Kik is an online messaging service. Kik is popular with kids and young teenagers, as it allows them to chat without needing their own telephone number. Instead, to use Kik, you only need a username.
Kik is available as an app on the iOS, Android and Windows Phone 7. Part of the ethos of Kik is to transfer internet use from PC to the phone, and Kik claims to be the first smartphone messenger with a built-in browser.
Within two weeks of its launch in 2010, word had spread on Twitter and Kik had notched up its first million users. By summer 2014, the service had over 120 million users.
How to Use Kik
Kik is free to download, although when you use Kik, your mobile company's standard data charges will apply. It is available from the iTunes app store, Google Play, the Amazon app store and the Windows Phone store.
Kik allows you to connect to friends in real-time and chat, share picture and websites all through your phone while you're on the move and its users seem to think it is the fastest and most reliable app of its kind, though many prefer it for chatting rather than messaging.
Here's a YouTube user's guide to Kik: