LINE: Calls & Messages

LINE is the dominant messenger in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. Outside those markets it is a minority app; inside them it functions as infrastructure — banking, government notices, retail loyalty and news all run through it.

The rating needs context

LINE’s store rating is low for an app of its size. Much of that reflects the same tension the Facebook app attracts: a messenger that accumulated a news feed, a wallet, a sticker store and advertising around a chat function people wanted to stay simple. It is not a signal that messaging is unreliable.

Encryption

LINE’s end-to-end encryption is called Letter Sealing. The detail that matters: it covers one-to-one and group chats, but it has historically not applied to every message type or to chats involving official accounts, and it can be disabled in settings — which means it can also be off without you noticing. Check that it is enabled rather than assuming.

Practical notes

• Account migration is unusually fragile. Moving to a new phone without completing the in-app transfer can lose chat history permanently. Back up before switching devices, not after.
• Stickers are a genuine part of the culture rather than a novelty, and many are paid.
• The app is large and gets larger; cached media is the bulk of it and clearing it is safe.

Who needs it

If your contacts are in Japan, Taiwan or Thailand, you do not really have a choice. Elsewhere, there is little reason to prefer it.