Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

KakaoTalk vs Signal

KakaoTalk 4.3★ · Free to download 55
Winner Signal
Signal 4.7★ · Free + IAP 80

Signal is the better choice for general secure messaging due to its strong privacy focus and fewer reported login and functionality issues compared to KakaoTalk, which struggles with international users and intrusive ads.

Full reviews: KakaoTalk · Signal

Signal offers a highly secure and private messaging experience, favored for its encryption and ease of use, despite some minor bugs and feature requests. KakaoTalk, while popular for connecting with friends and family, particularly in Korea, is plagued by login issues for international users, intrusive ads, and recent negative updates.

Head to head

Features tieR9R12R15R24
KakaoTalk KakaoTalk users appreciate its customization options, including themes and stickers, and its utility for long-distance communication R9. However, users desire features like auto-translate R12, video messages , and more robust search functions for non-Korean versions . Recent updates have been criticized for adding Instagram-like feeds and animations that are disliked R15R24.
Signal Signal is praised for its core secure messaging, audio, and video capabilities R71. Users appreciate the new backup feature R71. However, there are requests for more group admin tools , @everyone tags in group chats , and improved handling of longer voice messages . Some users also report a lack of features for Apple phones .
Ease of Use edge: SignalR1R4R6R7
KakaoTalk Many KakaoTalk users find it easy to use for chatting . However, a significant number of international users face severe difficulties with login, verification, and account access, especially without a Korean phone number R1R4R6R7. Some find the interface cluttered with 'extra' elements R6 and recent updates have made the app less intuitive for long-term users R24.
Signal Signal is generally considered easy to use and straightforward for private messaging R77. However, users frequently complain about persistent prompts for their contacts , notifications , and security pins . There are also issues with account recovery after getting a new phone or number R66R88R92R105.
Reliability edge: SignalR4R14R33R36
KakaoTalk KakaoTalk users report issues with messages not sending R14R36, notifications not arriving R33, and general lag, especially in large group chats . Updates have caused chat rooms to be deleted and backups to fail R4. Account disabling and banning from open chats are also common complaints .
Signal Signal is generally seen as reliable for secure communication R74. However, users experience lag in message delivery , calls being spotty or not connecting , and the app forcing updates which sometimes wipe message history . Some users also report issues with video recording and the app being buggy after updates .
Price/Value edge: SignalR3R17R18R25
KakaoTalk KakaoTalk is free to download, and users appreciate its utility for free calls and messaging, especially for international communication R17. However, the value is significantly diminished by the increasing number of intrusive ads, including banner ads and ads disguised as DMs, which users find highly disruptive R3R17R18R25.
Signal Signal is free to download and offers in-app purchases, but its primary value comes from its strong privacy and security features, which users highly appreciate R65R71R74R77. Users are encouraged to donate to support the app R77. Some users mention encountering scammers asking for money, which detracts from the value .
Support tieR1R4R7R10
KakaoTalk KakaoTalk users express frustration with the lack of support for login and account issues, especially for non-Korean numbers R1R4R7R10. There are also complaints about bugs and disabled accounts with no clear resolution .
Signal Signal users report issues with account recovery after changing phones or numbers, with no clear path to regain access to chats R66R88R92. There are also reports of verification codes not arriving in countries where Signal is blocked, preventing login .
Pick KakaoTalk if

you primarily communicate with friends and family in Korea and are willing to tolerate intrusive ads and potential login issues as an international user R9R17.

Pick Signal if

you prioritize privacy and security in your messaging and are looking for a reliable, easy-to-use app for general communication, even with minor bugs and feature limitations R65R71R74R77.

Evidence note: KakaoTalk's recent reviews show a strong negative skew, particularly from international users, highlighting issues with login, verification, and intrusive ads. Signal's reviews, while also containing some negative feedback on bugs and feature requests, are generally more positive regarding its core privacy value.

