LINE Features: The Complete Guide to Messaging, Calls, Stickers, and Business Tools

LINE began as a simple messaging app launched in Japan in June 2011, born from the chaos of the Tōhoku earthquake when traditional phone networks failed and people needed a reliable way to stay connected over Wi-Fi and mobile data. Since then, it has grown into a full super-app used by roughly 194 million monthly active users, with particularly strong adoption in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

Today, LINE is far more than a chat client. It combines instant messaging, free voice and video calls, a social timeline, digital payments, news, entertainment, and a rich ecosystem for businesses. This guide breaks down the most important LINE features for everyday users, power users, and developers who need to integrate LINE into their own products.

Core Messaging Features

LINE Features: The Complete Guide to Messaging, Calls & More - Core Messaging Features.

LINE's foundation is fast, reliable messaging across smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. The app supports one-on-one chats, group conversations, and rich media sharing.

Text, Voice, and Media Messages

Users can send text messages, photos, videos, voice recordings, location pins, and contact cards. Messages show real-time read receipts, so you know when a message has been delivered and read. The hidden chat feature lets you set a timer for messages to disappear automatically from both devices and LINE's servers after a set period.

Group Chats and Bulletin Boards

Group chats support up to 500 participants, making them suitable for large family groups, community organizations, and project teams. Within groups, LINE provides bulletin boards where members can post, like, and comment on shared content. This blends traditional chat with a lightweight forum experience.

LINE Keep

LINE Keep acts as a personal storage space inside the app. You can save text snippets, images, links, and files to Keep for later reference. It functions like a private notebook that syncs across your devices, which is especially useful for preserving important information you don't want to lose in a busy chat thread.

Voice and Video Calling

LINE Features: The Complete Guide to Messaging, Calls & More - Voice and Video Calling.

Free VoIP calling was one of LINE's original differentiators, and it remains a core feature. In Japan, where carrier-based calls and SMS traditionally carried separate fees, LINE's free calling helped drive rapid adoption.

One-on-One and Group Calls

LINE supports both individual and group voice calls. Group calls can accommodate up to 200 participants simultaneously, which makes LINE a practical option for virtual team meetings, online classes, and large family gatherings. Video calls offer the same group capacity, with screen sharing available on supported platforms.

Multi-Device Calling

Because LINE syncs across your smartphone, tablet, and desktop apps, you can start a call on one device and continue on another. The desktop applications for Windows and macOS provide the same calling features as mobile, so you can take calls from your computer without reaching for your phone.

Stickers, Emojis, and Themes

LINE Features: The Complete Guide to Messaging, Calls & More - Stickers, Emojis, and Themes.

LINE's sticker ecosystem is one of its most distinctive features and a major part of its cultural identity, especially in Japan and Thailand.

The Sticker Shop

LINE stickers are large, often animated graphics that go well beyond standard emojis. They feature original LINE characters like Brown and Cony, as well as licensed characters from popular anime, manga, games, and Disney properties. New sticker sets are released weekly. Some are free, while premium sets are purchased through the Sticker Shop. Purchased stickers are tied to your account and can be used across all your devices.

Custom Themes

LINE themes change the visual appearance of the entire app, including chat screens, menus, and icons. The Theme Shop offers free and paid themes, many featuring popular characters or seasonal designs. This level of personalization goes beyond what most messaging apps offer.

Social Networking Features

LINE Features: The Complete Guide to Messaging, Calls & More - Social Networking Features.

LINE blurs the line between messaging app and social network through its Timeline and Home features.

Timeline and Home

Introduced in 2012, Timeline lets users share text posts, photos, and stickers with their contacts, similar to a Facebook feed. Friends can like and comment on posts. The Home feature provides a personalized content hub with news, updates from friends, and recommended services.

Official Channels

LINE Official Channels allow companies, news outlets, and public figures to broadcast updates to followers. Users join channels to receive regular news, articles, and announcements directly in their LINE chat list. This is a key distribution channel for media companies in Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan.

Payment and Commerce Features

LINE has expanded well beyond communication into financial services and digital commerce.

LINE Pay

LINE Pay is a mobile payment service integrated into the LINE app. Users can pay for goods and services online and at physical stores, send money to friends, and manage transactions from within the chat interface. Availability varies by region, with the strongest adoption in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand.

LINE Points

LINE Points is a rewards program that lets users earn points for purchasing stickers, themes, and other LINE services. Points can be redeemed for additional LINE content or converted to LINE Coins in supported regions. This loyalty system encourages continued engagement with the LINE ecosystem.

Entertainment and Content Services

LINE's super-app strategy includes several content platforms that keep users inside the app.

LINE TV and LINE Music

LINE TV offers streaming video content, including TV shows, movies, music videos, and original programming. LINE Music provides on-demand music streaming with playlist creation and social sharing. Both services have regional availability restrictions.

LINE Manga and LINE Webtoon

LINE distributes digital comics through LINE Manga and LINE Webtoon. These services have become significant distribution channels for manga and webcomics, particularly in Japan and Southeast Asia.

Privacy and Security Features

LINE takes user privacy seriously, with several built-in protections.

Message Encryption

Messages sent through LINE are encrypted, meaning only the sender and recipient can read the content. LINE also maintains a privacy policy that governs how user data is collected, stored, and used.

Blocking and Hidden Chats

Users can block specific accounts to prevent them from sending messages, calling, or viewing Timeline posts. Hidden chats add another layer of privacy by automatically deleting messages after a user-defined period from both devices and LINE's servers.

