This KakaoTalk update may well have been done reasonably well in terms of UI and the technical side.
But the UX has always been disappointing, and this time I think it crossed the line.
I'd like to say everything, but let me sum up just the five core points.
1. What kind of menu is the Friends tab?
The Friends tab was originallya space for finding friends, checking profiles, and connecting straight into a conversation. KakaoTalk is a messenger above all else, and that was its identity.
Of course it could change to become like Instagram or Facebook. But until now, like a phone·text app, thecore messenger functionswere at its center.
The reason KakaoTalk emphasizes “50 million users” is surely because it has effectively established itself as the national messenger. If so, what can we say KakaoTalk's identity is after this update?
2. What did the existing Friends tab do?
The existing Friends tab was simple.
That was enough. It didn't undermine the core functions, and the extras were there only for those who wanted to use them.
In other words, the identity of the tab was being preserved.
3. What does a profile picture mean?
A profile picture isn't simply an expression of ‘me’; it is alsoa tool for others to recognize me easily.
Of course it has a self-expression aspect too. But most people don't want their profile forcibly displayed at the very top of the Friends tab.
Yet this update took away that choice.
Whether you want it or not, every profile gets exposed at least once at the very top of someone else's screen.
You might say “Facebook and Instagram do the same, so what's the problem?”, but that's because those services have their own UX philosophy.
KakaoTalk is different. It has completely overturned the experience users have had until now.
4. Is this a problem unique to KakaoTalk?
Of course not. Many services dress up the UI and miss the UX.
For example, a certain delivery app's recent renewal was a flashy UI with a ruined UX — a textbook case.
Meanwhile a certain shopping app values UX while keeping its UI simple, and is actually rated well for it.
The problem isthe decision-makers who mistake “UI = UX”.
Leadership swept up by trends and lost in self-assurance often ruins a service.
You can see it just by looking at the shopping section of the portal services.
Even basic flows like page navigation, going back and handling loading are unstable.
The fact that such problems are left untouched even after a service has already grown large is a clear sign that the direction is being set wrongly at the leadership level.
5. Is this a sudden change?
In fact this trend has been around for a long time.
It's just that this KakaoTalk update crossed the line, is how it feels.
As many services grow, they often fall into self-assurance, trusting only in “good culture, good technology, pretty design”. But what really matters is whether, even with simple and outdated technology, you candeliver a better experience.
Ads can of course exist. But forcibly exposing ads right in the middle of the Friends tab, and from the moment of the update at that, is hard to accept.
I imagine there was controversy internally too, and the fact that they pushed ahead anyway leaves me truly lost for words.
In closing
What I always feel working in this industry is thatthe bigger and more expansive a service becomes, the more its real capability and culture show.
There are many cases of surviving on luck·marketing·money·sales, but a service that neglects the user experience eventually hits its limit.
I respect the thoughts of those who hold different opinions. It's just that this KakaoTalk update was, to me,shock and horror, and I'm leaving this post hoping they won't head any further in the wrong direction.
