August 11, 2025, 5:50 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Shortly after WhatsApp revolutionized digital communication, another messaging service called Kik appeared in 2010. The app rode the wave of WhatsApp’s boom for quite some time. As Kik has become quieter in recent times, TECHBOOK took a look at what has become of the messenger.
Students Found the Messenger Kik
First of all, the research begins with a surprise. The app is no longer listed in Google’s Play Store. The current owner, the U.S.-based holding company Medialab, announced via the Kik website that the team is working on a solution.
This fits with Kik’s story. Somehow, much remains mysterious. Kik Interactive Inc. was founded in 2009 by some enterprising students from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. In October 2010, the company’s first product, the Kik Messenger, was launched.
Kik Lands Squarely on the Dark Side
Interest in the new chat service quickly increased, especially among teenagers aged 11 to 15. This target group was particularly interested in a Kik feature that WhatsApp did not offer: registration only by username, without revealing their phone number.
However, anonymity as a business model quickly pushed Kik into the dark corner of the internet. The app, used by many young users, attracted people with pedophilic intentions. For them, the anonymous contact option served as a gateway.
Since media files can also be sent via Kik and random or targeted video chats are possible, the app quickly gained a bad reputation. Law enforcement agencies and child protection advocates warn against its use, as cases of cyberbullying, grooming, and sexual harassment continue to surface.
Read also: Criminologist: “3 Types of Offenders Endanger Our Children on the Internet”
At Its Peak, 300 Million Users
The Canadian app operator responded, but not very effectively. Their guidelines state that Kik is only accessible to people over 18 years old. Age verification is supposed to be done through an external verification app. However, random tests showed that age verification existed only on paper.
At its peak, in the mid-2010s, over 300 million people used the messenger. While Kik was among the better-known messaging services, it was far from the most popular. Additionally, Kik now faces significant competition from Snapchat in terms of anonymous chatting.
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The Descent into Obscurity
Kik tries to turn the tide and explores new paths. Starting in 2016, the messaging service experimented with automated chatbots for various purposes. The provider aimed to become more appealing to businesses, which could use the innovative technology to communicate their advertising messages attractively to the young target audience.
However, industry giants like Facebook also planned to introduce chatbots. Kik’s technical lead over competitors was smaller than expected. Soon, all major messengers had such a bot function.
Thus began Kik’s slow march into obscurity. The app is now one of many messengers. In 2017, the creators made another attempt to stand out from the competition. It would be their last. With Kin, they developed a blockchain-based cryptocurrency. This currency was intended to be established as a payment option via Kik. However, the Canadian provider completely overextended itself.
Kik Continues as a “Digital Zombie”
In October 2019, almost exactly nine years after its release, Ted Livingston, one of Kik’s founders and now CEO, announced the end of the messenger. Since then, Kik has led a kind of digital zombie existence.
The holding company Medialab has continued Kik since the “end.” The messenger veteran has not generated much attention for a long time, except when the app is temporarily unavailable for download in the usual app stores. Kik is now available for download again in the Play Store. Few have likely missed the app.