The Hustler's Digest StaffKeeping in touch with your loved ones is now simpler than ever. Kik lets you sign up and send messages with just your email address, which helps to safeguard your anonymity, unlike other applications that ask for your phone number. There are many things to know about this well-known messaging software, whether you want to safeguard your privacy or simply seek a new method to stay in touch.
Your life revolves around how much you are connected with the ones you love and cherish most, be it your mom, who cooks you the best sandwiches, or your girlfriend or boyfriend, who makes you the best mocktails. How can you stay connected with them in modern-day situations? Will you use a pigeon to send your messages as an enveloped letter to someone on Street 16 while you are on Street 9 in the same city, or what if you guys live in different cities? Then what would you do?
How far will your pigeon go, then? Chances are your pigeon will drop the enveloped letter in the middle of some busy highway after getting its fair share of shock and noise from huge trucks and many cars on a busy avenue.
History
Pigeons were in usage when modern technology didn’t come to the world and had no experience of a celebrated advent like it has today (almost a status of some kind of Gospel from heaven since the people who revere it significantly are the ones who are not all materialistic and consumerist but are also looking for greater convenience in their lives through the availability of devices and mediums which make life much easier to live).
Image Source: Wikipedia
As a method of communication, the use of pigeons is likely to be dating back to the time and land of the ancient Persian civilization (if you only know about it from the movie Prince of Persia starring Jake Gyllenhall, then that’s a pity, read some history, my friend, it never hurts). It was the Persians from whom the skillful art of training birds came into being. But things were not only confined till here as it has also been recorded in the chronicles of history that the Romans also used pigeon messengers to assist their military some 2000 years ago.
The prominent Roman civil engineer and author Frontinus said that the mighty Roman emperor Julius Caesar resorted to using pigeons as messengers when he embarked on a conquest of the European region of Gaul(modern-day France). In the 6th century BC, Cyrus, the great king of Persia, wonderfully utilized the carrier pigeons for establishing a stable and excellent source of communication with different parts of his great empire (modern-day Iran).
In Ancient Rome, after the conquest, Julius Caesar also used pigeons to send messages to his newly gained territory and foothold of Gaul. Though this article earlier doubted the speed of pigeons, it has to be noted that the first airmail using pigeons was established in 1896 in New Zealand and was known as the Pigeon-Gram Service. The only reason such service was established lies in the average speed of these birds, which was 77.6 mph, a reasonable rate to have for a bird but paled in comparison to modern technology as it is 40% lower than one of the greatest inventions of the modern era and human mind and that invention indeed is a modern aircraft.
Though the last passenger pigeon died on September 1, 1914, at the Cincinnati Zoo, the time stopped for these types of pigeons but not for those using them now; to progress and move forward, they had to resort to a modern messaging system.
Therefore, in today’s age and time, it’s not a good idea to send your messages through some already hapless and easy-to-get-scared pigeon. Modern-day problems require modern-day solutions. The only modern-day solution one can think of right now is the one you can utilize and resort to even from the comfort and privacy of your own house without any need for any bird, mammal, or living being coming to your help and at your disposal. This modern-day solution is Kik.
Image Source: CNBC
So what is a Kik? Although there are different messaging apps out there, Kik stands out as one of the best due to its great deliverance and serviceability in a customer-friendly manner, implying you won’t have to go through a lot of hassle while understanding how Kik works and how it makes life easier for you and your loved ones.
It is vital to have something like this when the entire world is fighting against a pandemic that has disrupted face-to-face physical communication for many but has led to a growth in and an increase in online contact.
What is Kik Messenger?
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An Insight into Kik
Kik is a significant component of that online communication which you very often engage in out of necessity and, at times, out of other unnecessary reasons. It is the platform where relationships of all kinds blossom whether it is you courting your would-be boyfriend Jack or you just want to go on a speed dating thing with multiple Jack and Jones out there, you can stay connected to all of them, and that too at the same time without any disconnect from anyone of them.
That’s the power of Kik, which is a vibrant phenomenon as well as a platform. Don’t worry about your privacy and security, it will all remain intact as long as you are on Kik, as Kik values its users more than anything else in this world (yes, it doesn’t even love those freshly minted nice smelling bucks, but it loves you only). If the user is satisfied, Kik believes it thrives; if the user is dissatisfied, Kik believes it is a failure.
With this approach in mind, one can see a fine line of thinking and reasoning in work here without interruptions. It uses a smartphone’s data plan or Wi-Fi for transmission and reception of messages, photos, videos, sketches, mobile web pages, and other valuable and relevant content after users register a username.
