New Snapchat feature tries to improve Discover page, with users still upset about controversial redesign

The new, redesigned version of the app ditches the old Stories page

Snapchat has launched a new Insights tool designed to improve the redesigned app’s Discover page.

The company hopes it will make Discover a more engaging and entertaining place for users, and help them find Stories and creators they’re interested in.

Snapchat recently rolled out a major update, which controversially replaced the old Stories page with a new Discover page, which is populated with content from publishers, Stories from people you follow but aren’t friends with, and Snaps from creators, Snap Map and Our Story.

Stories, meanwhile, now live alongside regular Snaps and messages on the new Friends page.

The company introduced the redesign in order to “separate social from media”, but the changes have left fans of the app confused and upset. It is hoped that the Insights tool helps appease them.

It allows publishers, celebrities and other Snapchat creators that have a large number of followers to find out more about their audience, including their interests.

The idea is that, armed with this data, they’ll be able to produce better content, which will in turn make the Discover page a more interesting part of the app.

Snapchat says the data will include:

• Total Story views, which shows total views on their Stories in the past week, month and year to date.
• Time spent viewing Stories, which shows the total time in minutes that Snapchatters spent watching their Stories in the past week, month and year.
• Daily reach and engagement metrics, which show the number of unique Story viewers, the average time unique viewers spent watching, and the completion rates for each day of the week.
• Information about audience demographics, including gender breakdown and the top age bracket amongst viewers.
• Additional information about audience interests – in addition to the information above, creators will also be able to get more information about their viewers’ interests across key lifestyle categories (such as film and TV, travel, food, fashion, sports) and the top geographic regions where their audience is located.

That’s a lot of information, but there is a way to stop your personal data from being shared with creators in this way.

“Users can opt-out in the app – Ad Preferences can be switched off in Settings,” Snapchat told The Independent.

To find Advert Preferences, you first have to open the Settings menu and tap Manage Preferences.

Snapchat says Insights will “help creators build their presence on our Discover page”, and could also help them earn money from the app in the future.

“The insights being shared reflect feedback we have heard from some of our top creators about what metrics would be most valuable for them, including for opening up future monetization opportunities.

“We look forward to continuing to learn with them about what works well, and what additional resources they need to keep improving their experiences on Snapchat.”

People are still upset about the Snapchat redesign, and more than 950,000 people have signed a petition calling for the update to be reversed.

However, there has also been good news for the company this week. According to a new report from eMarketer, two million young Facebook users could quit the site this year, with many of them expected to turn towards Snapchat instead.