KakaoTalk Reverts to Original Friend List After Backlash Over Update

KakaoTalk, South Korea’s leading messenger app, is set to restore its original friend list interface following a wave of user complaints over its recent update.

On September 29, Kakao announced that it will return the default friend list as the landing page of the KakaoTalk friend tab, reversing changes introduced just days earlier. The company had unveiled the update at its developer conference, If Kakao, on September 23, featuring a grid-style feed for the friend tab—a change that quickly drew widespread frustration from users.

Many users argued that the revamped, social media-like layout increased fatigue and undermined KakaoTalk’s core identity as a messaging app. Particularly on social media and online communities, criticism was leveled at Hong Mintaek, Kakao’s Chief Product Officer responsible for the overhaul. The backlash was also reflected through a surge of one-star reviews on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, with users demanding a rollback to the previous version. Guides instructing how to turn off automatic updates for KakaoTalk circulated widely online.

Facing mounting criticism, Kakao decided to revert to the original friend list for the first screen of the friend tab. The current feed-style posts will instead be accessible under the “Stories” section within the friend tab. Previously, Kakao had tried to reduce user discomfort by increasing the size of status messages to take up more space on the landing page, but this failed to quell the backlash.

Users had also called for the option to choose between the grid-style feed and the traditional list layout, a demand that Kakao has now decided to honor. The company plans to implement these changes and additional friend tab improvements in the fourth quarter of this year.

A Kakao spokesperson said, “In addition to the friend tab improvements, we are continuously working on various UX and UI enhancements. We will keep listening to diverse feedback to ensure KakaoTalk remains as convenient as possible for our users.”

Meanwhile, following the controversy, Kakao’s stock price plummeted into the 50,000 won range, erasing 3.14 trillion won from its market capitalization.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News Agency