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KakaoTalk to make list-style friends directory the default — again

Published: 29 Sep. 2025, 18:47 Updated: 29 Sep. 2025, 19:26

KakaoTalk will revert its controversial “feed-style” Friends tab, shown in the left user interface of this image, back to the original directory-like format before the end of this year. [KAKAOTALK]

KakaoTalk will roll back its "feed-style" Friends tab, yielding its ambitious transformation in just six days due to immense user backlash.

Kakao said Monday that it will update the Friends tab in response to user feedback on its redesign last Tuesday. The company plans to restore the traditional "friends list" — where contacts were displayed in a directory-like format — as the default view on the Friends tab.

Feed-style posts, introduced in the latest update, will remain available but only as an optional feature. Kakao said the changes will be rolled out within the fourth quarter of this year, taking development schedules into account.

The reversal comes less than a week after Kakao unveiled its overambitious transformation plans, which changed the Friends tab into a social media-style feed similar to Instagram or TikTok and introduced short-form video features. But users reacted negatively, flooding app stores with one-star reviews and urging the app to "return back to normal."

Users flooded app stores with one-star reviews following KakaoTalk's ambitious redesign on Sept. 23. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The strongest criticism centered on the feed-style Friends tab, which appears on the far left of the KakaoTalk menu. Users complained that whenever a friend updated their profile photo, the change appeared in the feed — forcing them to see personal updates they did not want to see. Many also accused Kakao of using the redesign to inject more ads into the interface.

Facing mounting backlash, Kakao said Sunday it was reviewing possible improvements and by Monday announced it would restore the previous version of the Friends tab. A Kakao spokesperson claimed that this was not a full rollback, saying, “We have made this decision after fully considering user feedback, but the feed-style feature will remain as an option.”

Kakao also plans to streamline parental controls following concerns about minors’ overexposure to short-form video content on the new “Now” tab. On Saturday, the company added a menu that requests minor protection to the tab and is exploring ways to make application and settings procedures more convenient.

“In addition to the Friends tab changes, KakaoTalk will continue to improve both user experience and user interface,” the company said. “We will actively listen to user feedback to make KakaoTalk more convenient for everyone.”

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 HONG SANG-JI [[email protected]]