Want to regain access to your KakaoTalk account? Although its primary user base is in South Korea, we assume, it has rapidly spread internationally. And with apps for Android, iOS, PC, and Mac, as well as plenty of unique features, it makes sense that so many people are interested. We, for example, liked the Kakao Friends stickers, the ability to customize a chat room. Additionally, what caught our attention was were the Kakao Talk Open Chats, Talk Channel, and Talk Boards e.g. bulletin boards. Did this reminder make you want to come back? If so, here’s how to recover KakaoTalk account.
1. Search for your KakaoTalk account
Follow these instructions to search for the KakaoTalk account in their database:
- Visit the Kakao Find Account page in your browser.
- Click on Find Account.
- Based on the information you remember, click on one of the following options:
1. User Identification
Use this option if you want them to scan your smartphone for personal information. This is useful if you can’t recall any credentials, but there are 3 main conditions for this to work:
- The device must’ve been used with KakaoTalk in the past.
- It only works in South Korea and scans for the phone owner information, not the family members that used the device.
- The phone owner must be over the age of 15 for this to work.
2. Using profile/phone number
This option allows you to scan for your account using the KakaoTalk nickname or one used for their sister services – KakaoStory, Melon, or Daum. You can also use your user ID for either KakaoTalk or KakaoStory. Enter one of those, and then:
- Select your country code and type your phone number attached to the account.
- Click Find Account.
- You will either get a hit or a message: No match found.
- Check whether you made a typo and try again. If not, simply move on to one of the methods below.
3. Using profile/email address
The same rules for Nickname/ID apply here, too. Only this time, enter an e-mail address instead. If you do, the scenario described in steps 2 to 4 will occur.
Recommendation. If you can’t recall the e-mail address, check the inbox of your most-used e-mail address. Look for e-mails received from a contact named “Kakao Team” or simply “Kakao”.
4. Using Business Registration No.
To recover a Kakao Biz Account, do this:
- Click on the link mentioned in the headline.
Clarification. It’s in small letters at the bottom of the page, and easy to miss. - Enter your name, phone number, and business registration number into dedicated text fields.
- Click Find Account.
- You’ll get a match or the message No match found again.
2. Reset your KakaoTalk account password
Forgot the password to your KakaoTalk account? Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. Well, as long as you still have access to the KakaoTalk e-mail address, nickname, or the phone number attached to the account. Even if you don’t, it’s not the end of the world. There’s an alternative way, such as following method 3 in our guide that involves contacting KakaoTalk Customer Service. It’s not guaranteed, but you have nothing to lose. With that out of the way, here’s how to recover KakaoTalk account password. Ther are two main ways to retrieve the password for your KakaoTalk account:
1. Reset Passowrd Using the KakaoTalk app
You’ll have a very easy time if you forgot to sign out of your account on one of your smart devices. If you are logged in to KakaoTalk in an app, do this to change your password:
- Tap on More (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner.
- Scroll down and select Change Password.
- If prompted, type your phone number and country code.
- Enter your current password, then a new one in the text field below.
- Tap on Confirm.
- That’s it, you can use your new password from now on.
- Optional. You can tap on Forgot your password? below to be redirected to the same browser page we mentioned below, only on your smart device.
Tip: You can see your KakaoTalk userID, nickname, and e-mail address by tapping on More again, then going to Profile. This might not mean a lot at the moment but becomes crucial if you ever forget your password, so jot the information down somewhere safe.
2. Visiting KakaoTalk website in your browser
If you don’t remember your current password, you obviously can’t use the method above. Instead, follow this set of steps to reset your KakaoTalk account password:
- Visit the KakaoTalk Log In page.
- Optional. Try to click any of the fields. There’s a chance that the information will be auto-filled by an extension or your browser.
- Click on Reset Password in the bottom right corner.
- Enter the e-mail address or phone number attached to the KakaoTalk account.
- Click Next.
- You will receive an 8-digit verification code via SMS or e-mail.
- Enter it in the empty text field and click Confirm.
- Enter a new password for KakaoTalk twice, and click Confirm.
- You can now log-in.
3. Get in touch with Kakao Customer Service
This is possibly the only option if you suspect your KakaoTalk account was deleted or compromised (hacked). It’s also the last resort if you can only remember old information, such as old phone number, nickname, or phone number.
If you aren’t aware, KakaoTalk disables your account after 1 year of inactivity and notifies you 1 month before they do. However, they store your data on their server and allow you to recover it up to 4 years from the date you were last active. After that, the account is deleted permanently.
If you cannot sign in to your KakaoTalk account and you tried the methods above, here are the instructions to contact Kakao Customer Service directly:
- Visit the Kakao Customer Question page.
- Tip. Since you can’t access the original account, we recommend you create a new KakaoTalk account and use those credentials.
- Under Question Category, select Verification Code Related or Other General Inquiries and any device.
- Select a concise title, such as I can’t log in to my KakaoTalk account.
- Under Contents, describe your situation. Make sure to mention that it’s about a different account than the one you used to send the appeal.
- Optional. Click on Add Files to attach images or videos, such as screenshots or screen recordings, if it helps your case.
- Click on the checkbox in front of I Agree and click on the Question button.
- Wait for a response and follow their instructions.