NateOn Installations Surge to 12 Times the Usual Level
Industry Experts: "Short-term Effect Only... Need to Strengthen Trust Management"
As user dissatisfaction over the large-scale overhaul of KakaoTalk grows, messenger apps that have remained true to their core functions, such as Line and NateOn, are reaping significant benefits.
Industry insiders have analyzed that this is both a temporary phenomenon resulting from increased user complaints over KakaoTalk's first major update in 15 years, and an opportunity to confirm ongoing market demand for messenger services.
As of September 30, in the Apple App Store's 'Social Networking' category, Line and NateOn are 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 ranked first and NateOn ranked sixth. These changes in rankings occurred immediately after the KakaoTalk update and can be interpreted as some smartphone users expressing dissatisfaction with the overhaul and 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
Recently, Kakao updated the KakaoTalk 'Friends' tab from an alphabetical contact list to a 'feed-style interface' similar to Instagram. Content such as friends' updated profile photos and posts left on their profiles is now displayed in a timeline format. With this overhaul, Kakao has transformed KakaoTalk from a simple messenger into a platform that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and social community features. However, some users have complained that the messenger has lost its essence. Their reactions included, "Do I really need to see my boss's daily life?", "I'm fine with seeing friends' photos, but I didn't want to see updates from business contacts," and "I change my profile photo, but I don't want it to be prominently displayed on other people's screens."
This backlash against KakaoTalk has led users to turn to other messenger apps like Line and NateOn, which focus on basic messaging functions and are free of advertisements. According to Mobile Index, on September 26, Line app installations reached 28,783, nearly triple the recent daily average of around 10,000. The number of daily active users also increased by 7.52% from the previous day, reaching 572,877. NateOn's growth was even more pronounced, with 11,647 app installations on September 26-a twelvefold increase from the previous day's 970. Considering that daily installations had previously been 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 representative from Nate Communications stated, "It is highly unusual to see such metrics, especially since weekends typically have very low rates of new sign-ups or logins for NateOn," adding, "While we cannot disclose specific numbers, the number of new users has also increased significantly."
"Making the Most of the Opportunity" - NateOn Steps Up Its SNS Engagement
It appears that users searching for alternatives to the KakaoTalk update have turned to NateOn, which remains faithful to its messenger functions, similar to the previous version of KakaoTalk. Interest in Line has also surged. In particular, Nate Communications is actively leveraging this popularity. The official Nate News thread manager has been responding to users criticizing KakaoTalk and seeking NateOn by leaving comments such as "We remain true to the essence of a messenger," thus promoting NateOn online.
This manager shared on the thread, "With growing support and interest in NateOn, I am sharing the 'Complete Guide to NateOn.' We have consistently focused solely on the core functions of a messenger. We appreciate your interest in Nate, NateOn, and NatePan." Thread users also left comments supporting NateOn, such as "NateOn, keep going," "If security capabilities are improved, I'm willing to use it instead of KakaoTalk," and "I hope NateOn becomes a strong alternative to KakaoTalk through this opportunity."
Nate Communications analyzed, "This recent phenomenon appears to reflect users' fatigue and resistance toward the blurring boundaries between public and private communication in messengers." They added, "We are preparing to provide a comprehensive NateOn usage guide to enhance convenience for new users," and stated, "We will continue to focus all our efforts on providing a communication environment optimized for work, in response to users' interests and needs."
KakaoTalk Reverts Changes in Response to User Protests
However, the industry does not expect this phenomenon to have a significant negative impact on KakaoTalk's dominance in the messenger market. Given its overwhelming user base (an average of 49.3 million monthly users in the second quarter), short-term attrition is expected to be limited. Previously, during the 2014 KakaoTalk censorship controversy and the 2022 SK C&C Pangyo data center fire, there were also movements to switch from KakaoTalk to Telegram or Line. However, after a certain period, most users returned to KakaoTalk. Nevertheless, as it has become clear that the changes to KakaoTalk have caused inconvenience and fatigue, some point out that managing user trust will become increasingly important in the long term.
Hong Min-taek, Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Kakao, is giving a presentation at the 'if Kakao' conference held on the 23rd at Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Kakao
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 had introduced a "Minor Protection Request" menu in the KakaoTalk Now tab, but users were inconvenienced by the requirement to renew the request every year. Kakao is now considering additional measures to make the protection request and settings even easier. These improvements are scheduled for the fourth quarter, and feed-style posts, which have been provided in an Instagram-like format, will be offered through a separate menu. Once these changes are implemented, user backlash against KakaoTalk is expected to subside. A Kakao representative stated, "In addition to plans to improve the Friends tab, we are continuously working on various user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) enhancements. We will continue to actively listen to and reflect on diverse feedback so that users can use KakaoTalk more conveniently in the future."
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