Download the Line Messaging App
Why do you need to download the Line messaging app? Is struggling to get a signal your most frustrating holiday experience? It is for me. As I generally travel for business, being in contact with my co-workers and being regularly updated on any business projects I’m working on is crucial for me to be able to survive financially. If I miss an important email and don’t see it for a few hours, it could be the difference between paying my next bill or not.
So, travelling around without a phone or having one but not being able to succeed in connecting to anyone has got to be my most frustrating, and expensive, experience.
China Experience
When I went to China I knew it was necessary to be able to make and receive international calls. Unfortunately in the 2 weeks I was there, calls to me along with data usage racked up a $700 phone bill. And this was when I could answer. When I couldn’t, calls went to my voicemail (directed to China then redirected to my voicemail) resulting in a higher charge, along with the charge of listening to the message play back. And if the caller forgot to disconnect, I’d still be paying for the redirected silence!
So when I went to Japan I had my phone on flight mode the entire time and my voice mail disconnected. I only used wifi. And I kept in contact with everyone using just one app. Line.
Download the Line Messaging App here: Line
My Favourite Messaging App
Line is by far my most favourite app. I’ve used WeChat, WhatsApp, Kakao Talk, Hangouts, Skype, HelloTalk, MeowChat, Facebook Messenger and many others, but Line has so far been the best. While Line does much the same as other apps out there: Showing you if someone has read your message; storing chat records for years; having a wide variety of free stickers for quick responses; having emoji that automatically appear when you type, Line has something many of the other companies are struggling to improve on.
Great Wifi Connection
The main reason to download the Line messaging app is the great connection you can get through WiFi! No mobile signal needed. Just use local wifi networks in shopping centres, at train stations, at home etc. If I didn’t need a mobile number to register, I just wouldn’t use mobile numbers any more!
I’ve been saying for over 20 years “why call when you can email?” now I’m saying “Why call when you can Line?” Obviously, for business people like myself, email is still the best for sending documents, and being able to keep customer enquiries related to various business projects under different gmail and other email accounts is quite important. (I have about 30 email accounts!) However, for being able to get a fast response for a fast question with someone that knows me, Line is the best. I usually ask them to download the Line messaging app if they haven’t got it already. Usually, though, they already do!
I have spoken with people around the world using Line and WiFi with no lag time, and with a quality that is almost as comparable to a normal mobile connection. And with Line now having video calls, the usefulness has increased 10-fold. However, as I rarely make calls (perhaps once a month to family) I find the instantaneousness and style of messaging via Line to be a lot more useful and enjoyable.
Additional note re: Line (update 2016)
My wife called me from Osaka via Line using video. Her friends had rented her a great hotel room with a beautiful view of the Osaka skyline and when she showed me everything live via her Line video app on her Samsung S6 mobile, I was able to see her hotel room clearly, as well as the stunning view via Line on my Samsung Galaxy Note IV Edge while in my unit in Sydney. Amazing!
Some improvements I would recommend for the average user.
1) Being able to create multiple Line accounts or multiple instances of the App under different names. This would be very useful as I’d prefer to reply on behalf of my business so that I can keep a record of the conversation under the correct heading, rather than everything being mixed up and lost under my own name.
2) Being able to store chat records on a cloud server so that I can import them into a new phone. (Most apps delete chat records when you upgrade and change phone models)
3) Being able to create a Line account on any device without needing to type in a mobile number to register. There are some devices I have that can use the Line app but don’t have a sim card. I’d like to set up different accounts on a variety of devices.
4) Encourage more sharing. If people could see the line icon alongside Facebook, Twitter and other social media icons, there’d be more Line sharing. I certainly would be.
Fix those and it’ll be the best messaging app to use for international travel.
Update
I’ve just discovered Line has now released a corporate version. It’s $US24 a year with $US12 for subsequent years for each ID (2015). You also don’t need a mobile number to register. (It looks like I wasn’t the only one wanting this!)
It’s a separate app called Line@
So, it looks like I’ll be budgeting for that in the new financial year!
Stickers
One other thing about Line. As many use the messaging service to not only send messages and pictures but also ‘stickers’ Line Corp have opened up their sticker service to allow for sticker submissions from anyone. So now you can create stickers that other people can use on the app, and if your stickers are popular enough, make some money from them!
Alien Characters Stickers
I decided to test this and have created my own stickers using some of the characters from my children’s book series Alien Characters The series is about fun aliens travelling from the Large Magellanic Cloud to explore the Milky Way Galaxy, meeting more aliens on the way. The stickers went live today and there are 40 to choose from! Please check them out here: Alien Characters Stickers or search for them in the Line Creators Category. (15 sets sold so far! I have thousands of Alien Characters stickers to release so when I sell 100 of set 1 I’ll start on set 2!)
So, if you haven’t used the Line app before, check it out. As long as you’re in a country with free wifi everywhere, and the people you wish to contact also have Line, you’re probably going to save a lot of money!
Download the Line Messaging App here: Line
