As user dissatisfaction over KakaoTalk's large-scale overhaul grows, messenger apps such as Line and NateOn, which have remained focused on their core messaging features, are reaping significant benefits.

Industry insiders note that the backlash against KakaoTalk's first major update in 15 years has led to these gains for rival messengers, viewing it as both a temporary phenomenon and an opportunity to confirm ongoing market demand for basic messaging services.

On September 30, in the Apple App Store's 'Social Networking' category, Line and NateOn ranked first and second, respectively. In the overall app rankings, Line is in 11th place and NateOn is in 14th. On the same day, in the Google App Store's Communication category, Line and NateOn ranked first and sixth, respectively. These rankings shifted immediately after the KakaoTalk overhaul, and such changes in metrics suggest that some smartphone users, dissatisfied with the update, have started seeking alternative messenger apps.

On the 30th, in the Apple App Store's 'Social Networking' category, Line and NateOn ranked first and second respectively. In the overall app rankings, Line is ranked 11th, and NateOn is ranked 14th. Apple App Store

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Recently, Kakao updated the KakaoTalk 'Friends' tab from an alphabetical contact list to a 'feed-style interface,' similar to Instagram. This new timeline displays content such as friends' updated profile photos and posts. With this overhaul, Kakao aimed to transform KakaoTalk from a simple messenger into a platform combining artificial intelligence (AI) and social community features. However, some users complained that the app had lost its essence as a messenger. Their reactions included, "Do I really need to see my boss's daily life?", "I'm fine with seeing my friends' photos, but I didn't want to see updates from business contacts," and "I change my profile photo, but I don't like it being prominently displayed on others' screens."

The backlash against KakaoTalk has driven users to other messenger apps like Line and NateOn, which focus on simple message transmission and have no ads. According to Mobile Index, on September 26, the Line app was installed 28,783 times. Considering its recent daily average of around 10,000 installs, this is nearly a threefold increase. The number of daily active users also rose to 572,877, a 7.52% increase from the previous day. NateOn's growth was even more dramatic. On September 26, NateOn was installed 11,647 times, a 12-fold jump from the previous day's 970 installs. Given that its daily installs were usually below 1,000, this is a highly encouraging figure.

According to Nate Communications, the operator of NateOn, the number of mobile NateOn users on September 27-28 increased by 17% compared to the previous weekend (September 20-21). A Nate Communications representative stated, "It is highly unusual to see such metrics on weekends, which typically see very low new sign-ups or logins for NateOn," adding, "While we can't disclose specific numbers, the number of new users has also increased significantly."

It appears that users seeking alternatives to the KakaoTalk overhaul have turned to NateOn, which remains committed to its core messaging functionality, much like KakaoTalk before the update. Interest in Line has also risen for similar reasons. In particular, Nate Communications is actively capitalizing on this surge in popularity. The manager of the 'Nate News' official thread has been responding to posts from users criticizing KakaoTalk and seeking alternatives, emphasizing phrases such as "staying true to the essence of a messenger" and promoting NateOn online.

Nate News Official Thread. Thread

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This manager posted on the thread, "With all the support and interest in NateOn, I'm sharing the 'Complete NateOn Mastery Guide.' We have always quietly focused on the core functionality of messaging. Please continue to show interest in Nate, NateOn, and Natepan." Thread users have also shown support, commenting, "NateOn, keep going," "If you improve security, I would consider switching from KakaoTalk," and "I hope NateOn becomes a strong alternative to KakaoTalk through this opportunity."

A Nate Communications representative analyzed, "This recent phenomenon seems to reflect users' fatigue and resistance toward the blurring of boundaries between public and private communication within messenger apps." The representative added, "To enhance convenience for new users, we are preparing to provide a NateOn User Guide. We will continue to focus all our efforts on providing an optimized communication environment for work, in response to users' interests and needs."

However, industry experts believe that this phenomenon is unlikely to have a significant negative impact on KakaoTalk's dominance in the messenger market. Considering its overwhelming user base-an average of 49.3 million monthly users in the second quarter-any short-term user exodus is expected to be limited. In the past, during the 2014 KakaoTalk censorship controversy and the 2022 SK C&C Pangyo data center fire, there were also movements to switch to Telegram, Line, and other apps. However, most users eventually returned to KakaoTalk after a certain period. Nevertheless, as it has become clear that changes to KakaoTalk have caused discomfort and fatigue among users, there is a growing consensus that managing user trust is increasingly important in the long term.

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In particular, Kakao has recently decided to revert the 'Friends' tab back to the previous alphabetical contact list format in response to public opinion. The company will also simplify the process for protecting short-form (short video) content in the 'Now' tab, which had been a source of complaints among parents. Previously, Kakao introduced a 'Minor Protection Request' menu in the KakaoTalk Now tab, but users were inconvenienced by having to renew their request every year. Kakao is reviewing additional measures to make the protection request and settings easier. Improvements are scheduled for the fourth quarter, and feed-style posts, previously provided Instagram-style, will be offered through a separate menu. Once these changes are complete, the backlash from KakaoTalk users is expected to subside. A Kakao representative stated, "In addition to the Friends tab improvements, we are continuously working on various user interface (UX) and user experience (UI) enhancements. We will continue to actively listen to and reflect on user feedback to ensure that KakaoTalk becomes even more convenient for everyone."