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/Source: Kakao

KakaoTalk’s major service overhaul last week has sparked a wave of user criticism, with negative reviews flooding Google Play and Apple’s App Store. Some users have even given the messenger app “one-star” ratings, citing inconvenience and dissatisfaction. Kakao said it will announce improvement measures early next week.

According to industry data released on September 28, UX design firm PXD analyzed 1,000 reviews posted on app stores on the day of the update (September 23). The results showed that 42% expressed overall dissatisfaction, 19% specifically criticized the new UI and design, and 10% complained about changes to the friends list and profile features.

Under the new update, the “friends tab,” previously showing profile photos and status messages, now defaults to a grid-style feed resembling Instagram, displaying recent profile changes. To access the traditional friends list, users must tap a separate button at the top. Some reviews demanded a rollback to the old version or suggested switching to alternative messaging services.

Another major complaint is the increased presence of advertisements. Ads now appear in the same format and size as friend profile updates within the feed. Following the update, Kakao’s stock briefly fell more than 4% on September 26, dipping below 60,000 won.

In response to mounting criticism, Kakao has rolled out protective measures for minors exposed to short-form content, requiring parental or self-verification for access. It has also introduced safeguards limiting minors’ ability to create or join open chatrooms.

Additionally, Kakao is adjusting features that users found overwhelming, such as resizing birthday alerts and status messages, in what it called “minor updates.”

“We are closely listening to user reactions and actively discussing improvements,” the company said in a statement. “We will soon share detailed plans to improve the friends tab.”