WhatsApp rival LINE messenger launches brand-new social network

LINE has launched a brand-new social network, dubbed Tale, which offers Reddit functionality

MESSAGING firm LINE has launched a new standalone app, which has nothing to do with stickers or VOIP calls.

 

Cross-platform instant messenger LINE – which has an impressive 600 million active mobile users, some 200 million fewer than rival WhatsApp – has debuted a brand-new standalone social app called Tale.

The new social media platform is powered by hashtags and users can post text, photographs, links to online content or videos into different categories.

These user-generated posts are then rated by up and down votes cast by fellow Tale users, in a similar model to Reddit.

 

Users can create a Tale account or log-in with Facebook to comment, up and down vote and post to the hashtag-filled categories.

At launch, the majority of the images and articles posted to the brand-new social network are memes and jokes, although that could well change as Tale evolves and develops over time.

"Tale is a new type of community that enables you to explore truly interesting content through the convenience of hashtags," the Google Play Store listing reads.

"It is a network of ideas where any and every type of content is welcome, from the bizarre to the hilarious to the inspirational.

 

Tale allows users to post photos, text, hyperlinks and doodles which are then up and down voted

"Discover a vibrant community behind each of the trending hashtags displayed on the app’s main screen. When you submit content of your own, include up to three hashtags to help others locate your post. 

"Unfiltered discussions, real-time hashtag rankings, and even a built-in photo and video editor."

The new social news network is US-only for now, although the more markets are expected to be added soon.

Earlier this year, NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com compared WhatsApp against its closest rival LINE to see which was the better instant messenger

 

Although both WhatsApp and LINE sport the ability to send text messages, photos, videos and voice calls over mobile data and wifi connections, LINE does have one major advantage.

The Japanese app is free of charge.

WhatsApp currently operates on a subscription plan of 69p per year – although the Facebook-owned app does offer one-year for free.

Rival messaging app Telegram offers similar functionality to WhatsApp for free, although WhatsApp has taken precautions to stop users promoting the rival messenger in texts..