KakaoTalk Friends tab update. Provided by Kakao. 

Following the first major overhaul of KakaoTalk in 15 years, the Google Play Store and Apple App Store have been flooded with one-star reviews from users expressing their frustration.

Facing a wave of criticism, Kakao has already improved some features based on user feedback and plans to announce further improvement measures early next week.

According to the information and communication technology (ICT) industry on the 28th, the UX (User Experience) group PXD analyzed 1,000 KakaoTalk reviews posted on the Play Store and App Store on the 23rd—the day of the update—using "Affinity Bubble," a user analysis insight tool. The results showed that the majority of reviews stated the update had diminished the user experience.

Categorized by topic, reviews expressing overall dissatisfaction with the update accounted for the largest share at 42%.

Many reviews expressed direct complaints, such as "an update that fails to understand consumer needs" and "the worst update ever."

In particular, complaints regarding the user interface (UI) and design stood at 19%, while dissatisfaction with the friends list and profile features accounted for 10%.

With this update, the Friends tab, which previously displayed profile pictures and status messages, has been set by default to show profile update history, allowing users to see their friends' recent activity similar to an Instagram grid feed. To view the traditional friends list, users must now tap the Friends button at the top of the tab.

Complaints about the KakaoTalk update on the App Store and Play Store. Provided by PXD. 

Users have criticized these changes, arguing that KakaoTalk is overly incorporating social media features rather than focusing on its core functions as a messenger.

Consequently, there have been calls to roll back to the previous version (15%), and some reviews even mentioned considering a move to other services (4%).

Another point of contention was the increased proportion of advertisements displayed on the screen following the update (6%).

With the Friends tab shifting to a feed-based format, the update was structured so that advertisements are now displayed in the same size as profile update notifications.

As complaints about the KakaoTalk overhaul escalated, Kakao's [035720] stock price fell more than 4% at one point during trading on the 26th, briefly dipping below the 60,000 won mark.

Compounded by both user backlash and a falling stock price, Kakao has updated some features and plans to announce the direction for further improvements to the Friends tab early next week.

First, Kakao posted a notice the previous day announcing that it would add protection measures for minors to its short-form settings.

This was in response to criticism, primarily from parents, that the update exposed minors to unlimited short-form content.

Users can now apply for minor protection measures through the settings screen in the top right corner of the KakaoTalk "Now" tab, following identity verification for either the guardian or the child. The same menu allows users to restrict the creation of and participation in new open chat rooms for minors.

Additionally, Kakao is conducting minor updates—such as adjusting the size of status messages and birthday notifications—to address feedback that the grid-style feed UI causes user fatigue.

The industry expects that the announcement next week will include plans to improve the grid-style feed in the Friends tab, which has been the primary source of user complaints.

A Kakao official stated, "We are listening closely to user reactions and feedback and are actively discussing improvement measures," adding, "We plan to share the improvement plans for the Friends tab in the near future."

Naver Blog mobile update. Captured from Naver Blog. 

Meanwhile, Naver has also faced a wave of criticism following the overhaul of its mobile blog home on the 10th.

In the case of Naver Blog, the company introduced an AI-based content recommendation feature, but users have criticized it for recommending promotional content unrelated to their interests rather than posts from people they follow.

Following the surge of user complaints, Naver reverted the "Like" display to be similar to the previous version.

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