Tech

Evan Spiegel says Snapchat's new Android app, a key to future user growth, will be finished by the end of the year

Key Points
  • Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said Snapchat's redesigned Android app will be rolled out to all users by the end of 2019.
  • The company has blamed the Android app for disappointing user growth.
  • Spiegel spoke Monday at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2019 in San Francisco.
CEO and co-founder of Snapchat Evan Spiegel
Getty Images

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel on Monday said Snapchat's redesigned Android app will be rolled out to all users by the end of 2019.

"The rebuild will be rolled out by the end of the year," Spiegel said on Monday at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2019 in San Francisco.

Spiegel and Snap have talked about the company's need to build an improved version of its Android app since the company went public in early 2017. The company began to roll out the rebuilt app late last year to a select few users, and it has since been distributing the new app in waves.

The rebuilt Android app will be key to Snap's international growth, Spiegel said on Monday. This is especially true in key markets like India, Indonesia and the Philippines, where there is a wealth of smartphones users that Snapchat has failed to gain traction with due to a subpar experience on its Android app.

"Android is absolutely critical to our strategy," Spiegel said on Monday. "There's something like 2 billion Android users that don't use Snapchat. A couple percent of those I think would be well received by all of us."

WATCH: Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok have a massive underage user problem — here's why it matters

12-year-olds are all over Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram — despite the 13 year or older age limit
VIDEO9:0709:07
Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok have a massive underage problem