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LINE Then and Now: Why People Love It—and Why Others Don’t

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LINE grew from a simple text messenger into a platform for communication and daily services. Its value is strong in some places, but “the best app” depends on a person’s needs, location, and concerns.

A woman uses her phone at a kitchen table while connected circles show family, friends, a shop, and public services.

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Introduction

from a into a for and . Its is in some , but “the ” on a , , and .

Before you begin

Warm-up

What messaging app do you use most often?
What services do you want one app to provide?
What makes an app feel useful and safe?

A woman at the center of a growing phone network connects with family, friends, work, shops, and public services while one user remains outside it.

Reading

Part 1: What Does “Best” Mean?

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Check: Part 1: What Does “Best” Mean?

1. Why can LINE feel like the best app in one country but not in another?

Sample answer

LINE can feel like the best app where many people and services already use it, but it may feel less useful where its network is smaller.

Reading

Part 2: From Text Messages to a Platform

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Check your understanding

Check: Part 2: From Text Messages to a Platform

1. How did LINE change from a messenger into a platform?

Sample answer

LINE first offered text messages, but later added calls, stickers, official accounts, games, news, and other services.

A woman keeps the same phone as a small office grows into two large company buildings with teams and shared services.

Reading

Part 3: The App and the Company Changed Differently

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Check your understanding

Check: Part 3: The App and the Company Changed Differently

1. Why do people see the names LINE and LY Corporation today?

Sample answer

LINE is still the name of the app, while LY Corporation is the company created through the 2023 group reorganization.

Reading

Part 4: An Everyday Platform Can Also Change

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Check your understanding

Check: Part 4: An Everyday Platform Can Also Change

1. What does the LINE Pay example teach us about large platforms?

Sample answer

It shows that a platform’s services can differ by country and can end or change even when the main messenger continues.

A woman studies a balanced scale comparing daily connections and services with privacy, security, and regional limits.

Reading

Part 5: The Case For and Against “The Best”

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Check your understanding

Check: Part 5: The Case For and Against “The Best”

1. What is a balanced conclusion about the claim that LINE is the best app?

Sample answer

LINE can be extremely useful where its network and services are strong, but security concerns, changing services, and regional differences mean it is not the best choice for everyone.

What you can do now

Final Reflection

For you, which matters most when judging an app—its number of services, its local network, its safety, or something else? Why?

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LINE Then and Now: Why People Love It—and Why Others Don’t

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Reading

Part 1: What Does “Best” Mean?

People may call LINE the best because it connects them with the people and services around them.

To understand why many people call it the best app, first look at how network effects work.

This is called a **network effect**: an app becomes more useful when more people in your community use it.

If your family, friends, workplace, and local organizations are all on LINE, you may need only one main communication app.

The effect is especially strong in some Asian markets.

On March 31, 2026, LY Corporation reported 193 million monthly active LINE users worldwide.

This included 100 million in Japan, 54 million in Thailand, and 22 million in Taiwan.

These numbers show LINE’s regional strength, but they also suggest that it is not equally central everywhere.

Reading

Part 2: From Text Messages to a Platform

LINE began because of a serious communication problem.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake, many people had difficulty contacting family and friends by telephone and email.

LINE launched in Japan on June 23, 2011.

Its first version could send text messages only.

The app quickly added more ways to communicate.

Free calls and emoji and stickers arrived in October 2011 and helped LINE grow rapidly.

Then LINE moved beyond personal messages.

LINE Official Account launched in May 2012, LINE GAME followed in November, and LINE NEWS started in July 2013.

A messenger mainly carries conversations.

A **platform** connects communication with other activities, content, and services.

This change is an important reason for LINE’s strong position.

Reading

Part 3: The App and the Company Changed Differently

The history of the LINE app is not exactly the same as the history of the company behind it.

In April 2013, NHN Japan changed its name to LINE Corporation.

As the business grew, LINE Corporation listed its shares in both New York and Tokyo in July 2016.

A larger change happened on October 1, 2023.

Z Holdings, LINE Corporation, Yahoo Japan Corporation, Z Entertainment, and Z Data completed a group reorganization.

Together, they began operating as LY Corporation.

The main app still kept the familiar LINE name.

This difference matters: a product can keep its name and identity while its company structure changes.

The new company brought the LINE and Yahoo Japan businesses together under one organization.

Reading

Part 4: An Everyday Platform Can Also Change

LINE has offered services connected with content, shopping, business, finance, and other parts of daily life.

LY Corporation also says that LINE now has emergency features and that local governments and other organizations use it as a disaster-response tool.

For users in these communities, LINE can connect private conversations with useful public information.

However, a large platform does not provide the same services forever or in every country.

LINE Pay began in Japan in December 2014, but it ended there on April 30, 2025.

Payment functions were reorganized around PayPay.

The closure did not include LINE Pay in Taiwan or Thailand.

This example shows both the strength and weakness of a broad platform: it can offer many connected services, but those services can change or disappear.

Reading

Part 5: The Case For and Against “The Best”

The argument for LINE is clear.

It combines communication with other useful services, and its large regional networks make it part of everyday life for many people.

Its history of growth also shows how it expanded from a simple messenger into a platform combining communication, content, commerce, and other everyday services.

There are also reasons to be careful.

In 2023, LY Corporation reported unauthorized access and confirmed or possible leakage of user-related personal data.

It said that bank details, credit-card numbers, and LINE chat conversations were not included.

The company also says LINE uses several encryption technologies and publishes reports about them.

These protections matter, but no large online service can remove every security or data risk.

In addition, LINE’s regional concentration means it cannot be the most useful app for everyone.

“Best” is therefore a personal and local judgment, not a universal fact.

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