Kik is touted globally for its features preserving users’ anonymity, which includes allowing users to register without needing to provide a telephone number or valid email address. However, the user-friendly application does not have end-to-end encryption, and the company also logs user IP addresses, which can be a tool for determining the user’s ISP and approximate location.
This information and the conversations being “reported” are regularly surrendered when a request is being made by the relevant law enforcement organizations, at times without even the need in the first place for the presence of a court order.
Humble origins
Kik Interactive came into existence in 2009 through the creative and innovative shared thought process and headspace of a group of students from Canada’s renowned University of Waterloo. These students desired to embark on the creation of new technologies for their usage of mobile smartphones.
Image Source: TheNextWeb
Kik Messenger became the first app to have been developed by Kik Interactive. After the development process was finally over, the product brimming with excellent service was finally released on the 19th of October, 2010.
And just after fifteen days of release, Kik Messenger reached one million user registrations, a remarkable feat for someone this young in an already cutthroat world infested with the vibes of a shark-eat-shark attitude. However, it must be noted that Twitter got the credit for playing the role of a catalyst in accelerating the popularity of this new and promising application known to the world by the name of Kik.
Growth of kik
On November 24, 2010, Research In Motion(RIM) had to resort to removing Kik Messaging from BlackBerry App World and to another lethal choice which was to limit the functionality software has for its users.
RIM further went on to sue Kik Interactive for infringement of the patent as well as the misuse trademarks had been subjected to. Three years later, in October and the year 2013, the companies finally had to go for a settlement of the lawsuit, but much to the surprise of many and the chagrin of few, the settlement terms remained undisclosed.
One year and one month later, in November and the year 2014, Kik announced a $38.3 million Series C funding round, the first acquisition. This led to the purchase of GIF Messenger “Relay.”
For this, the funding was made available and feasible from Valiant Capital Partners, Millennium Technology Value Partners, and SV Angel. With this small amount of time being passed and Kik being able to make already some massive strides toward success within the relevant market dynamics, Kik got itself in a position where it was able to raise a total of $70.5 million.
Kik and Tencent are coming together
Ten months later, in August and the year 2015, Kik was able to place itself on the receiving end of a payment stream with a whopping amount of $50 million investment coming to Kik from a Chinese multinational technology conglomerate holding company known globally as Tencent, which is also the parent company of the famous Chinese messaging service WeChat also known to many non-Chinese social media users as a Chinese equivalent to WhatsApp.
WeChat in the west
This investment can quickly be deemed as something not less of a stroke of good fortune for Kik since, through this investment, the messaging app was able to earn a billion-dollar valuation. With such a significant boost to the company’s finance and morale, its CEO, Ted Livingston, was audacious enough to come up with a bold statement to declare his company’s aspirations working in tandem with those of Tencent. Therefore, Kik can become, in his own words, “the WeChat of the West.”
Image Source: BBC
He also went on to unveil his principal strategy, which was that an attraction of younger users remains vital to the company. The emphasis on young users indeed implies the zeal and enthusiasm that youth entails, which can be skillfully capitalized and tapped upon once a capitalist as driven as Ted sees them as a potential source of revenue generation. Here we see how youngsters around the highly capitalistic and commercialized centers of the Western world become subjects of an app that best uses their interactions, communications, and even something as intimate as their dating details.
Kin coin as a milestone achieved
Image Source: CaptainAltcoin
The growth dynamics of Kik have already expanded into other domains, and that can be primarily owed to the wise and spirited initiative of Mr. Livingston. These other domains include the official release of Kin Coin on the Kik platform in Beta in June 2018. In the next month of the same year, the Kin Foundation came up with an exciting release of the Kinit beta app on the Google Play store, though it has to be noted that it was restricted to the residents of the US only.
Kin beta app
The Kin Beta App, a brainchild of the Kin Foundation, came up with a wide range of offers directed towards different ways of earning and spending the Kin coin natively. An example of this can be seen when a user can merely conduct simple surveys for making Kin and spend it on goods as digital as sought-after and popular gift cards during the official holiday season or on a more personal and familial festivity.
Image Source: Medium
Though imperfect, uncertain, and entirely out of the blue, circumstances have also been a feature of Kik’s journey so far, as seen in the controversial yet bizarre decision of Mr. Livingston in September in the year 2019 (just a few months before COVID 19 broke out as a global pandemic) where he announced in a blog post the Messenger will be shutting down next month (which was by then the 19th of October, 2019).
