KakaoTalk looks to keep groups in touch with new KakaoGroup app

Yesterday, KaKaoTalk got a major makeover, and today it launches a new app in the form of KakaoGroup, a private, mobile group service that allows users to share updates and photos in a private group.

Last year, the Korean startup launched a free group voice chat service for up to five participants within the KakaoTalk app. This time, KakaoGroup is a separate app that users can download for Android or iOS, and it supports both Korean and English. To use KakaoGroup, one must have a Kakao account.

Kakao says the team is making “continuous efforts to listen to [its] users and develop services to accommodate their needs.” The team adds:

KakaoGroup was developed as a means to resolve the most frequently raised inconveniences that users faced during their group communication experience in KakaoTalk.

Group dynamics

KakaoGroup users can easily create groups and share updates and photos with their select group of friends or family. To create a group, users only need to set a group name and cover image, and invite KakaoTalk friends to the group by tapping on “invite members” on the members page. KakaoGroup invitations are sent to each member through KakaoGroup notifications or through KakaoTalk.

The first creator of the group is the “group host” and has the right to change the group name and group cover image. Any member in the group can also invite other friends to the group, but only the group host can oust a member out of the group. The host can also transfer the position to another member in the group of choice.

Though KakaoGroup is a separate app, members of a group can continue their conversation in KakaoTalk through the “go to group chatroom” option.

A few months back, we saw Israeli-based group chat app Hoozin pitch at our Startup Arena in Singapore. Sina also launched a similar group chat app late last month in China. WeChat likewise, has a group chat feature for up to 40 people, but doesn’t offer so many features as the new KakaoGroup. As of July, KakaoTalk counts 100 million in its user-base.

Get KakaoGroup in Google’s Play Store or Apple’s App Store.

(Editing by Steven Millward and Paul Bischoff)