Kakao will roll out a regular KakaoTalk update that significantly expands chat bubble reactions and adds user convenience features.

Kakao said on May 15 it will introduce features aimed at enhancing user experience through the regular KakaoTalk update (v26.4.0).

It revamped the reaction feature that lets users leave hearts and likes on KakaoTalk chat bubbles. It expanded reactions from 6 types to 114 so users can express emotions and situations in more ways. Users can add up to 30 reactions to a message bubble.

Users can also use mini emoticons they own as reactions. Mini emoticons they do not own can also be used by tapping reactions registered by other users. Emoticon Plus subscribers can more easily find the expressions they want through a search function.

Kakao also revamped the emoticon store. New and popular tabs were added to the emoticon menu within the 'More' tab, allowing users to browse a wider range of emoticons. Users can save items they like using a 'Like' function, and enhanced search lets them see various trends at a glance, including popular styles and rankings.

It also introduced a feature that lets users reply to replies in open chatrooms to keep conversations flowing more naturally. Kakao also created a 'Call' folder at the top of the chat tab to conveniently view past VoiceTalk and FaceTalk history in one place.

A Kakao official said, "We improved various features so users can have a richer and more convenient communication experience within KakaoTalk," and added, "We plan to continue upgrading the service by reflecting user feedback."