LINE messaging by Naver now available for Windows Phone

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

We'll be honest here, LINE messenger by a company called Naver is not something we're familiar with but our audience certainly is. Boasting about being in 230 countries, LINE is a VOIP/chat service that is evidently popular in a lot of Asian markets so it's great to see it come to Windows Phone.

Available already on iOS, Android, PC and Mac, LINE is actually a well done app with a snazzy Metro UI and decent enough features to make us take a look at it. Of course none of our friends use it so it's hard for us to take it for a spin on such short notice, but loading up the app was a refreshing change from some other chat programs out there.

The app doesn't have a killer feature per se but it does contain the usual fare: send messages, photos, videos, voice messages, as well as location info. It also has a thing called "stickers" for conveying emotion which we suppose is a bit quaint. Note at least with this release there is no VOIP just chat.

Like all messaging apps, your usage is completely dependent upon your social circle and if they use it. Having said that, LINE is actually quite nice and we're a bit jealous that we don't have an immediate need for it---with Kik, WhatsApp, TalkBox, OctroTalk, GroupMe and IM+ already available, it's tough to find a spot for LINE. But for those that need or use said service, it looks like there's a winner here for you.

Pick up LINE by Naver for Windows Phone here in the Marketplace. Thanks, PsycheBlue, for the tip

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been here covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics and ran the projectors at movie theaters, which has done absolutely nothing for his career.

16 Comments
  • LINE is pretty popular in Japan and other parts of Asia. I didn't know about it up until early this year and my friends in Japan thought I was crazy for not knowing about it.
  • First time I'm hearing about it. Pretty nice UI still.
  • I use LINE to communicate with people from Japan for my language studies. It's great that this has come to Windows Phone, as I had to use an LG GT540 Android phone with a Resistive Touch Screen. Thank God I don't have to use that anymore.
  • Yes! More cross-platform apps is good.
  • Kakaotalk is coming soon!(korea 1st messenger)
  • I heard that LINE is 2nd (or 3re) in Korea...
  • Im from Singapore and I never heard of LINE messaging before...
  • It's mostly only used by those in Japan, so that's understandable.
  • Not exactly it also popular in Korea and Thailand especially in Thailand people bitch about lacking of this app and now they really need to find something else LOL.
  • I am liking more and more that I bought a windows phone and this app's interface is clean and refreshing unlike whatsapp. When I installed it I had two friends on there that I don't really chat with, but another one of my friends are on there also.
  • :)
  • I'm from Singapore and a lot of my friends use it! It's definitely better than whatsapp on windows phone. And the emoticon stickers are so hilarious! Haha.
  • I have been waiting patiently for this app for a long time.
    My wife and her whole family prefer Line over Whatsapp, and it has been giving me a headache not having it.
    I am glad it's here now.
  • just to add info, Line is pretty popular in Taiwan as well, started end of last year i believe
     
    and their reasoning? the emoticons are cuter.... =..= o side note, the voip side seems to have degraded a bit due to massive amount of users
  • This is a very nice app and I know when the updates arrive it will be an even better one. Another thing that should be added is the ability to use the front faced camera for making videos as well. With that added with the other upcoming updates, this would clearly blow the other apps out the water!
  • Now waiting on VoIP for both Viber and this!