Leaked Snapchat beta hints at new Stories section in redesign
Snapchat's hated redesign may be here to stay, but that doesn't mean Snap is ignoring all of the update's issues.
The chief one being that Stories are far less visible now than ever before. But if you glimpse the latest beta version of the app, it suggests the company is at least considering adding a new section for Stories within the redesign.
Screenshots obtained by Mashable show a new look for the app's Friends section that divides content into three tabs: Groups, Stories, and All. It appears that the "All" is the default section, which is basically the same as the algorithmic feed in the redesign. What's new, though, are dedicated tabs for group chats and Stories.
This should be particularly welcome news for everyone who has been concerned about the massive decline in Story views following Snapchat's redesign. Because Snapchat's feed is now algorithmic instead of chronological, Stories are more difficult to find.
It still appears that the Stories tab is sorted algorithmically, but it should at least make it easier to actually find Stories in the first place.
That's not the only change Snap is testing, though. Other beta features include: a new feature for GIF stickers (which sounds very similar to Instagram's Giphy-powered GIF sticker feature), the ability to set a "default skin tone" for in-app emoji, and the ability to share screen caps of Snap Maps directly within the app.
Instead of having to manually take a screenshot with your phone and then pull it back into the app from your photos app, the feature will let you send friends a screengrab of your map just by pressing and holding on the screen.
We've reached out to Snap for more information and will update if we hear back.
Of course, even if Snap is testing these features, the fact that they're in the beta doesn't guarantee they'll make it to the rest of us. That said, it is certainly a sign they're at least considering it.
Though Snap CEO Evan Spiegel maintains he's quite happy with the redesign and users' response to it, complaints about the update are only growing. A change.org petition demanding the company reverse its update has now gathered more than 1 million signatures, and the app has earned more than 180,000 one-star reviews in the App Store in February alone.
With that much backlash, fixing some of the issues with Stories likely won't be enough to quiet the app's critics. Still, it's a start.
Topics Snapchat Social Media
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.
