Kik Messenger Windows Phone 8 update, will it ever happen?

If you're sitting around waiting for an update to Kik Messenger for Windows Phone, it may be some time before you see an update notification for the popular IM app. That's the bad news.

Why? According to Kik Messenger CEO Ted Livingston the app hasn't been updated to Windows Phone 8 due to Microsoft not supporting Webkit standard in Windows Phone 8. Webkit is an open source HTML 5 standard that is supported by iOS and Android. Without support for Webkit, it becomes more difficult and challenging for Kik to update to a Windows Phone 8 version.

But all is not lost....

The good news about all this is that there is a possibility that Windows Phone 8.1 will bring Webkit support to the table. Livingston states that if Microsoft puts Webkit on Windows Phone, they'll developer for the platform.

It all makes sense not only from a business model but also from a practical sense approach. If consumers are wanting more cross platform apps then there should be a unified standard to not only improve user experience but also make it cost effective for third party developers.

Source: TruTower; Thanks, Bilesha, for the tip!

George Ponder

George is the Reviews Editor at Windows Central, concentrating on Windows 10 PC and Mobile apps. He's been a supporter of the platform since the days of Windows CE and uses his current Windows 10 Mobile phone daily to keep up with life and enjoy a game during down time.