Kik is one of the best smartphone applications for chatting with your friends wherever they are. Unlike other messaging apps, Kik does not require users to provide their mobile phone numbers.
You can also choose who to chat with one-on-one and in groups, share pictures, gifs, videos, and games, and meet new friends with the same interests.
But from time to time, the app tends to have some issues whereby some of its features stop working.
For example, you may face a problem whereby you cannot open a webpage, a random chat is not working, or you do not see your message history. Unless you figure out the cause of the issue, it can become challenging for you to fix it.
Here are some of the problems you may encounter when using Kik and how to troubleshoot them.
Video call not working
If the video call or video chat is not working on Kik, it is because it is no longer available. Kik shelved it to improve app performance and remove spambots and unwanted messages.
However, expect the feature to be available in future updates.
The search feature is not working
If Kik search is not working, there are several things you can do to fix the issue:
Search using the exact username
You must know your friend’s exact usernames for you to search for them on the app. If you do not have the right username or are searching using your display name, you won’t find your friends.
Update Kik
If you are using an outdated version of Kik, several features of the app will not work. That includes the search function. Consider updating it from your device application store.
Alternatively, uninstall Kik from your device and reinstall it. The reinstallation will allow you to get a new version of the app and fix the problem where group search timed out.
Video fails to load
Your friends may send you photos or videos on the app. But you may encounter a problem whereby the video fails to load. Several things might have caused this to happen.
These include:
- The sender’s internet connection was not strong enough when they were uploading the video. Therefore, the video did not upload from their device to the app.
- The sender’s phone did not finish uploading the video.
- Your network connection is not stable.
You can try to fix the problem as follows:
- Try opening the video again later.
- Ask the sender to resend the video.
- Check your internet connection to ensure it is strong enough to receive videos.
The above steps will also work if you have a problem with receiving pictures.
Not receiving messages
If Kik is not receiving messages, there are several things you can do. Here is how:
- Force stop or force close the app and re-open it.
- Restart your device and open the Kik app again.
- Update the Kik app from the application store.
- Check your internet connection. Consider enabling Airplane mode and disabling the feature. The option will allow you to establish a new connection.
If you are using mobile data, consider switching to a wireless network. Also, consider disabling Data Saver from your device.
You can use the same steps above if you can’t send messages on Kik. Alternatively, consider clearing the app cache from device settings and try again.
In other cases, you may be unable to send messages because the recipient has blocked you, deleted or disabled their account, or is offline.
App not working on mobile data
If Kik is not working on mobile data, consider doing the following:
- Switch off your mobile data, switch it on, and try again.
- Enable aeroplane mode. The option will disable cellular radio, Wi-Fi, and mobile data. You should then disable aeroplane mode and enable mobile data. Once done, try opening Kik again and see if it works.
- Use a Wi-Fi connection and try opening Kik.
If the above does not work, contact your mobile data provider for further assistance.
Kik not working with VPN
If Kik is not working with VPN, consider doing the following:
- Disconnect the VPN network and use mobile data or Wi-Fi.
- Consider connecting to a different VPN network.
You can also check to ensure you have a stable internet connection.
Kik account is not logging in
If you cannot log into your Kik account, troubleshoot the issue as follows:
- Ensure you entered the correct username when logging in.
- Ensure you entered the right password when logging in.
- Try logging in using your email address instead of your username.
- Check to ensure you have an internet connection.
- Ensure you are using the latest version of Kik.
- Clear Kik app cache and data and try logging in again.
If you have forgotten your username and email and do not have access to the confirmation email to find your username, you will not access your account.
In that case, contact the Kik support team at kiksupport@medialab.la for further assistance.
Chats and contacts disappeared
If you cannot see your contacts or chats in Kik, try the following:
- Log out and log back into Kik.
- Uninstall and reinstall the application.
- Force close the app and reopen it.
In some cases, Kik clears a user’s chat history as a security feature. The reason that might happen includes:
- You logged out of your account.
- You logged in to your account using a different device.
- You deleted the Kik app from your device.
- You deactivated your account.
Kik does not have the option to retrieve a copy of your messages. You can still see all the chats you in your previous conversations before you logged out.
However, Kik will clear all your content and messages from the chats.
Conclusion
Kik is one of the best instant messaging apps for sharing with friends and loved ones. But from time to time, the application tends to cause some issues.
When this happens consult the above troubleshooting steps to fix the issue.
