KakaoTalk's Friends tab restoration to roll out next week

KakaoTalk will restore its original Friends tab as early as Monday, following user backlash over a controversial redesign introduced in September, according to ICT industry sources on Tuesday. The update will roll out gradually starting next week.

Hong Min-taek, chief product officer of Kakao, speaks during the "if Kakao" conference held at the Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 23. [YONHAP]

KakaoTalk will restore its original Friends tab as early as Monday, following user backlash over a controversial redesign introduced in September, according to ICT industry sources on Tuesday.

The update will roll out gradually starting next week, and the actual update date may vary by user, ranging from a few days to up to a week.

The move comes three months after Kakao introduced a grid-style feed layout, replacing the Friends tab, on Sept. 23. The upcoming update will allow users to switch back to the traditional friends list interface if they prefer.

The key feature of the update is the option to choose between the new grid-style feed and the previous directory-style Friends tab. Users will be able to select their preferred layout in the app settings.

Kakao faced intense criticism after rolling out the feed-style interface, with many users saying it prioritized social media functions over basic messaging. The change drew complaints about increased complexity and user fatigue.

In response to the backlash, Kakao promised just six days after the update that it would restore the original Friends list as the default view by the end of the fourth quarter.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]