LINE 12+

In Japan, LINE is amazing! You can connect with businesses, do banking, purchase essential services like grocery delivery, insurance, and mobile phone service, and more, all within this one-stop app that puts a lot of digital power in the palm of your hands. The “by-Japanese for-Japanese” short-form video platform is a great addition, and the versatility of this app is truly impressive. The only downsides are that you’ll need a Japanese mobile phone number, making it challenging for foreigners to fully utilize the app. Additionally, providing your date of birth for age verification can be an inconvenience.

However, when it comes to using LINE overseas, the experience takes a sharp decline. You’re limited to buying a meager selection of stickers and themes, and the LINE official account inundates you with NFT scam advertisements and irrelevant smartphone game promotions. Registering a phone number for certain countries might further restrict your app functionality.

On a brighter note, some countries like Thailand and Taiwan Republic of China offer a more enhanced LINE experience, with access to Japanese services or their equivalents. If you’re located in one of these places, you can come close to the Japanese original experience. So, while LINE shines in Japan, its overseas version leaves much to be desired.

I got introduced to line 5 years ago. I met and called friends on there that I had been talking to. We didn’t use the app for years after that but I still kept the app because I could re-read our chat logs and here’s where the problem comes from.

First of all, you have 5 free calls now?? Why not do what discord does and just…make the calls free?? I understand that you have to make money but come on.

Secondly, the stupid chat back up thing. It doesn’t make it clear from what I’ve seen that you have to manually BACK YOUR CHAT LOGS UO YOURSELF. Instead of just being like every other chat app that just saves it all for you. I recently got an iPad and while I was adding all the apps on there I got onto the app I had on my phone just to make sure everything was in order and it just locked me out. That is something that honestly should not happen. Me being on the app on two different devices shouldn’t just lock you out of everything, it serves no purpose. Absolutely none. So now, all of my chats are gone and for absolutely no reason. I’m now currently battling with customer service demanding that my chats be put back in place.

I’m a “valued customer” but having this type of system in place really does not make me feel like one. I had important things on that app that I want/need to have back. Having this system in place is pointless and honestly just stupid considering how good the app was before and the overall potential that it has.