LINE Officially Launches Selfie Sticker Creation App "ycon"

TOKYO, March 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- LINE Corporation, owner and operator of the free call and messaging app LINE, today announced the official launch of "ycon," an update to the LINE Selfie Sticker app released on June 11, 2014, now featuring better integration with the LINE app.

Ycon allows users to insert selfies taken with their mobile phone's camera or saved on the device into templates to create original LINE stickers featuring their own face. There are now over 1,000 different templates, with new ones being added weekly. Sticker templates can be customized by changing their size, brightness, or saturation, and even adding text.

Since its iPhone release in June 2014, user numbers have grown in LINE's main markets and other countries amidst the global selfie phenomena, reaching 4.5 million downloads worldwide as of March 7. The app also topped the free apps ranking at App Stores in Indonesia, Thailand, and Turkmenistan, as well as the Entertainment category in 14 countries including Australia, Egypt, and Qatar, displaying its overwhelming popularity across regions.

In view of the app's excellent performance, the company has officially launched the service globally with enhanced integration with the LINE app and a new name, "ycon." The new version supports transparent backgrounds, making the stickers look and feel just like real LINE stickers, and enables the sending of stickers directly within LINE chats without having to start the ycon app, making the use of ycon stickers even more seamless and enjoyable.

The main features of the service are as follows.

1. Easily turn selfies into stickers
Take a selfie that fits the frame, select a template, and position your photo – anyone can create a sticker in these three simple steps. Change the size and angle of the face, hairstyle, and facial shape, and add messages using speech balloons to create stickers for ever occasion.

2. Send creations the same way as real LINE stickers
Stickers created using the app will be displayed in chats with transparent backgrounds¹, making them look and feel just like real LINE stickers.

3. Access created stickers from LINE chats
Simply tap the "+" button in LINE chats and select ycon to send created stickers without leaving the app². Since there is no need to open another app, users can send their original stickers without disrupting the flow of the conversation.

Overview of App
App name: ycon
Supported devices: Android and iPhone
Supported languages: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), English, French, German, Indonesia, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal), Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese
Supported regions: Global
Service began: June 11, 2014 (iPhone), June 25, 2014 (Android), March 10, 2015 (Android and iPhone in Japan and Taiwan)
Cost: Free
URL: http://selfie.line.me/go

About LINE Corporation
LINE Corporation is based in Japan and develops and operates the LINE app for smartphones. Since launching in June 2011, the LINE app has grown into a global service used in 230 countries, ranking first in the free app category in 60 countries. LINE offers free one-to-one and group messaging, as well as free domestic and international voice and video calls. LINE also includes a wide array of social elements such as fun and expressive stickers, a personal Home, a Timeline, and numerous LINE family apps, including LINE games and LINE camera. For more information about LINE, please visit http://linecorp.com/en/.

¹ This feature is only available in the updated version. Backgrounds are not transparent in older versions. Ycon stickers will only be sent in the same way as LINE stickers in versions 5.0.0 or higher for iPhone, and version 5.1.0 or higher for Android.
² This feature is currently available only on iPhones (with LINE version 5.0.0 or higher). Support for Android devices will be added soon. The feature is offered in all countries except Japan and Taiwan.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150311/181191
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150311/181220
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150311/181221
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150311/181222

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SOURCE LINE Corporation

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