Sorry haters, Evan Spiegel is not sorry about Snapchat's redesign

Evan Spiegel just isn't too concerned about the haters.
 By 
Karissa Bell
 on 
Sorry haters, Evan Spiegel is not sorry about Snapchat's redesign
Evan Spiegel is not concerned about the haters. Credit: Getty Images for Time Inc/Larry Busacca

Hate Snapchat's redesign? Chances are, you're not alone.

Not that it matters much, though, because Snap CEO Evan Spiegel just confirmed that he's not too concerned about the haters.

Speaking at Goldman Sach's Internet and Technology conference in San Francisco Thursday, the Snap CEO acknowledged that "it will take time for people to adjust," but said he's been very happy with the reaction to the redesign -- even the negative ones.

"We're excited about what we're seeing so far. The best part is that even some of the complaints we're seeing reinforce the philosophy [behind the design]," he said.

"For example, one of the complaints we got was 'Aww...I used to feel like this celebrity was my friend, and now they don't feel like my friend anymore.' And we're like, 'Exactly. They're not your friend.'

"So for us even some of the frustrations we're seeing really validate those changes."

In other words: all those complaints are a feature, not a bug.

Spiegel's comments come as the backlash against Snapchat's redesign continues to grow. A change.org petition demanding the company reverse its update has now gathered more than 1 million signatures, and the app has earned nearly 200,000 one-star reviews in the App Store in the last couple weeks.

Spiegel also offered some additional context on the philosophy behind the design. The point, he said, was to make a clearer distinction between Snapchat's private communication features (one-to-one snaps and chats) and the public-facing or "broadcast" aspects of the services (Stories).

"We were frustrated that both ides of the camera really looked the same, they were both a list of your friends," he said.

"That didn't make a on of sense because people weren't focused on the way they were communicating, they were focused on the relationship with their friends. We felt very strongly that Stories and communication should rotate around that relationship, not around the media type."

Unfortunately for Spiegel, many of Snapchat's users just don't care about Spiegel's philosophical opinions at all -- they just want to get people looking at their Stories again.

Mashable Image
Karissa Bell

Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
iOS 27 update: Liquid Glass haters should prepare for disappointment
Apple logo on smartphone screen

iPhone 18 leaks about Dynamic Island redesign may have been the result of mistranslation
Dynamic Island

Google Maps receives major upgrade with 3D redesign, AI feature
Google Maps upgrade

Snapchat adds Arrival Notifications to help users feel safer
Phone screen showing the Snap Map on a yellow background.

Snapchat is testing creator subscriptions, giving top creators a new direct revenue stream
the Snapchat logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 4, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 4, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!