It’s been a couple of weeks since we last heard about KakaoTalk for PC, which was first announced at the end of March when it entered beta testing and originally set for a May launch date.
Finally, the company announced that the messaging application is available for Windows PCs in South Korea and will be coming to the rest of the world on June 26. There was no mention of a Mac version as of yet.
The PC version will essentially be a watered-down version of the mobile app
As we mentioned before, the PC version will essentially be a watered-down version of the mobile app, similar to what is currently available for Windows Phone users (although the Windows Phone version does sync directly with the PC version as of the latest update just like other mobile versions, a feature that goes one step beyond the very basic features). The desktop client will include only basic chat features (friends list, chat windows, and ‘viewed’ tags) and will mirror its mobile counterparts.
Users with KakaoTalk accounts can use their account on up to five different devices after verification, so even if you use the mobile edition, you can still download the PC version from the Kakao website and utilize it, though not simultaneously. You’ll automatically be logged out of one version when logged into the other.
Features most highly demanded by beta testers will make it into the final product
The PC edition of KakaoTalk will sport features that received the highest number of requests from beta-test users according to the company, including chat window transparency, alert notification settings, profile editing and screenshot sharing for the chatroom. It also supports photo transfers of up to 10 images with a size limitation of 9 MB per photo. There are also plans to support file transfers and additional font options later this year.
KakaoTalk is about to cross the 100 million user threshold and is expected to hit the mark by the end of the month as it continues its competition with other apps such as LINE and WhatsApp.
If you happen to live in South Korea, you can download the app right now here. As for the rest of us, the option will appear starting June 26.