Friends Tab Restored to List Format
Feed Style Accessible via Separate Menu
Update May Take Several Days to Roll Out
The KakaoTalk Friends tab, which was redesigned in a feed format as part of a major overhaul, will revert to its original format as early as today. The Friends tab, which was previously structured like a social networking service (SNS) feed, is expected to return to the traditional friends list format.
According to the IT industry on December 15, Kakao plans to begin updating the KakaoTalk application (app) with these changes as early as today. However, the actual update schedule may vary by several days depending on the user's smartphone operating system (OS) or device.
This update is expected to revert the KakaoTalk Friends tab, which had been changed to a feed format after the major overhaul, back to the original list format. The previous feed-style Friends tab will still be accessible through a separate "News" menu newly added within the list format.
If the update proceeds as planned, the KakaoTalk Friends tab will be restored to its original form in just over three months since the last update. On September 23, during its annual conference "If Kakao," Kakao announced a large-scale overhaul of KakaoTalk, including the redesign of the Friends tab to resemble an SNS feed. This move was intended to expand the Friends tab's functionality, allowing users to check updates from acquaintances in a more SNS-like manner.
However, immediately after the update, users continued to voice complaints about the inconvenience of the redesigned Friends tab. Some pointed out that the change overlooked the fact that KakaoTalk is used not only for communication with acquaintances but also for work purposes. In the two major app markets, a flood of "one-star reviews" was posted by users expressing their dissatisfaction with the Friends tab, and methods to block KakaoTalk's forced updates were shared among users.
Ultimately, Kakao announced just over a week after unveiling the overhaul that it would implement improvements to restore the Friends tab to its original format. At the time, Kakao stated that, considering the development schedule, the improvements would be applied within the fourth quarter. Now, approximately three months later, these changes are being implemented.
While Kakao maintains that the exact update date has not been finalized, it is understood that the update must begin today in order to apply it to all users within the fourth quarter. A Kakao representative stated, "As previously announced, we plan to proceed with the update within this month."
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