Snapchat to become more like Instagram in major redesign next month

Time waits for no man, and neither does technology.

Snapchat may be ubiquitous and one of the most popular phone apps ever, but like many other service providers in the information age, it is constantly looking to evolve and adapt to market trends and consumer preferences. As is often the case in a crowded market, rival competitors are keen to learn from each other and take on board successful innovations. The downside of that is there can be a convergence towards a uniform look and similar features. Despite its huge success, Snapchat is looking to move its brand forward, and it seems it is taking inspiration for its latest facelift from sector rivals Instagram. That's according to Silicon Valley experts, the Tech Times. They report that Snapchat's Discover tab will be given more prominence in an update, that will go live in June. The familiar circle icons will give way to a much more Instagram-y style tile layout. Unlike the current, largely static display, the new design will enable users to scroll through tiles of ads and news - in much the same way that Instagram users can look through the videos and images of their favourite celebrities. As the Tech Times explain:

"Giving the Discover page feed a facelift seems propelled by how Snapchat has been pushing for more video views from users...Opting for a tile-based feed like Instagram could potentially enable brands to stand out from the crowd on the social media app."

The new layout is expected to go live on June 7.