This led to the associated laying off of more than a hundred employees. But much to the shock and awe of many, the controversial decision experienced a reversal, and with this came the acquisition of Kik Messenger by Medialab.
What is the Kik app used for?
Image Source: Mobile World Live
Kik is a platform that can easily be labeled without restriction; the cross-platform application is predicated on communication with friends in group kik chats and direct messages.
What is kik used for? Though the initial steps of Kik consisted of it being a look-alike of a not-so-typical yet not-so-new instant messaging service. At that time, people used to Kik sign up by using an email address and a password which was a true negation of the necessity posed by a phone number.
Kik code
The app came up with a provision of hands-on experience, and the best part about it is that it is free for both iPhone and Android. Through such conditions, one can be sure of a connection to be made with friends as well as a family through a search being made in the first place of their respective usernames, where one also has to undergo a scanning of the Kik code resembling the circular QR code closely. One must also allow access to their address book for thriving and not futile utilizing this revolutionary app.
Image Source: Kik Bot Support
Kik sounds close to something as standard and daily as SMS services like iMessage and WhatsApp, but Kik has more benefits. Being a user of this platform, you can easily send different multimedia, including but not limited to emojis, sketches, and GIFs. One can also engage in live video chats just like the ones on Skype.
Cupids and Kik’s Revolution
This combination of multiple amenities truly makes it a sought-after package to have. So whether you are dating someone or about to give your girlfriend the best diamond ring she can ever have, you can use Kik to send those beautiful messages exuding cupids playing lovey-dovey.
Though Kik has been revolutionary and brought up changes that were initially unprecedented when the world experienced its onset, there remains a controversial yet beneficial aspect of this app which is manifested in its autonomy for a user to also interact with strangers.
This sounds scary as the word stranger is a very loaded term with multiple connotations. But simultaneously, the word is inspiring with its image that can easily be conjured up in your mind once you hear it. The relevant point that also comes next to it is that you can access public chat on kik when you decide that now it’s finally the time to talk about your interests through an easy utilization of the function of search.
Sign in and enjoy
By just signing in for the first time, you, as a new user, are excited to avail the best services available at your disposal just through a click or type away app that is Kik, you will receive a message from the Kik Team, and this message will be the one which will lead you towards an opportunity of exploration of public groups. Groups of this kind have a working mechanism working in tandem with a thriving resort to hashtags.
When it comes to this stage of interaction, usage, and communication on a platform as engaging as Kik for users, one thing which remains of less to almost zero concern is your willingness to be on a constant look-out for strangers who share similar hobbies as you or the people you want to engage in a conversation with when you feel bored. These people can have a new and radiant presence in your life.
Kik trumps fuel and the rest.
Kik indeed has turned itself into and has also come up with a bright image of that of a dating app but of the next level since it is a more profound alternative to the one seen in Tinder which has also been dubbed by many social media and dating experts from around the world as “overrated” in its deliverability of services to its users and also in not being all-embracing enough to accommodate the interests of the LGBTQ community (the very reason Grindr emerged as a popular Gay dating app).
Image Source: EaseUS
One of Tinder’s other drawbacks is being judgmental in its functioning mechanism, and this kind of judgmental streak borders on something less critical and more hysterical in a way where it is infused with skepticism. The app puts its users in a position where a person has to judge another person merely based on the kind of few pictures they had posted as well as on the brief biographical introduction which they did put up to educate people about what they do, who they are and what are their likings and dislikings.
But when it comes to Kik, you don’t have to go through the tedious yet bizarre process of unnecessarily judging someone by their very looks as now you will go straight to a search of the public groups, which will direct you to a process not so superfluous where you find people who share the same interests as you.
Among these public groups, some groups only cater to the potential love makers and love birds who want to engage in a full-on romantic relationship accompanied by regular sexting or mere sending of sweet texts to each other.
Revelation by the New York Times
The New York Times had to come up with their news revelation too, which got to them through the law enforcement agencies in the US, and it was that the anonymity features found on Kik are even surpassing those of the apps in wide usage.
In February in the year 2016, Kik’s guide for law enforcement came up with a declaration that the company is not capable of locating user accounts based on their first and last name, email address, or even their birth date as it is the exact username that has to be provided while locating a specific kik account.
Is Kik a dating app?
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Yes, Kik is an app that can make the love bird fly within you higher with your partner in love (not in crime). But to think of it as an only dating app won’t be an excellent idea as you can bring in a variety of conversations here though the result depends on whether it is a spiritual or a romantic and intimate relationship. Kik can connect different races of individuals no matter what geographical locations they are from or currently live in.
