Report updated Apr 14, 2026
LINE: Calls & Messages
For general users seeking an all-in-one communication and lifestyle platform, particularly popular in Asian markets for its integration of daily services.
LINE: Calls & Messages is an established communication app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 3.2/5 rating from 13.9M reviews, it shows polarized user reception. Users particularly appreciate messaging & stickers, though account access & login issues remains a common concern.
What Is LINE: Calls & Messages?
Current Momentum
v26.5.0 · 5d ago
MaintenanceLINE is currently in maintenance mode, with recent updates limited to generic bug fixes and performance improvements.
Active Nemesis
WhatsApp Messenger
By WhatsApp
Other Rivals
7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸
No ranking data
Recent User Mood 🇺🇸
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
How Is The App's Momentum Right Now?
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What Are The Key Features?
Seamless synchronization of chats and services across mobile, desktop, and Wear OS/Apple Watch.
Integrated access to news, music, manga, shopping, and fintech services within one app.
Community-based chat rooms for users with shared interests and hobbies.
End-to-end encryption for messages, call history, and location data.
Who is it for & how much does it cost?
Target Audience
General users seeking an all-in-one communication and lifestyle platform, particularly popular in Asian markets for its integration of daily services.
Pricing
Freemium- Free messaging and calling
- In-app purchases for stickers, themes, and digital content
Monetizes through a massive ecosystem of integrated services (fintech, shopping, entertainment) and digital goods rather than subscription-only access.
Who Built It?
Enrichment in progress
Publisher profile available very soon
What other apps does LINE (LY Corporation) make?
What do users think recently?
High confidence · 13.9M reviews analyzed
What is the recent mood?
“Recent user voice shows a mixed sentiment. Users appreciate messaging & stickers, but report account access & login issues and technical bugs & performance.”
What Users Love
Line has cute stickers and fun features. Messaging is smooth and enjoyable.
I love the massive collection of expressive stickers that make every conversation feel more personal
What Frustrates Users
cannot even add friends to new account... Nothing works
Worst app ever if unistalled it you cant log in to your account
If I get a text, it simply won't show up in the chat... closing the app and opening it again
notification still not work as always
What is the competitive landscape for LINE: Calls & Messages?
How's The Communication Market?
Market outlook for this category
Available very soon
The rivals identified
The Nemesis
- -
Users are happier — sentiment 55/100 vs 42
- -
Higher rated at 4.7★ vs 3.2★
- -
End-to-End Encryption
Contenders
Supports much larger group sizes and public channels compared to LINE's OpenChat
Superior cloud-based sync that handles large files and media more efficiently than LINE's Keep Memo
Stronger presence in Eastern Europe and parts of Southeast Asia
Integrated 'Viber Out' for low-cost calls to non-app users, a more prominent feature than LINE's equivalent
Peers
Superior voice-chat stability and persistent community 'rooms'
Highly customizable bot ecosystem for community management
Open-source protocol and non-profit status provide higher trust for security-conscious users
Zero-knowledge architecture that stores significantly less metadata than LINE
Deeply entrenched ecosystem in the Korean market, similar to LINE's dominance in Japan
Highly developed 'Plus Friend' system for business-to-consumer communication
Session - Private Messenger
★4.7 (22.3K)Session Foundation
Competes directly for social-graph-based messaging and features a robust sticker and mini-game ecosystem.
Seamless integration with Facebook social profiles and Marketplace
Stronger focus on AR effects and interactive video calling features
The outtake for LINE: Calls & Messages
SWOT Analysis
Core Strengths
- Massive 'Super App' ecosystem (fintech, manga, shopping)
- Dominant digital content marketplace (stickers/themes)
- Robust multi-platform sync (Mobile, PC, Wear OS)
Critical Frictions
- Critical account recovery and login failures
- Message synchronization and notification delays
- Data loss during device migration
Growth Levers
- Expanding OpenChat for interest-based community discovery
- Deeper integration of Mini App services for daily utility
Market Threats
- WhatsApp's superior technical stability and global ubiquity
- Beeper's aggregation eroding 'Super App' stickiness
- Privacy-first messengers (Signal) targeting metadata concerns
What are the next best moves?
Overhaul Account Migration & Login Flow
This is the #1 high-frequency complaint theme and a primary driver of churn and 'worst app' reviews.
Resolve Message Sync & Notification Latency
Users report needing to restart the app to see texts, a fundamental utility failure that drives users to WhatsApp.
Enhance OpenChat Discovery
OpenChat is a key differentiator against WhatsApp's closed groups; improving its visibility can increase platform stickiness.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Superior cloud-based sync for large files (available in Telegram)
- Unified inbox for multiple networks (available in Beeper)
- Prominent low-cost calling to non-app users (available in Viber)
Key Takeaways
LINE remains a powerhouse in the 'Super App' space due to its deep ecosystem and sticker culture, but it is currently at risk of losing its core utility status. If I were the PM, I would freeze new 'Family Service' integrations to focus exclusively on fixing the account migration and message sync bugs that are currently alienating the user base.
Where Is It Heading?
Declining
User mood is Frustrated due to persistent login and account access failures.
Recent updates (v26.5.0) focused on stability/bug fixes rather than new feature expansion.
Sentiment trend is declining as technical debt impacts core messaging reliability.