Line is one of the most popular instant messaging applications, it started gaining popularity in some Asian countries, but it now has more than 600 million users worldwide and it is available in almost every platform, it can also be used on mobile devices and PCs. It’s also one of the most feature-packed services, offering text messaging with emoji and stickers, sharing all sorts of files even with groups, making voice and video calls among other exclusive functions. Today, the app is being updated to its version 5.4.0 on Android devices with a new feature called Line Out.
More than a new feature, it’s actually a rebranding of its Line Premium Call service, which was used to call landlines and users without the Line app for a low price. The new Line Out has received an overhaul to make it easier to use. There’s a new Call tab at the top of the app, so now there are tabs for Friends, Chats, Timeline, Call and More. Within the Call tab, users can check all their calling history, whether those were calls using internet, video calls or the new Line Out calls, so calling your favorite contacts requires fewer taps now. Tapping on one of the contacts will show the past call history as well as the service that was used to call them and the number that was called.
After the update, users will have to activate the Line Out feature, as it is turned off by default. To do so, users should go to Settings, tap on Line Out Settings and select “Call Line Friends From Profiles” and this will allow users to call their contacts using the new service directly from their Line profiles. The phone numbers from the contact list stored on the phone will be synced so users could call them using Line Out at low-costs, even if they don’t use the Line app. For those who want to use the new service like they used to, just tap the phone keypad icon on the top left corner to enter a phone number directly. Line Out is available in the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela. The company hasn’t made it clear if more countries will be added.
