Snapchat finally responds to petition criticising new update after more than a million ask for it to be reversed

Snapchat has finally responded to a petition asking for it to bring back its old design, after more than a million people signed it.

The company said that it recognised people's anger – but that it wouldn't roll back its recent redesign, no matter how angry people are.

Snapchat's new app has been continuously and widely criticised since it started rolling out worldwide in the last couple of weeks. Many have complained that it is now difficult to use, and that the app had undermined some of the things that made it useful.

That was the argument of the petition, which was titled 'Remove the new Snapchat Update'. "With the release of the new Snapchat update, many users have found that it has not made the app easier to use, but has in fact made many features more difficult," the petition read.

It has now been signed by more than 1.2 million people, and is still growing quickly.

Now Snapchat has responded, making clear that it recognises the anger but won't change.

"We hear you, and appreciate that you took the time to let us know how you feel," it reads. "We completely understand the new Snapchat has felt uncomfortable for many."

It said that it is changing some parts of the redesign to try and make them more palatable to users. But it also made clear that the recent update was "just the beginning, and we will always listen closely to find new ways to make the service better for everyone".

The update didn't seem to placate angry users.

"This doesn't help at all, in fact it makes me more mad!" wrote April Harrison from Cumbria in the UK.

"How about you quit telling us what you think we'll like and change it back to the way you know we all like. You are a ridiculous company. My snapchat will stay deleted until you change it back," wrote another, Matt Gowans from YouTube.