Snap CEO Announces Testing of a ‘Streamlined’ Snapchat Version

Snapchat is under experimentation with a “more straightforward version,” according to a missive from CEO Evan Spiegel to his workforce, unveiled on the Snap website on Tuesday. Spiegel states this new rendition seeks to enhance the platform for easier access and use. For those recalling the app’s 2018 revamp, this announcement might provoke skepticism.

In an effort to uplift the morale of his team on Tuesday, following a dismal period for Snap’s share values which have dipped by almost 50% in 2024, Spiegel extended his words of encouragement.

“The apprehension amongst investors regards our growth pace,” Spiegel acknowledged in his communication.

This endeavor to introduce a “stripped-down” Snapchat may be directed towards engaging an older demographic, traditionally baffled by the application’s complex interface. While Snapchat excels in captivating a younger crowd who seem to intuitively navigate the app, addressing this disparity isn’t a novel challenge for the company.

Consider the 2017 earnings discussion where Spiegel conceded the feedback that “Snapchat is challenging to grasp or utilize,” especially by the older generation. A significant redesign followed months later aiming to re-engage those users, integrating stories with private messaging, among other updates that instead, disillusioned many more than it won over.

A Change.org campaign in 2018, pleading to “revoke the new Snapchat update,” amassed 1.2 million signatures, and saw venting by celebrity names like Kylie Jenner, Chrissy Teigen, and Marques Brownlee. The revision took a toll not only on user engagement but also plummeted advertising views and revenue, alienating the young users while failing to allure the older demographic. By May 2018, Snap found itself in a scramble to retract some adjustments.

In the letter from Tuesday, Spiegel described the preliminary feedback on the streamlined redesign as “directionally optimistic,” however, he admitted that “we are proceeding thoughtfully and with caution concerning a switch of this scale.” Clearly, he is mindful of the backlash from the 2018 attempts, a lesson that remains vivid in the memory of everyone at Snap.

Spiegel’s announcement of Snapchat’s forthcoming simplified layout was embedded within a broader discourse on Snap’s strategic vision. He optimistically presented Snap’s dive into AR glasses, branded as Spectacles, as venturing into an unchallenged market, seemingly overlooking competitors like Meta’s AR glasses, Meta Ray-Bans.

Striving to revitalize Snapchat’s faltering advertising sector, Spiegel revealed newly devised ad placements, termed Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places. The first gives brands the ability to dispatch Snapchats directly to the chat inboxes of users, while the second provides a platform for advertisers to highlight locations within Snap Map.