Multi-Device Login Controls

LINE lets you control which devices can access your account. The "Allow login" setting for sub-devices like PCs and tablets gives you granular control over where your account is active, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

LINE for Business

LINE offers dedicated tools for companies that want to reach customers on the platform.

LINE Official Account

LINE Official Account is the primary business tool on the platform. Businesses can create an official account, gain followers, and send messages to customers who have added them as friends. Features include broadcast messaging, rich media messages, customer segmentation, and analytics. This is particularly powerful in markets like Japan and Thailand, where LINE penetration exceeds 70% of the population.

Messaging API for Developers

For developers building custom integrations, LINE provides a Messaging API that enables programmatic message sending and receiving. This API powers chatbots, automated notifications, and customer service tools. However, integrating directly with LINE's API requires handling LINE-specific webhook formats, authentication flows, and rate limits.

Integrating LINE with a Unified Messaging API

For engineering teams that need to connect LINE alongside other messaging platforms, building separate integrations for each channel can be time-consuming. Each platform has its own SDKs, webhook event shapes, authentication mechanisms, and rate limit rules.

A unified messaging API platform like UnifyPort addresses this by providing a single REST API and standardized webhook events across multiple channels, including LINE, WhatsApp, Telegram, X (Twitter), Zalo, and TikTok. Instead of learning LINE's provider-specific event format, developers work with one consistent JSON shape for all incoming messages and events.

Key capabilities for LINE integration through a unified platform include:

• Normalized event layer: All LINE messages, reactions, and status updates are converted into a consistent JSON structure.
• Webhook control plane: Manage signatures, subscriptions, and retries from one place.
• Built-in rate limiting and retries: Handle LINE's rate limits and transient failures automatically with idempotency.
• Failure isolation: If LINE experiences an outage, other channels keep working independently.

This approach is especially valuable for AI agents, CRMs, notification systems, and operations tools that need to communicate across multiple messaging platforms without maintaining separate codebases for each. For a broader look at how social messaging fits into a multi-channel strategy, see this guide to social messaging and API strategy.

LINE vs. Other Messaging Apps

LINE's feature set overlaps with apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and KakaoTalk, but its super-app positioning sets it apart.

Feature	LINE	WhatsApp	Telegram
Group call capacity	Up to 200	Up to 32	Up to 1,000 viewers
Sticker ecosystem	Extensive, licensed characters	Limited	Custom sticker packs
Built-in payments	LINE Pay	WhatsApp Pay (limited regions)	Via bots
Social timeline	Yes	No	Channels
News/content hub	LINE Today	No	No
Business tools	Official Account, Messaging API	Business API	Bots, Channels

LINE's strength lies in its ecosystem depth. In markets where it is dominant, users don't just chat on LINE—they pay, read news, watch videos, and interact with businesses, all within one app.

Related reading

• Unipile Pricing Explained: Plans, Costs & Alternatives - Understand Unipile pricing in 2025: the €49/month base plan, per-account tiers, what counts as a linked account, and how it compares to unified messaging API alternatives.
• CM.com Careers: Jobs, Hiring Process & How to Apply - Explore CM.com careers, open roles, company culture, locations, and how to apply. See what it's like to work at the Breda-based messaging and payments platform.

Sources and further reading

• LINE Help Center - Official LINE Help: Support for app issues, including details on account transfers, notifications, settings, and how to contact us.
• What is a Line? Discover the Benefits & Features - Uncover all the features and benefits of line. Find out what line is, how to use it safely, and why line stickers are so popular!
• Line (software) - This article is about a communications service. For the general software concept, see Line (text file).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use LINE on multiple devices at the same time?

Yes. LINE supports simultaneous use on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Your chat history and LINE Points sync across devices. You can control which sub-devices are allowed to log in through the app's security settings.

Are LINE messages encrypted?

Yes, LINE encrypts messages in transit so only the sender and recipient can read them. The hidden chat feature adds the option to automatically delete messages after a set time from both devices and LINE's servers.

What is the difference between LINE and LINE Official Account?

LINE is the consumer messaging app. LINE Official Account is a business tool that lets companies create a verified presence, gain followers, and send messages to customers. Developers can also use the LINE Messaging API to build custom integrations.

How many people can join a LINE group call?

LINE supports group voice and video calls with up to 200 participants. Group chats themselves can include up to 500 members.

Can I recover deleted LINE chats?

Once a chat is deleted on LINE, it cannot be recovered. LINE recommends backing up your chat history regularly, especially if it contains important information. The backup and restore feature is used when transferring your account to a new device.

Is LINE free to use?

The core LINE app is free, including messaging, voice calls, and video calls. Premium stickers, themes, and certain content services require payment. LINE Pay and LINE Points are integrated for transactions and rewards.

Conclusion

LINE has evolved from a disaster-response messaging tool into one of the world's most comprehensive super-apps. Its core messaging and calling features remain excellent, but the real value lies in the ecosystem: stickers that have become a cultural phenomenon, a social timeline, integrated payments, news and entertainment services, and robust business tools.

For everyday users, LINE offers a level of personalization and integration that few competitors match. For businesses operating in LINE-strong markets like Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia, an Official Account is nearly essential. And for developers who need to connect LINE with other messaging channels, a unified messaging API can dramatically reduce integration complexity while maintaining reliable, production-grade delivery.

To learn more about multi-channel messaging infrastructure and how platforms like UnifyPort simplify LINE integration alongside other channels, explore the UnifyPort features overview or compare approaches with this guide to the CM.com API.