Why you should introduce in-app calls to your service

Hello! I'm Deokbeom Jeong, the product manager of LINE Planet, a solution that makes it easy to implement audio and video calls in your service.

Product managers and other service stakeholders often describes their services as "like their own child" because of the affection they pour into them. Just as parents spare no effort to support their child's growth, service stakeholders also invest heavily in the growth of their services. They add new features, introduce attractive content, and create communities where users can meet and chat.

One of the best ways to grow a service is to make it a place like a playground or plaza where users can mingle and have fun. When user communication is active, the time users spend on the service naturally increases.

To achieve this, many services prepare various communication methods for users. They create spaces for posting, add features for commenting on others' posts, and introduce messengers for people with similar interests to chat.

However, depending on the nature of the service, this might not be enough. In this article, I'll explain why you should introduce in-app calls to your service.

Why "calls"?

Messengers are the fastest and most effective text-based communication method. However, text-based communication inherently struggles to escape its asynchronous nature. Users find it hard to know if their communication partner is fully focused on them, and they themselves might not respond immediately.

Such situations create variations in user engagement, causing subtle cracks between users or between users and service providers, acting as obstacles to creating a cohesive service.

Ultimately, people focus and immerse themselves more when they talk directly via voice or exchange visual information in real-time. One of the most effective ways to achieve this immersion in a service is through "audio and video call" features.

Audio and video calls can convey complex and delicate emotional nuances through voice and facial expressions in real-time, which is hard to achieve with text alone. This characteristic complements the shortcomings of text-based communication, enhancing user engagement and providing a satisfying service experience. This naturally leads users to use the service longer and more consistently.

Why "in-app" calls?

Now, let me explain why it should be "in-app" calls.

Privacy protection and preventing user churn

Depending on the service's purpose, real-time calls between users or between users and service providers might be necessary. One of the biggest concerns here is user privacy. If a user's phone number is used in calls, it might unintentionally be shared with others.

In today's world, privacy issues can't be overlooked. According to the 2020 report by Cisco, a global network technology company, approximately 1 in 3 consumers (29%) have stopped using a service due to privacy concerns, and the majority (over 80%) are very sensitive to privacy issues.

To address this, some use temporary phone numbers like safety numbers. While this seems safe as it doesn't expose the user's phone number, there's another issue: users have to leave the service to make a call. Once they leave, they're out of the service's control and might not return.

However, offering in-app calls instead of safety numbers can keep users from leaving the service. By keeping all communication methods within the service's controllable range, you can ensure security and the completeness of the service experience.

Dispute resolution is a shortcut to building trust

When users gather, various conversations occur, and sometimes disputes arise. Resolving disputes wisely is crucial as it directly relates to the service's trustworthiness. In text-based services, you can judge situations based on reported posts, comments, or exchanged messages, but volatile voice calls require a different approach.

With controllable in-app calls, you can activate recording features per call, and recorded call logs can serve as important materials in dispute resolution. This is especially important for intermediary sites where high-value items are traded.

Moreover, just informing users that calls within the service might be recorded can make them communicate more cautiously. This can naturally reduce dispute occurrences and enhance the service's trust by showing active user protection.

AI: New possibilities for in-app calls

We're in the era of AI. Combining AI with in-app calls can offer users a completely new experience. Even if a service already provides user communication, the fresh experience of "calls with AI" can refresh the service's atmosphere and rekindle user interest. It might even spark the curiosity of users who have left, encouraging them to return.

Introducing AI can also revolutionize customer support. Many services use chatbots for initial responses, but voice AI agents are quickly replacing them. Speech is faster and more emotional than text. According to a report by HubSpot, a global CRM company, 69% of consumers find real-time voice support more satisfying than text-based methods, especially for complex or important issues. Voice AI agents are the most effective solution for actively addressing users' most challenging and important problems.

If you're curious about the technology stack and real-world applications LINE Planet is building to successfully introduce AI-based communication, please refer to the session I presented at Tech-Verse 2025: "LINE Planet" and AI: Conversations with AI.

Opportunities for new revenue models

In-app call features can be a new revenue model in themselves. For example, you can apply a freemium model to video conferencing features, charging users after a certain usage time, or offer in-app calls as a paid consultation channel on intermediary platforms requiring professional advice.

In business models like professional consultations, in-app call features are even more crucial. If communication after the first consultation continues via external messengers or personal phone calls, all potential revenue from additional consultations or transactions might shift to direct deals between users and experts, causing the service to miss out on potential earnings. Ensuring all communication happens within the service through in-app calls is a way to fundamentally prevent user churn and provide a complete purchase experience, enhancing customer satisfaction.

Build or buy?

The positive effects in-app calls can bring to a service are clear. Now, you're at a crossroads: "Should we develop it ourselves or adopt a proven solution?"

One thing I'd like to mention is that call features require a completely different technology stack from existing web/app services. Providing call features to users worldwide, ensuring reliable call quality, responding to constantly changing network environments, maintaining perfect security levels, and continuously maintaining all of these requires immense resources and top-level experts in the field.

LINE Planet is a solution that combines the technology and know-how of expert engineers who have developed and operated LINE Messenger's call features since 2011. With LINE Planet, you can apply the best-proven call features to your service without worrying about complex development processes and unpredictable quality issues.

If you're interested in exploring new possibilities for your service with audio and video call features, please contact us at the email below.

Contact: dl_planet_help@linecorp.com