just need to relax.  We will get used to these changes, and something else will change for us to complain about, soon- I promise.

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