LINE iPhone

One of the most popular chat and messaging apps

Messaging apps? They're just all over the place. But which one's the best for you? Which app to chat and send messages should you go for? Well, we can remove WhatsApp from this debate because, whether you like it or not, it's the most popular in the world and absolutely all your contacts are on it, so if you want to communicate with them you have to have an account.

But apart from WhatsApp, what else? Facebook Messenger? Telegram? Skype? WeChat? Among all the alternatives to the North American messaging services we have to point out LINE, the Japanese app that's tremendously popular in the Land of the Rising Sun, but that has also had a certain impact on other places, becoming an important download in over 50 different countries on all platforms such as Android or iOS (and compatible with macOS, Windows, and Linux from its different web and desktop clients).

More complete than many of its rivals

One of the advantages of the app developed by NAVER is that it was a groundbreaker when it came to including different functions that other apps soon copied. As is the case of stickers to give our messages more expressiveness, or even more interesting, to allow us to make use of a desktop client for Windows PC and macOS to communicate from our computer like we used to do with Microsoft's Messenger.

It continues to innovate and include new functions, creating an ecosystem of apps to complete the original service, with games and photography applications of the likes of the B612 selfie editor.

A real hit in quite a few countries.

Main features

It comes along with a wide range of functions and options that enrich our communications and that comply with a policy that's totally opposite to WhatsApp's:

• Free voice calls and video conferences using the VoIP communications protocol.
• Keep service to store messages, photos, and videos on the cloud and quickly share them with your contacts.
• Group calls with up to 200 users at the same time.
• Share emojis, photos, videos, and stickers.
• Send voice messages.
• Share your location by means of GPS.
• Compatible with desktop clients for Windows PC and Mac.
• Timeline function to publish photos, text, videos, or stickers.
• Information straight from the application's official accounts.
• LINE Out service to make calls to foreign mobile phones and landlines.
• Native virtual payment system to pay online.
• Add new friends by just shaking your iPhone.

So, how to choose the best messaging and chat app?

The truth is that if we take a look at all the features of each one of them, we'll find different factors to be taken into account: the number of contacts that use it, its usability, security, and privacy... our main problem with LINE is that probably none of our contacts use it. But, in any case, it just happens to be a popular app among your friends, you'll have no trouble making the most of one of the most interesting chat applications you can use on your iPhone.

For such purpose, NAVER has implemented a function that consists of shaking our iPhone to find nearby people to engage with and to make it easier for you to expand your contact list with new friends.

What's new in the latest version

• Possibility to transfer accounts using a QR code.
• Changes to how friends appear on lists on your profile.
• Improves the Services list in the Start tab.
• The iPad version adds a function to temporarily save web pages viewed in the app.

Requirements and additional information:

• Minimum operating system requirements: iOS 13.0.
• Compatible with:
  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • iPod touch
• Offers in-app purchases.