"I Want a Feature to Revert to the Previous Version"
Users Including Singer Lee Youngji and Parents Voice Their Frustrations
Beomgyu of the group Tomorrow X Together (TXT) has spoken out regarding the recent KakaoTalk update.
On the 28th, through the fan community platform Weverse, Beomgyu expressed his frustration, saying, "Why does the KakaoTalk update happen however it wants?" and "I'm someone who hates sudden changes more than anything, and I really dislike this update." He added, "I don't know if it's okay to say this, but it's really not good," and demanded, "If you're going to update it as you please, at least add a feature that lets us revert to the previous version."
He continued, "I understand that updates are necessary to add innovative features. But they've made it harder to use," and criticized, "I have zero interest in other people's profiles, but now they're displayed like a gallery." He went on to say, "How can there be an update that nobody likes? Who is this update for?" However, he also added, "I do think it's cool that you keep creating new things and updating for the users. I'm always grateful for that."
Previously, singer Lee Youngji also commented on her fan communication platform Bubble, saying, "I tried to resist updating KakaoTalk, but is it okay to update without the user's consent?" and pleaded, "No, please. It's ugly." She then shared her own KakaoTalk profile screen and said, "Even the profile photo of Jay Park that I used in high school is now widely displayed," adding, "I'm going to delete everything now."
On the 23rd, KakaoTalk carried out a major update for the first time in 15 years since its launch. The friends list was changed to an Instagram feed format, and each user's profile was exposed through this feed. A short-form video tab was also added, strengthening the messenger's social networking service (SNS) functions.
However, users have been voicing discomfort over the sudden changes. Some are upset that old, forgotten photos are now exposed, while others point out that being forced to view unwanted photos of others increases fatigue. Additionally, many parents who had previously restricted short-form content but installed KakaoTalk for communication purposes are now frustrated that their children are indiscriminately exposed to short-form videos, undermining their efforts. To restrict features like short-form videos, legal guardians must submit a family relationship certificate and renew it every year.
Kakao has stated, "We will listen closely to user feedback and will improve features accordingly."
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