Line offers free IP voice calls, video calls and instant messaging. It has earned a good reputation as a WhatsApp alternative. It has more registered and active users than apps like Skype, with an estimated global user base of about 84 million.
Like WhatsApp and Viber, Line uses mobile phone numbers to register users. In addition to free user-to-user calls and text messages, it also offers paid calls to mobile and landline users.
Line offers a variety of social networking features, such as a timeline feature similar to those found on social media. Users can share multimedia files, including audio recordings, video files and pictures, with other Line accounts. Voice and video can be recorded live.
Free Line Camera Photo Editor app helps you take photos and lightly edit them before saving or sharing. What's more, Line also includes stickers and emojis, many of which can be purchased through the theme store and sticker store. The Line Pay app supports in-app payments.
You can organize group messages for up to 100 people at the same time. There are many ways to add friends, including shaking their phones close to each other. You can also use QR codes to quickly add friends.
Line is available for iOS (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch), Android and BlackBerry devices. It's also available for Windows PC and macOS.
Setup is simple. Once installed and launched, Line will guide you through the registration process, which is performed using your phone number. You'll need to double check that the number is correct and then verify your registration using the code sent to your phone.
During the registration process, Line will ask for access to your contact information. You can disable this access if you choose. This option authorizes Line to browse the contacts on your device and build a friends list in the app based on them, showing which of your contacts are on Line.
On Windows and Mac systems, Line will ask you to register your email address. A code will be sent to your email address for verification. If you change your phone number or mobile device, you can use your email address to log in and access your account information. The next time you log in, select Email/QR code login below the login field to access your account using email.
Line requires you to create a display name (up to 20 characters). You can then choose whether you want others to be able to add you as a friend. (If you don't, uncheck the box at the bottom.)
Official accounts on Line are run by businesses and organizations. Interacting with them requires accepting the official account terms of use. When you add an official account as a friend or interact with an official account, the official account will gain access to view your profile information. This includes your display name, profile media, status message, and your internal identifier, which is a unique string provided to users when registering.
If you choose Cancel , you won't be able to interact with or add official accounts, which include news outlets like CNN, TechCrunch, and Wikipedia, as well as celebrities. Every time you try to interact with an official account, you will receive an official account terms of use verification prompt. The Line system is considered an official account, so any message from Line will prompt you to accept this additional agreement.
Use Line to call people who don't use the Line app from a mobile or landline number. These calls are not free. Instead of paying for expensive mobile airtime, you can use line credits to make VoIP calls. This service is called Line Out. Rates are generally affordable but vary depending on where you call.
To make free calls using Line Out, you need to view ads. The availability of calls depends on the location you call. These times can vary, but are usually three to five minutes.
