Kik is one of the more interesting apps out there, allowing you to chat with people from around the world without exposing your phone number or any personal information if you choose not to. While the app has had its fair share of scrutiny over some of the more inappropriate things people have used it for, it also has plenty of valid uses as well. With over 100 million users world-wide, the app has gained a following. The developers of Kik have recently made a change where they are now hosting a native Kik internet browser from within the app itself. This update is live on both iOS and Android, and it allows for users to jump straight from messaging someone to browsing the web. The reasoning behind this update is to make sharing links easier between messengers, allowing for quicker access to the Internet since there is no longer a need to load a different application in order to do so.
Kik is also revealing a new set of APIs that they have created in order to let developers and webmasters optimize their sites for the new browser. These APIs enable the developers to activate push notifications and easier sharing of things like photos. There is an interesting twist to this, however. The APIs contain a hidden perk which allows for websites that use them to become more accessible and discover-able to Kik users. For example, should a Kik user opt to search for ‘boats’, sites that utilize Kik’s new API and sold boats or were about boats would gravitate towards the top of the search list. While this may give less-visited sites a chance to receive more traffic and business, it may also frustrate users who are looking for a popular site that chooses not to use the new API.
Kik’s endgame here is to make the app as accessible to as many people as possible by streamlining the processes. As to whether or not it will work, only time will tell. What do you think? Are you an adamant Kik user whose life will be made better because of this? Or is this just a pointless gimmick that will serve no real purpose? Let us know that and any other thoughts you may have down below in the comments!