Kik is a messenger app for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. In an environment full of messenger apps, what makes this one different?

First of all, Kik doesn’t use your phone number to communicate. It’s a username-only app that offers a little more security to your chats. This solid mobile messaging platform is used primarily by 14- to 15-year-olds and allows group conversations, private chats and more. Kik also recently added hashtags to the app, allowing users to add clickable links to chat groups.

Kik has been around for a few years but it has only recently been given a stable release. Moreover, there have been some changes to the app. Creating group action used to be a bit of a chore: manually adding people took time and effort that put many off. Now you simply dream up a hashtag and send it to your friends. They click on the link and automatically join the group. It’s a simple but very effective improvement.

Kik is monetised and allows companies to send sponsored messages to users. All message apps have advertising to a degree, so this isn’t unusual. There is also a web browser, plans to add a payment app and a variant of Uber.

Kik does seem to have a much lower profile than some of its more famous cousins but that isn’t reflected in the quality of this app. It’s simply a different way of doing business. If you’re into chat or want meet new people, Kik might just be what you’re looking for.

With the likes of Snapchat and WeChat seemingly dominating the chat market, is there room for Kik? With over 185 million registered users to date, it’s certainly off to a good start.

Jesmond Darmanin is a technology enthusiast who has his own blog at www.itnewsblog.com.