April 27, 2024

• 

[THE INVESTOR] Korea’s top mobile messenger operator Kakao said on Sept. 5 it will adopt an “unsend” feature that allows users to delete missent messages on KakaoTalk.

Kakao recently made the decision to allow for “unsending a message” within a certain window before the message is read by the recipient, officials said. This feature will be adopted in the next update scheduled for later this year.

Currently, the app is equipped with a similar feature for deleting messages, but they are only erased on a user’s app and not on the recipient’s device.

The move comes amid persistent calls by ordinary users as daily conversations are characterized by prompt messaging that leads to frequent mistakes and texts being forwarded to the wrong person, the company said.

A string of messenger operators have recently adopted similar functions to reflect market demands. Line allows users to delete both read and unread messages, images and stickers within 24 hours of being sent. The feature supports both mobile and computer versions of the messenger.

Line said the decision was made after a survey showed that 83 percent of Japanese users experienced some sort of embarrassment after mistakenly sending messages.

Last year, Telegram also adopted a similar function for deleting or unsending messages within the first 48 hours if the recipient has not seen the message.

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)