Snapchat has decided not to go ahead with its plans for a simpler version of its app. The decision was shared as part of Snap’s Q1 2025 earnings report, released on April 30. If you’ve been waiting for a cleaner, stripped-down design, that’s now off the table. Instead, Snapchat is shifting focus to a more familiar design that keeps all existing tabs but adds easier access to key features like Spotlight.
Why the simpler app design didn’t work
Around seven months ago, Snapchat began testing a new layout with only three tabs—Chat, Camera, and Spotlight. This version removed popular features like the Snap Map and Stories tabs in an attempt to create a simpler experience, but it didn’t go as planned.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel explained why the test didn’t move forward. He said with investors, “We learned a lot from the redesign but found it hard for our most loyal users to adopt. People who enjoy using the map and stories found the new version more difficult.”
According to Snap, the redesigned app made it harder for users to find Stories, subscriptions, and the map. The company found that long-time users strongly preferred the current five-tab design, making navigating and discovering content easier.
So, instead of simplifying, Snap is evolving. It’s now testing a refined five-tab layout, combining the simplified test’s learnings while keeping familiar features.
What’s changing with the new layout
The new five-tab interface does not remove anything—it simply adjusts how things are accessed. You can still access Chat, Camera, Stories, Map, and Spotlight. However, the Spotlight tab will now be placed directly next to the Camera, making it easier to find and use.
Snap says this change is based on clear user preferences. In a letter to investors, the company wrote, “Our most engaged Snapchatters consistently preferred the five-tab layout and the tile-based discovery system.”
Snap also mentioned that moving Friend Stories into the chat tab and making Spotlight more visible helped increase daily content views and overall engagement, especially among casual users.
Snapchat sees growth in revenue but loses North American users
While Snapchat’s layout is being reworked, the company is seeing mixed results with its audience. In North America, Snapchat lost 1 million daily active users in Q1, dropping from 100 million to 99 million compared to the last quarter.
However, Snap is doing better globally. The app now has 460 million daily active users worldwide, up 38 million from the same time last year. It also hit a milestone of more than 900 million monthly active users worldwide.
Snap reported revenue of US$1.36 billion for the quarter, a 14% increase year over year. This boost was largely driven by the Snapchat+ subscription service and improvements in the company’s advertising tools.
Snapchat’s AI chatbot, My AI, is also growing fast. In the U.S., daily users of My AI increased by more than 55% year-over-year. Spiegel hinted at future announcements about how AI will be used in Snapchat, including new ways for people to interact using visual tools and even augmented reality.
He said, “How people use My AI—sending snaps, receiving snaps or getting replies—shows how powerful multimodal AI models can become. We’re also looking at how AI could create new user interfaces in augmented reality. Expect more news on that later this year.”
