Kik may be the underdog in the market for messaging apps but the only thing that means is that it’s going to try even harder than its competitors to attract new users. The latest such attempt to attract more users is the addition of a full-blown web browser in the Kik app. While the app has always had an in-app browser in the sidebar, the company has transformed it into an actual web browser.
Facebook has developed an app platform for Messenger, but underdog rival Kik has continued its focus on putting the entire web in chat after upgrading its in-app sidebar browser into a full-blown browser for its messaging app. The change means that Kik users can now summon a full browser inside their chats with friends. Previously the browser was limited, since it was loaded from the sidebar as part of the chat window. This change translates to a more immersive experience, which lets Kik’s 200 million registered users surf the web while talking to friends; for instance I could listen to Soundcloud while chatting. It also gives them the option to easily share web pages and services in chats. “The older experience was more like a browser besides the messenger, it was not particularly chat-centric,” Mike Roberts, head of mobile development at Kik told TechCrunch. “The new design makes it easier to view content or browse the web.”