Despite Snapchat facing a ton of backlash from its users over the new design, it seems that the criticisms we’re hearing online might only be a small portion of Snapchat’s users because according to data from Sensor Tower (via 9to5Mac), Snapchat is actually experiencing a huge spike in downloads in recent times.
According to the data, it shows that Snapchat is experiencing a 55% week-over-week increase in downloads over a seven-day period following the rollout of the new design. It also saw first-time downloads increase from 589,000 from January 30 to February 5, to 911,000 from February 6 to February 12.
Take note that this does not include users redownloading the app again (for example when getting a new phone and you’re reinstalling the app), which means in that week, Snapchat added close to a million new users. It is possible the following the backlash and the subsequent coverage of it led many to be curious about the new Snapchat design, which could explain the spike in downloads.
However exactly how many users stuck around after checking the app out remains to be seen, which is the important bit, although some don’t seem to be particularly optimistic about the app’s future. Only time will tell if Snapchat will be able to maintain this momentum.