Frequently asked

Is KakaoTalk good for international users?
KakaoTalk is generally not good for international users, as many report significant difficulties with login, phone number verification, and account access if they do not have a Korean phone number R1R4R7R10.
Does KakaoTalk have ads?
Yes, KakaoTalk has a significant number of ads, which users find intrusive, including banner ads and ads disguised as direct messages R3R17R18R25.
Is Signal truly private?
Yes, Signal is widely praised by users for its strong privacy and security features, with many considering it one of the best options for secure communication R65R71R74R77.
Can I recover my Signal account if I get a new phone or number?
Users report difficulties recovering their Signal accounts and accessing old chats after getting a new phone or changing their phone number, with recovery keys sometimes failing R66R88R92R105.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R9] KakaoTalk 3/5 · US Great for online messaging: I love Kakao been using it for years to communicate with my long distance friends. Just wish they had more themes to download but overall it’s a great app. Highly recommend for anyone that has long distance relationships they want to stay in contact with.
  2. [R12] KakaoTalk 3/5 · US Auto Translate: Please add auto translate feature.
  3. [R15] KakaoTalk 3/5 · US Please, please, please get rid of this Instagram-like feed. Please, please, please. · translated
  4. [R24] KakaoTalk 3/5 · GB Disappointing: I’m using KakaoTalk for 12 years now but after the so-called interface update it has lost so much. It was not an upgrade but a downgrade. It’s not fun anymore and it has lost its charm and uniqueness. Some programmers seem to have no understanding of the users requirements and likes. Why taking another program (instagram) as a sample? Please put it back to the brilliant app it was.
  5. [R1] KakaoTalk 1/5 · US Can’t talk to my friends: I have verified my phone number multiple times and they just won't let me use the app. Maybe it's because I'm an American? I'm not sure but I can't log in or use my account to talk to my friends
  6. [R4] KakaoTalk 2/5 · US New update is terrible: Update deleted all chat rooms and temporary back up kept coming as an error. Then it says the account is expired and asks you to start over. When you choose to restore back up it doesn’t do anything. Terrible update. All my memories are lost. They don’t allow non Korean numbers to have a cloud for back up that’s so ridiculous when they are aware many foreigners use this app
  7. [R6] KakaoTalk 3/5 · US It constantly asks for verification. The interface has too much clutter. There's always a problem logging in. · translated
  8. [R7] KakaoTalk 2/5 · US I think the global kakaotalk kinda need to get improve: I try to join communities of my fav Kpop artists but it always show me the message that I need a Korean phone and I don’t have one, like what do you expect someone from outside Korea to get a phone number in Korea when they don’t even live there I hope kakao talk can improve this.
  9. [R14] KakaoTalk 4/5 · US KakaoTalk Review: Sometimes messages don't send well, which is a bit frustrating. · translated
  10. [R33] KakaoTalk 3/5 · GB It’s good but needs fixing…: Needs some bug fixes. On iPhone, sometimes I don’t receive notifications for incoming messages. Only when I open the app, the messages suddenly pops up in friend’s chatrooms. After restart, everything is fine but the same problem starts again. Really causes issues between friendships and trust. Please fix. Thank you.
  11. [R36] KakaoTalk 3/5 · GB I can’t send messages on kakotalk anymore: Hello I have been using Kakao talk for more than 2 years now , and today for some reason I can’t send any messages to any of my friends anymore. Please can anyone help me with this ? I have tried restarting my phone , app , and seven updating it but nothing works 😅😅 Please help me .
  12. [R3] KakaoTalk 3/5 · US STOP WITH RANDOM ADS: I wish there was an English option great app but WHY ARE THERE SO MANY ADS???? And why can’t I block them?!?!
  13. [R17] KakaoTalk 5/5 · US Used everywhere: Living in the US, it's convenient for free calls, urgent matters, sending photos, and so on. But lately, there are too many ads... · translated
  14. [R18] KakaoTalk 3/5 · US Now with ads: Oh lord… kakao with ads. I hate it. Leave us alone!
  15. [R25] KakaoTalk 1/5 · US Really, hiding ads as DM?: I don’t know who approved it. But it’s crazy that they inject ads into your DMs but make it look like someone messaged you. Kakao already takes up 1/3 of the DM space for their banner ads. But this is a new level of invasive ads placements. Better to just delete the app and move to another platform.
  16. [R10] KakaoTalk 1/5 · US Can’t log in: It keeps trying to send an international message for authorization, and it miserably fails.
  17. [R65] Signal 5/5 · US Why keep asking if I’m human: Secure and safe
  18. [R71] Signal 5/5 · US Amazing!!: Me and my family use this app and it genuinely feels so good to share information and talk without insecurity! Plus the new backup feature is amazing!!
  19. [R74] Signal 5/5 · US Secure messaging: Use it, appreciate it, don’t be dumb
  20. [R77] Signal 5/5 · US Awesome - best privacy / usability messaging app: The most easy to use private messaging app - there are ones that are more privacy conscious but really annoying to use, the rest are really easy to use but for a reason - almost everything is reachable by third parties (either company or server operators etc) this one is the best - donate and let it thrive!
  21. [R66] Signal 3/5 · US Outrageous!!!!: I think it’s stupid that in the app after you get a new number they just want you to reconfirm your old number like it’s gonna work or something. Like dude obviously I’m not gonna be able to access my old number due to it being a old number that a no longer have so why would you try to confirm that and then give no way out every time I open the app I’m literally loosing messages t
  22. [R88] Signal 1/5 · US Transfer Key didn’t work: I got a new phone and needed to use signal. The problem was my recovery key wouldn’t work so I lost all of my contacts, group chats, and access to my old account. Not the best platform in all honesty.
  23. [R92] Signal 4/5 · US New phone: I get the encrypted messages part of it but once I got a new phone all my shi got deleted made create accounts have shaved
  24. [R105] Signal 3/5 · GB New phone: Using new phone with new number and when typed key code it’s doesn’t accept

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store