How do I set up KakaoTalk properly and what features should I know about beyond basic messaging?

Setting up KakaoTalk is straightforward. Download the app, register with your Korean phone number, and set up your profile. You can use it right away for messaging. But KakaoTalk does so much more than just chat.

Kakao Pay is built into the app and lets you send money to friends instantly, split bills at restaurants, and pay at most stores by scanning a QR code. To activate it you need to link a Korean bank account. The gift feature called 선물하기 is hugely popular in Korea and lets you send coffee vouchers, food delivery coupons, and other gifts to friends directly through chat. Open Chat (오픈채팅) lets you join group chats by topic where you can meet people with similar interests, and many local foreigner communities run active open chats. You can also use KakaoTalk to sign up for other Korean services since Kakao login works almost everywhere. The calendar feature is useful for scheduling with Korean friends, and the album feature in group chats automatically organizes all shared photos. One tip is to set up the translation plugin in settings which lets you translate messages in real time within a chat.