Line (software)

Line
	Screenshot featuring the "Line Friends" stickers
Developer(s)	Line Corporation (2011-2023); LY Corporation (2023–present);
Initial release	June 23, 2011
Stable release(s)
Android
Android	13.0.1 / 17 January 2023
iOS	13.4.0 / 30 March 2023
Windows	7.14.1.2907 / 23 March 2023
macOS	7.16.1 / 17 March 2023
Chrome	2.5.11 / 21 February 2023
Repository	github.com/line
Operating system	Operating system Android: 7.0 and later; iOS: 13.0 and later; Windows: 10 and later; macOS: 10.14 and later;
Platform	Smartphone, PC, iPad, Smartwatch
Size	Size Android: 221.59 MB; iOS: 262.4 MB; Windows: 161 MB; macOS: 234.4 MB; Chrome: 4.91MiB;
Available in	17 languages
	List of languages English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Arabic, Turkish
Type	Instant messaging, Social networking service
License	Proprietary software
Website	line.me/en/

Line (stylized as LINE) is a freeware app for instant communications on electronic devices operated by LY Corporation. Line users exchange: texts, images, video and audio and conduct free VoIP conversations and video conferences. In addition, Line is a platform providing various services including: digital wallet as Line Pay, news stream as LINE Today, video on demand as Line TV and digital comic distribution as Line Manga and Line Webtoon.

Line was launched in Japan in June 2011 by NHN Japan, a subsidiary of Naver Corporation.^[11] Because it was tailored to Japanese consumers' tastes and offered free smartphone calls as well as texting, with the help of a massive marketing campaign it quickly outpaced its existing rival KakaoTalk for the Japanese market.^[11] It reached 100 million users within 18 months and 200 million users six months later.^[12] Line became Japan's largest social network in 2013, with more than 300 million users.^[13] By February 2015 it had 600 million users.^[14]

In March 2021, SoftBank Group affiliate and Yahoo! Japan operator Z Holdings completed a merger with Line Corporation. Under the new structure, A Holdings, a subsidiary of SoftBank Corporation and Naver Corporation, will own 65.3% of Z Holdings, which will operate Line and Yahoo! Japan.^[15] Line is the most popular messaging application in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.^[16]^[17]

^ Error: Unable to display the reference properly. See the documentation for details.
^ "LINE: Free Calls & Messages - Apps on Google Play". Google Play.
^ "LINE Version History 13.4.0 Mar 30, 2023". March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "LINE". App Store. June 22, 2023.
^ "LINE: Version 7.14.1.2907 Latest update Mar 23, 2023". March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
^ "Get LINE". Microsoft Store.
^ "LINE: Version History 7.16.1 Mar 17, 2023". March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
^ "LINE". Mac App Store. May 2, 2023.
^ "LINE: Additional Information". February 21, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
^ "LINE". Chrome Web Store.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference Messaging War was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Line Hits 200 Million Users, Adding 100 Million in Just 6 Months". Tech In Asia. July 23, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
^ Cite error: The named reference Akimoto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Number of Line users to top 700 mil. this year". Korea Times. February 8, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
^ "SoftBank unit to invest $4.7bn in Yahoo-Line integration". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
^ "Mobile Messaging App Map of the World - January 2019". Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
^ "How Japan's Line App Became a Culture-Changing, Revenue-Generating Phenomenon". February 19, 2015.

[wikidata-b74934d3a65cf5a935c63a595fa7d0bef30f9868-v11-1] Error: Unable to display the reference properly. See the documentation for details.

[2] "LINE: Free Calls & Messages - Apps on Google Play". Google Play.

[wikidata-42d2f3631a3c71594d777218da89c43eab3fe088-v11-3] "LINE Version History 13.4.0 Mar 30, 2023". March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.

[ios-4] "LINE". App Store. June 22, 2023.

[wikidata-cc96381f4521e2859108449b57b6b899b7fc7fc4-v11-5] "LINE: Version 7.14.1.2907 Latest update Mar 23, 2023". March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.

[6] "Get LINE". Microsoft Store.

[wikidata-dfcf2e52abd8b11f88286c23fc588e42352f3420-v11-7] "LINE: Version History 7.16.1 Mar 17, 2023". March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.

[8] "LINE". Mac App Store. May 2, 2023.

[wikidata-8d263e5bd27073199ab59f687c21a4232228794c-v11-9] "LINE: Additional Information". February 21, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.

[10] "LINE". Chrome Web Store.

[Messaging_War-11] Cite error: The named reference Messaging War was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[techinasia.com-12] "Line Hits 200 Million Users, Adding 100 Million in Just 6 Months". Tech In Asia. July 23, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2013.

[Akimoto-13] Cite error: The named reference Akimoto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[14] "Number of Line users to top 700 mil. this year". Korea Times. February 8, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2016.

[15] "SoftBank unit to invest $4.7bn in Yahoo-Line integration". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved March 9, 2021.

[similarweb.com-16] "Mobile Messaging App Map of the World - January 2019". Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.

[17] "How Japan's Line App Became a Culture-Changing, Revenue-Generating Phenomenon". February 19, 2015.

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