Are there legitimate uses for Kik past NSFW uses? I only ask because that is the only context in which I've ever seen Kik used. I didn't know if it was popular in other places (not the USA) for SFW purposes.
I use it as a general e-friends chat service. It doesn't require giving your address book or phone number like WhatsApp (and presumably doesn't track you like all Facebook products do). It gives you anonymity, unlike regular texting. It doesn't have terrible Microsoft-UX like Skype. It does one thing and does it well.
Kik is being sued by the SEC for allegedly conducting an illegal securities offering. And it seems they clearly knew it was a securities offering, because they didn't sell to residents of their home country. They didn't disclose that they were near bankruptcy or that their service was wildly unprofitable - information that would have been useful for investors and that a legal securities offering or VC fundraising round would have made known to investors.
I'm not sure what about all of that makes them seem trustworthy. I guess they haven't been caught selling user data - but given that they allegedly committed fraud to keep the company afloat, I don't know why you would trust them not to.
Kik originally was what WhatsApp became - a multi-platform messaging service set to replace SMS/MMS. Back in 2010, it was set to become the next BBM as it exploded in popularity and was available on every smartphone platform - Android, iOS, Windows Phone AND mobile, BlackBerry. There may have even been feature phone support as well.
This was before iMessage too, so the group chat and photo sharing capabilities were attractive. Facebook Messenger barely existed, and there was no such thing as Twitter or Instagram DMs.
Their app has barely changed since then and it’s taken new life as an AIM style messenger where you only need to exchange usernames to communicate. It’s bloated, slow, and has features that are stuck in 2013.
only ever remember it being big with young kids/teens as a sort of alternative/escape from mainstream messenging apps before they jumped to other things like IG etc
Tinder-communications-pivoting was definitely one of the big use-cases I've seen (Along with other adult social networks like bumble, grindr, scruff) for Kik. That and on NSFW subreddits it appears to be one of the top ways for people to establish communication outside of reddit.
