If you’ve opened KakaoTalk lately and thought, “Wait—what is this Instagram-looking feed doing here?”, you’re not alone.
The 2025 KakaoTalk update (카카오톡 업데이트) introduced a major design shift that caught millions of users off guard. Instead of the clean, simple friend list, users are now greeted with a redesigned Friends tab that works like a social feed—showing profile updates, statuses, photos, and even videos in a social media-style layout. And the real shock? You never agreed to be part of it.
For many, it feels like their private space was suddenly made public. Contacts you barely know can now see personal updates that were never meant for wide sharing.
In this post, we’ll break down exactly what changed, why users are frustrated, and most importantly—how you can protect your privacy while we all wait for Kakao to roll back these changes.
What Actually Changed in the Latest KakaoTalk Update (카카오톡 업데이트)
KakaoTalk's September 2025 update wasn’t just a routine tweak. It was a full-blown redesign—one that turned a familiar messaging app into something that now feels more like a social media platform.
Here’s what changed:
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Friends Tab Turned into a Feed: The Friends tab was redesigned to function like a social feed. Instead of the classic A–Z contact list, it now displays profile photos, status messages, moods, and background images in a grid-style layout. This change makes your updates more visible by default—even to people you rarely interact with.
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"Now" Video Feature: KakaoTalk added a short-form video feature similar to TikTok or Reels. These videos autoplay and appear prominently in the new feed.
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Friend List Overhaul: The old A-Z style friend list is no longer the default. Instead, you're directed into this new "social feed" view, where your contacts are listed visually with public updates.
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More Emphasis on Sharing: The app now encourages users to share status messages, moods, and even selfie updates more frequently—just like a social network.
While KakaoTalk has always had basic profile features, they were quiet and passive. This update actively pushes content—and you—into a public space you didn’t opt into.
Why Users Are So Frustrated
The backlash wasn’t slow. Within days, KakaoTalk was flooded with 1-star reviews and user complaints. But why exactly were people so upset?
Here’s what users disliked the most:
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Unwanted Exposure: Many users were shocked to find their profile photo, status, and recent changes now appearing in a feed that everyone in their contact list could see—including acquaintances, coworkers, and even exes.
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Loss of Simplicity: KakaoTalk used to be a clean, efficient messaging app. The new interface feels bloated, with distractions like videos, suggested content, and extra tabs.
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No Clear Opt-Out: Users weren’t given a choice. There was no prompt asking for permission to show your profile in the new feed. It just happened.
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Confusion and Misdirection: Even basic functions like viewing your friend list or sending a message now take more taps and navigating through unfamiliar layouts.
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Privacy Feels Compromised: Especially in Korea, where social boundaries are tightly managed, users felt that KakaoTalk broke an unspoken trust by turning private updates into social content.
This wasn’t just about design. It was about consent, control, and comfort—and KakaoTalk got all three wrong.
Can You Turn It Off? What You Can Do for Privacy
While you can't remove the new Feed-like interface entirely, you can take control of how much of your personal activity appears in it. Here are the key settings every user should check after the KakaoTalk update (카카오톡 업데이트):
Turn Off Profile Update Sharing
This is the most important setting. It controls whether your friends can see updates like your profile photo, status message, or background image in their feed.
Steps:
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Open KakaoTalk and go to the Friends tab
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Tap on your profile photo or name at the top
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Tap the gear icon (⚙️) in the top right corner to open settings
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Go to Profile Update Sharing
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Choose either "Only Me" or "Friends Only"
→ To stay completely private, select "Only Me"
Disable KakaoTalk ID Search
If you don’t want people finding you by ID, you can block it.
Steps:
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From your profile settings, tap on KakaoTalk ID
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Turn off the toggle that says "Allow others to search me by ID"
This keeps random people (or even acquaintances you want to avoid) from finding your profile in search.
Reduce Distraction from the “Now” Tab
While you can’t fully disable the “Now” feed, you can hide or mute its contents.
