Why are these apps used in the UK?

LINE, KakaoTalk, and WeChat are the dominant messengers in Japan, South Korea, and China respectively. UK children of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese heritage often use them to stay in touch with family overseas, and children of mixed friendship groups sometimes join too. They are also widely used by international students.

What is the minimum age?

All three set a stated minimum age of 13 in most regions, but age verification on sign-up is light. WeChat requires real-name verification with a Chinese phone number in mainland China, but a UK phone number bypasses that. None has a dedicated under-13 mode comparable to Messenger Kids.

What are the main UK-specific risks?

All three have an in-app browser that opens external links inside the app, which can expose children to content with weaker UK-style filtering than Safari or Chrome. Each has an integrated payments feature - WeChat Pay, Kakao Pay, LINE Pay - which can be linked to a card. Data may be processed in jurisdictions outside the UK GDPR perimeter, depending on the app and region.

What should I do if there is a problem on this app?

Use the app's in-app report and block tools first - this is usually the fastest way to remove content or restrict an account. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101. The NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) and Childline (0800 1111) are free and confidential. For a UK reporting decision tree, see /reporting and /tools/reporting-route-finder.

LINE, KakaoTalk & WeChat Safety Guide for Parents

What UK parents need to know about diaspora messaging apps - LINE, KakaoTalk, and WeChat - including age-verification gaps, in-app browser exposure, cross-border data, and payments.

Official age

13+

We recommend

13+

Developer

LY Corporation, Kakao Corp., Tencent

Risks

Direct messaging

Location sharing

In-app purchases

Live streaming

Overview

LINE, KakaoTalk, and WeChat are the dominant messaging apps of Japan, South Korea, and China respectively. In the UK they are mostly used by children of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese heritage to stay in touch with grandparents, cousins, and family friends overseas, and by international students. All three are 'super-apps' that combine messaging, voice and video calling, a social feed, an in-app browser, mini-programs and games, and an integrated payments wallet. Age verification on sign-up is light - a phone number and date of birth - and there is no dedicated under-13 experience. The in-app browser means a link sent in a chat opens inside the app, where UK-style filtering and parental controls applied at the device level do not always reach. Some data is processed outside the UK GDPR perimeter, depending on the app.

How children use it

Children of diaspora families use these apps mostly to keep up with grandparents and cousins overseas - voice notes, photos of school events, and family group chats are the most common patterns. Some join interest groups via QR-code invites, which is the standard way to enter a community on all three apps. A subset use the integrated mini-apps and games, which can include in-app purchases. Older teenagers sometimes use the payments feature for small transfers between friends. The translation features built into LINE and KakaoTalk make bilingual conversation easy, which is part of the appeal for second-generation children.

Main risks

group chats privacy oversharing scams targeting children online strangers

Recommended privacy settings

Friend Auto-Add

Location: Settings -> Friends -> Auto-add (LINE) / Friend Settings (KakaoTalk) / Privacy (WeChat)

Set to: Off

All three apps can automatically add anyone in the device's contact book. Turn this off so the child has to confirm every contact.

Allow Search by Phone Number or ID

Location: Settings -> Privacy -> Allow search by phone / ID

Set to: Off

Stops strangers finding the account by typing in a phone number, LINE ID, KakaoTalk ID, or WeChat ID.

Payments and Wallet

Location: Wallet / Pay tab -> Disable or do not link card

Set to: Not linked to a child account

Do not link a card to a child's account. Where a payment feature has been enabled by mistake, remove the card and set a PIN on the wallet.

Moments / Timeline Visibility

Location: Settings -> Privacy -> Moments / Timeline

Set to: Friends only

The social feed (Moments on WeChat, Timeline on LINE, KakaoStory on KakaoTalk) defaults can be wider than expected. Restrict to friends only.

Mini-Programs / In-app Games

Location: Discover or Wallet tab

Set to: Block in-app purchases at device level

Use device-level parental controls (Apple Screen Time or Android Family Link) to require approval for any in-app purchase, which catches mini-program payments too.