Snapchat unveils major app redesign, rolls out more AI-powered tools
Following its first major redesign in 2018, Snapchat is set to launch its most significant redesign in years, focusing on a cleaner and more intuitive user experience.
The new design, called "Simple Snapchat," was unveiled at Snap’s annual Partner Summit in Los Angeles, with a clear focus on enhancing three key experiences: taking pictures, chatting with friends, and providing short-form entertainment to compete more directly with the likes of TikTok.
To achieve this, the redesign reduces the app’s interface from five tabs to three: one for messages and Stories, another for the camera, and a third dedicated to a TikTok-like For You feed of full-screen videos from creators and publishers.
Previously, Snapchat featured five distinct tabs—Snap Map, private chats, the camera, Stories, and Spotlight. With this new update, some of these features are being restructured into other parts of the app.
For instance, Stories will now appear at the top of the messaging tab, and the Snap Map will be tucked away at the bottom of the tab. The redesigned Spotlight tab, boosted by a fresh recommendation algorithm, will continue to feature Stories alongside creator content.
The overarching goal of this update is to make Snapchat easier to use and better suited for video consumption, aiming to compete more effectively with platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
The company plans to introduce the redesign gradually, starting with a small subset of users before a broader rollout to all 850 million users. This measured rollout allows Snap to refine the user experience based on early feedback, ensuring a smooth transition to the updated design.
In addition to the redesign, Snapchat is introducing a set of new AI-powered features to its Snapchat+ subscribers. One of the standout additions is “My Selfie,” which uses AI to create personalized images of users and their friends, placing them in various creative scenarios. There’s also a new “grandparents lens” that uses AI to predict what users might look like in their senior years.
Snapchat+ subscribers are set to benefit from even more advanced AI tools. A new feature in Memories will use AI to enhance previously saved Snaps with creative captions and augmented reality (AR) effects. Subscribers will also have access to a more powerful version of the chatGPT-powered MyAI assistant, which can now offer practical solutions based on photos—such as translating restaurant menus, identifying plants, and even decoding parking signs.
By refining its design and introducing advanced AI tools, Snapchat is not only enhancing usability but also positioning itself as a more robust competitor in the social media space, particularly for those seeking engaging short-form video content.