Steps:
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Go to More (⋯) tab
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Tap on “Now”
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Tap the three dots on individual videos or updates
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Select Mute, Hide, or Don’t show similar content
This helps reduce unwanted content from appearing in your experience.
Be Selective About What You Share
With the new feed, everything you change on your profile becomes more visible by default. Even changing your emoji or mood can appear to others. Be mindful of what you update—and how often.
What KakaoTalk Promised to Fix (카카오톡의 복구 발표)
The backlash was loud—and Kakao listened. After thousands of complaints and tanking app store ratings, the company made a rare public apology and promised to make changes.
Here’s what they said they would fix:
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Restoring the Friend List: Kakao announced that the classic friend list view (the simple A-Z list) will return as the default view by the end of 2025.
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Separating the Feed: The “Feed” will no longer take over your main screen. It will be moved into a separate tab, clearly marked as optional.
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More User Control: KakaoTalk said it will provide new privacy controls and clearer settings for profile visibility and feed participation.
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Revisiting the “Now” Feature: Although the short-form video tab will remain, Kakao said it will tone down its presence and give users more control over what they see.
However, these changes haven’t been rolled out yet. Kakao stated they will be implemented “gradually” in Q4 of 2025—which means for now, you’re stuck with the current version. 😓
Cultural Insight: Why This Update Feels So Invasive
If you're new to Korea, you might be wondering why this update caused so much outrage. After all, apps like Instagram or Snapchat do similar things. But KakaoTalk is different.
Here's why this hit harder in Korea:
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KakaoTalk is deeply integrated into daily life—it’s not just a messenger, it’s the primary tool for school, work, banking, shopping, and even government alerts.
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Korean social norms are more private and hierarchical. People are often very selective about what they share with coworkers, acquaintances, or elders.
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Your KakaoTalk profile isn't just personal—it's professional too. Many Koreans use one account for both their personal and work life. So when profile changes are suddenly public, it creates real stress.
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Foreigners feel it too. If you're a non-Korean living here, you may have contacts like your boss, landlord, or school admin on Kakao. You probably didn’t want them seeing your weekend mood update or selfie.
For me, as a Korean, This isn’t just a UI problem. It’s a cultural misstep. 😂
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can I disable the new Feed tab completely?
Unfortunately, no. As of now, there is no way to fully remove or disable the Feed tab. However, KakaoTalk has announced plans to move it out of the main screen in a future update. For now, the best you can do is minimize your profile visibility through settings.
Q2. Will people get notified when I update my profile or status?
Not exactly, but your update will appear in their Feed—if they visit it. So while no push notification is sent, your changes become more visible than before, which can feel invasive.
Q3. How can I stop my profile updates from appearing in the new Feed?
Go to
Friends tab > Tap your profile > Settings (⚙️) > Profile Update
Sharing, and select “Only Me” to
hide all your changes from others.
Also, go to
KakaoTalk ID settings and
disable
“Allow others to search me by ID”
to prevent unwanted contacts from finding you.
Q4. Is there a way to go back to the old interface?
No, there’s no official way to revert to the previous layout. Kakao has announced that the old friend list view will return later in 2025, but it’s not available yet. Patience is key.
Q5. Is KakaoTalk still safe to use after this update?
Yes, KakaoTalk is still secure for messaging and general use. The problem lies more in exposure of personal updates than security risks. If you adjust your privacy settings carefully, you can continue using the app with confidence.
Final Thoughts: Should You Keep Using KakaoTalk?
For now, there’s no real alternative. KakaoTalk is too deeply embedded in Korean life to quit cold turkey.
But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless. By adjusting your privacy settings and limiting what you share, you can take back some control—at least until the promised update arrives.
And yes, KakaoTalk has officially said they’ll make it better. So the best thing we can do now is protect our profiles, minimize exposure, and wait to see if Kakao really listens.
