It has happened yet again — an app that I love using dearly, has been completely ruined!
Unnecessary features, unintuitive UI changes and a complete lack of optimization has resulted in a slow, bloated and frustrating user experience.
Well, at least on Android.
Now before you start saying how I should upgrade my hardware, just know that I have the latest and greatest flagship from Sony; the Xperia Z5. Trust me, it’s anything but slow. And yet, SnapChat performs like garbage and runs my phone scorching hot to the touch.
I’m not alone either. Users with Samsung and LG devices are suffering from the same issues.
So instead of waiting around for the team to get their shit together, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and roll back to a SnapChat build that is stable and runs smoothly. I tested many versions, and the one I settled on was 9.27.6.
If you roll back further, things get even better (mostly) but then you’re giving up a few too many features. This is fine if all you do is send pics and video, but I wanted to find a balance.
Few things you should know:
You do not need a phone that’s unlocked or rooted (yay!)
If you’re iPhone user, you’re SOL (aww!)
Alright let’s hop to it
Step 1: Allow Apps To Be Installed
Depending on the version of Android you’re running, this step will differ slightly, but not by much. Go to settings > security > unknown sources (make sure this is turned on)
Step 2: Download A File Browsing App
I recommend Root Browser. However, there are others such as File Commander which will work as well. You need something that lets you explore the files on your device. If you already have an app like this then you can skip this step.
Step 3: Download the SnapChat APK file
An “apk” file is what Android recognizes as an app. I’ve made the exact version of SnapChat available VIA DropBox link right here. Either download this directly to your phone, or download it to your computer, then upload the .apk file on your device.
Step 4: Uninstall SnapChat & Install the APK
Whatever current version of SnapChat you have on your phone, get rid of it. Then fire up Root Browser (or whatever file browsing app you prefer) and locate the .apk file you just downloaded. Click on it and press “install”. Android will now install the app just like any other. Once complete, fire it up and enjoy!
(Optional) Step 5: Let SnapChat Know
It seems that there’s some unwritten law of the universe where every app that becomes popular forgets what made it great in the first place and ends up turning into a disappointment.
What made SnapChat awesome was that it was, well… snappy to use! Of course, they’re a “business” now and apparently the user experience is not as high of a priority as stuffing the app with features till it bloats itself to the brim. Let ’em know this is not ok by tweeting their support account (@snapchatsupport) and be sure to rate them a one or two star on the Play store till they get their act together. Without you, the user, they cannot exist.
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