Line messaging app adding unsend function to save us from our embarrassing selves
After beginning service in Japan in 2011, Naver Corporation’s Line messaging app quickly become one of the most popular ways to stay connected to personal acquaintances.
A big part of the appeal is that thanks to its streamlined, optimized-for-smartphones interface, Line is quicker and easier to use than email for written communication on the go.
But sometimes the speed and simplicity of Line can cause problems of their own. It’s so effortless to compose and fire off a message that just about everyone has completed the process in seconds, only to notice it was sent to the wrong person. Even when you’ve selected the right recipient, the way Line allows for almost stream of consciousness-style correspondence makes it all too easy to send a hasty, overly harsh message at someone you’ve been arguing with, or to send a message that you thought was incredibly clever while you were five beers into the night, but which seems decidedly less so once you’ve sobered up a bit.
From next month, though, Line is throwing users a bone and giving you a chance to erase your mistakes, as a new “unsend†function is being added to the app which will let you delete sent messages. There is one catch, though, in that the function can only be used for messages that are less than 24 hours old. Once a full day passes, your message is in the system forever.
On the bright side, the speedy nature of online communication means that odds are if 24 hours have passed, the person you sent the message to has already seen it, and you’re past the point where deleting the message would make any difference. But at least the unsend function will allow you to avoid the embarrassment of accidentally sending a booty call to your mom, or the fallout from a remark that you immediately realize cuts a little deeper than you want it to.
Somewhat counterintuitively, Line is celebrating the addition of its unsend function with what it’s calling its “Black Friday†event, which actually has no connection to the American shopping event that takes place on the day after Thanksgiving. Instead, Line’s Black Friday is a campaign running from Nov 16 to 24 in which it’s encouraging users to send messages with the hashtag #LINE誤爆 (“Line messages sent to the wrong personâ€), sharing their tales of when they screwed up and sent a message through the app to someone other than who they intended to.
News On Japan - Nov 25
Nissan Motor Corporation has announced plans to transition all its vehicles produced in the United Kingdom to electric vehicles (EVs).
News On Japan - Nov 24
The amount of undeclared income by wealthy people in Japan has reached a record high of 98 billion yen, among the worst offenders being scrap gold wholesalers, breeders and yakiniku restaurants, the National Tax Agency announced on Friday.
NHK - Nov 24
Japan's latest inflation figures show prices rose on a broad front in October. The month marked the first time in four months for inflation to accelerate.
NHK - Nov 24
Tokyo has a new landmark, a 330-meter-high skyscraper that opened on Friday. The Mori JP tower has 64 floors for shops, offices and residences. It's the tallest building in Japan, a title that previously belonged to the Abeno Harukas commercial and business tower in Osaka, western Japan.
Reuters - Nov 24
Japanese stocks witnessed massive foreign inflows in the week ended Nov. 17, underpinned by strong corporate earnings and as investors tempered some of their initial enthusiasm about the prospect of a series of U.S. interest rate cuts.
theceomagazine.com - Nov 24
Shitennō-ji temple is one of Osaka’s most important Buddhist temples. Built in the sixth century during the rule of Prince Shotoku, it has stood firm as the high-rises of the modern-day city have towered above it.
News On Japan - Nov 23
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk's anti-obesity drug "Wegovy" is now covered by Japan's public health insurance scheme. Doctor's, however, are concerned about the long-term effects of this highly addictive weight-loss treatment, and whether worldwide supply shortages will stop it getting into the hands of people who need it most.
carscoops.com - Nov 23
Toyota's Chairman and Master Driver Akio Toyota retires from his position as the chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) which represents 5.5 million employees from 14 automakers. Toyoda is the only official who led Japan's automotive industry for three two-year terms, being appointed in 2012, 2018, and 2022.
acs.org - Nov 23
Japan’s three biggest chemical companies are seeing their earnings suffer from a slump in basic chemicals. All three experienced a sharp drop in profits in the first half of fiscal 2023, which ended Sept. 30, and one of them, Sumitomo Chemical, is forecasting a loss of $655 million for the full fiscal year.
newsonjapan.com - Nov 23
As the world leans into digital convenience, Japanese companies are not left behind in the digital transformation of payroll processing.
Reuters - Nov 22
Japanese chip materials maker Resonac (4004.T) said on Wednesday it will set up a research and development centre for advanced semiconductor packaging and materials in Silicon Valley.
News On Japan - Nov 22
Toshiba, aiming for corporate restructuring, held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders on Wednesday, the final step towards delisting from the stock exchange.
Business Mirror - Nov 22
From manga artists to independent taxi drivers, Japanese freelancers and small businesses frustrated with the potential loss of a tax break are among the growing numbers pushing down Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s approval rating to record lows.
ndtv.com - Nov 22
Tokyo offices are experiencing an unconventional approach to ease workplace stress. At a cost of 7,900 yen, roughly ₹ 4,400, people in Japan can access the services of Ikemeso Danshi, providing attractive companions referred to as "Handsome Weeping Boys."
News On Japan - Nov 21
Private companies are expected to exceed last year's winter bonuses for the third consecutive year, according to four private research firms, with an average payout per person rising between 2.1% to 2.5%.
News On Japan - Nov 20
The Azabudai Hills complex in Tokyo's Minato Ward, which includes Japan's tallest building, was unveiled to the media on Monday ahead of its opening on Nov 24.