Why is Kik popular?
One of the reasons Kik is very popular among youth is that it connects them through a window of anonymity, so no matter how confused or shy you are and how much of a gawky teen lives inside you. You don’t have to fret about your personality; you just have to talk and talk in the most excellent way possible, which can land you the best or even the first of your dates.
Image Source: AirDroid
But mind you, Kik is not after your virginity; Kik meaning is that it is always a conscious choice to keep it or not, so at the end of the day, you are the one who is calling the shots, not Mr. Livingston or some random guy named George who likes to impersonate Robert De Niro at potluck dinners. So feel free to get the best of your dating experience when using an app that connects you with the potentially horniest, if not hottest, of all folks on earth.
But it is always a good thing to practice some caution as you never know what kind of person the guy or girl you are talking to may be, so beware of that.
Controversies
Concerns Over Children’s Use of Kik and Exposure to Graphic Material
Kik has faced criticism for enabling children to share sexual messages and images with adults. Law authorities and the media frequently voice concerns about the app. Automated spam bots have also used Kik Messenger to spread pornographic content. In a February 2016 interview with The New York Times, a state law enforcement official labeled Kik as “the problem app of the moment.” Police expressed frustration with Kik’s response, with one officer describing the process of obtaining information as a “bureaucratic nightmare.”
Constable Jason Cullum of the Northamptonshire Police pedophile web investigative squad highlighted delays in getting information from Kik, which he said increased the risk to minors. “It’s annoying,” said Cullum. “We are hitting a brick wall with our heads. A youngster will likely continue to be molested for another year before we find out who it is.” Since being acquired by Medialab, Kik has updated its policies and added tools and resources, including guides for parents and law enforcement.
Image Source: ZDNET
Before 2015, Kik Interactive informed parents and law enforcement about their options to combat child abuse. In March 2015, the company took a more aggressive stance by implementing Microsoft’s PhotoDNA cloud service. This service automatically identifies, removes, and reports the dissemination of child exploitation images on the app. However, experts note that PhotoDNA cannot effectively prevent “real-time” online child abuse and may not detect images not yet in its database. Kik Interactive also joined the Virtual Global Taskforce, collaborating with corporations, child protection organizations, and international police to prevent online child exploitation and abuse. The company also supports an annual symposium on child abuse.
Kik has been criticized for inadequate parental oversight over children using the app. One reason teens like Kik is the ability to share messages without parental knowledge. Parents need the password to their child’s user account and must access the same device to monitor their child’s Kik conversations remotely. As of February 2016, Kik’s advice for parents emphasizes the need for minors between 13 and 18 to obtain parental consent before using the app. While Kik cannot enforce this requirement or ensure a child won’t provide a false birthdate, it follows “typical” industry standards for age verification and deletes accounts of users under 13 when discovered or upon parental request.
Edit an open-source module
In March 2016, Kik Interactive and independent code developer Azer Koçulu argued publicly over using the word “kik.” Koçulu is the creator of various open-source software modules published on npm, a package manager frequently used by JavaScript projects to install dependencies. A Node.js add-on with the name “kik” was uploaded on npm by Koçulu. He received a call from Kik Interactive objecting to using the moniker for which the business asserted intellectual property rights and asked him to modify it. Koçulu objected; therefore, Kik Interactive contacted the npm administration, who decided to give Kik ownership of the module without Koçulu’s permission.
Then Koçulu removed all his modules from npm, including the well-known “left-pad” module, an eleven-line JavaScript project depending upon it. Left-pad was abruptly removed from npm, which caused several projects (including Kik itself) to cease functioning because they relied on the Node and Babel packages, even though Koçulu put left-pad on GitHub. Npm repaired Koçulu’s left pad and appointed Cameron Westland of Autodesk as its maintainer in response to a significant software disruption. Disputes concerning the assertion of intellectual property rights and the usage of dependencies in software development were aroused by the occurrence.
Steps to protect children using Kik
Attention to our children’s online safety is more crucial than ever in light of the current headlines about data breaches and online predators. Kik is a popular app among adults but may not be ideal for children. Do online predators frequent it because of its reputation for insecurity? So how can you safeguard your children if they are Kik users? Here are some pointers:
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Make sure your kids have a secure password
Setting a secure password for your children’s Kik accounts is crucial if they use the app. A minimum of eight characters must be used in the password, with a mixture of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Block undesired users on Kik
On Kik, blocking undesired or questionable people may be done in various methods. Go to the individual’s profile and click the “Block” option first. If your kids use Kit, it would be a good idea to show them how to utilize this feature by clicking on their name at the top of the conversation and then clicking on the vertical ellipsis to the right. The second is to add the individual to your banned list under Kik’s “Privacy” section of the settings. In any case, they won’t be able to contact your kids on Kik anymore.
