Kakao to restore KakaoTalk's friends list after widespread complaints

A photo of KakaoTalk's updated Friends tab / Courtesy of Kakao

Kakao will roll back an update on KakaoTalk’s Friends tab to incorporate feedback from its users after facing growing backlash with the latest version.

The tech giant announced Monday that it will bring back the previous list-style format for the Friends tab, which is shown as the messaging app’s main page, while moving the updated feed-style posts to a separate tab.

“The improvements to the Friends tab will be applied within the fourth quarter, taking into account the development schedule,” the company said.

The company also said it will further simplify procedures to safeguard underage users. It added a new option to set protection features for minors within its short-form tab and is considering implementing additional measures to make its use and settings more convenient.

"In addition to the plans for Friends tab improvement, we are continuously working to enhance the user experience and user interface," a company official said. "We will continue to actively listen to and reflect feedback to ensure users can enjoy an even more convenient KakaoTalk experience."

The rollback comes after the messaging app’s first major revamp in 15 years was hit with mounting complaints from users.

Kakao introduced the updated features on the app last week, saying it will reflect feedback the company has collected from users. The update includes a redesigned Friends tab to adopt a feed-style interface where users can share regular updates, photos and stories with their network.

The company’s Chief Product Officer Hong Min-taek, who led the interface’s updates, showed confidence that the new feed-style tab would allow deeper social engagement through the app.

However, the updated main page, showing photos of the user’s friends, stirred criticism over privacy concerns and an overly complicated interface to access the user's friends list.

According to user experience consultancy pxd, among 1,000 reviews posted on Google Play Store and Apple App Store after KakaoTalk’s update, about 42 percent considered the overall update “unsatisfactory.”