Have a direct discussion about Kik safety
Having an open discussion with your children about the dangers of using Kik (and other chat applications) is crucial. Please warn them about the risks of disclosing their name, address, and phone number to someone they don’t know. Please urge them to make their profiles anonymous. Additionally, tell them that not everyone on Kik (or other messaging applications) is who they claim to be.
Plan Kik usage and keep track of Kik activity
Despite taking all necessary measures, watching kids when they use Kik Messenger is still essential. AirDroid Parental Control is the best solution to plan and supervise kid’s Kik usage. When your kids use Kik beyond those limitations, you may quickly impose reasonable restrictions and receive immediate notification. You can protect your child and ensure they use messaging applications appropriately with AirDroid Parental Control. You may remotely watch their Kit activity to track who they’re chatting with, what messages they’re sending, and any other activity on the app. For scheduling and monitoring of Kit and social media activities, download the AirDroid Parental Control software right away.
Limit Google Play app purchases
Parents can restrict app purchases on Google Play. To achieve this, open Google Play’s “Settings” menu and choose the “Require authentication for purchases” checkbox. Before making any in-app purchases, a password or fingerprint must be submitted.
How do you use the Kik app for hookups?
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In an era where popular and mainstream social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook unveil too many details about an individual’s personal life and mutual connections of an individual, landing them in a highly awkward situation. But it is only Kik on which one can easily send nudes, indulge in a seductive video call, and engage in sex chatting on Kik without going to the trouble of a full-blown revelation of information they desire to keep private.
Therefore, it is true that the Kik app leads to some naughty hookups, and in the process, it ensures that it helps everyone go to their bed fully satisfied.
To indulge in hookups while using Kik, you just need to follow the following steps, which have already been elucidated in detail previously in this article, so here are some steps to be followed :
- Finding new people on KIK
- Share the KIK profile
- KIK joins stream public groups
- Start your public group.
- Use the address book.
To successfully execute this particular step, all you have to do is just go to the Settings Menu and select Chat Settings. There you can easily find Address Book Matching too. This will boost your social networking capacity on this app.
FAQs
Can we use kik on pc?
You can use Kik on pc by downloading the Kik app from the website. After downloading, open the app and sign in with your Kik username and password. Once you’re signed in, you can chat with your Kik contacts.
What is the app Kik?
Kik is a cross-platform app that allows users to chat with each other. It’s popular among teenagers and young adults, and it’s easy to see why: the app is free, easy to use, and offers many features.
Is Kik safe?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the safety of using Kik depends on how you use the app.
What does kik mean?
Kik is a slang term typically used to refer to a messaging app. The app allows users to send text messages, photos, and videos to one another. Kik is also known for its user-friendly interface and wide range of features.
What Is Kik and Why Do Teenagers Love It?
Kik is a messaging app that allows users to send and receive messages, photos, videos, and more. It’s become trendy among teenagers in recent years due to its features and ease of use.
Does Kik permit nakedness?
Kik’s community policies state that the social media site forbids “sending, requesting, commenting on, linking to, or advertising inappropriate content.” Inappropriate content is “any photo, video, or written depiction of pornography, nudity, real or implied sexual acts, graphic or gratuitous violence, and anything else that doesn’t belong in a positive chat community with an audience age 13 and up.”
Kik is it a dating app?
Finding your soul partner is not the main objective of Kik. Kik serves no use if you’re seeking love. However, the site includes two internal applications for amorous conversations: Flirt Likewise, Match & Chat.
Is it a police monitoring Kit?
Kik is a rigid platform for law enforcement since it’s hard to find out who sent the messages. Since Kik messages are not monitored when deleted, they are virtually impossible to recover.
Is Kik entirely anonymous?
Your privacy is ensured since the communications are encrypted in transit. On Kik, users may remain anonymous, which gives some individuals a sense of security.
Conclusion
Kik stands out among other apps due to its ability to create a romantic environment for teens and young people. Unlike apps that are overly sensitive to explicit content or too formal, Kik provides a platform for written, verbal, and visual sexual expression, making it ideal for connecting with your sweetheart online.
