LINE's 'One Feature' No Longer Available? Official Reveals Replacement Plan, Backup Deadline, and Direct Removal in 2 Countries by End of September

Many LINE users have long complained about accidentally tapping the short video button at the bottom of the app. This feature, criticized by some as 'the most useless,' is now undergoing major changes across several markets. LINE Thailand announced on June 17 that LINE VOOM will cease operations on September 28. LINE Yahoo Japan followed on July 15, stating the same service will shut down around 11:00 AM JST on September 30. Taiwan has not yet announced a full shutdown, but since June 30, the LINE VOOM entry has been removed from the app’s bottom menu. On July 28, the official team announced that LINE VOOM posts shared to the 'Notebook' will begin deletion from October 7.

What is LINE VOOM? Formerly known as 'LINE Timeline,' it operated for nearly five years. LINE VOOM is an in-app short video social platform, rebranded from 'LINE Timeline' and relaunched in late November 2021 in Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand. At launch, LINE pivoted to vertical short videos, targeting the same market as TikTok and Instagram Reels.

However, despite nearly five years of operation, user engagement has not significantly improved, and content quality has long been questioned by users—factors contributing to the decision to discontinue the service in Thailand and Japan.

When will services end in Thailand and Japan? Backup methods and deadlines differ.

According to LINE Thailand’s official announcement, the local LINE VOOM service will shut down on September 28—the earliest closure among the three regions. LINE Yahoo Japan stated on its website that the service will terminate around 11:00 AM on September 30, citing a review of service delivery systems and a reorganization of user experience value.

After shutdown, users in both regions will no longer be able to access LINE VOOM, post new content, browse others’ posts, or view their own past content.

Backup methods differ. Japanese users must apply via an official dedicated page to download previously posted text, photos, and videos to their devices. Thai users can download their published images and videos through LINE VOOM Studio from October 1 to December 31. Data not downloaded by the deadline will be permanently deleted and unrecoverable.

LINE is not entirely abandoning content posting. According to a LINE Yahoo for Business announcement, a new posting feature for official accounts will launch in early September, allowing free combination of images, videos, and text. Details will be announced later.

Will Taiwan follow suit? The bottom menu entry has already been removed, replaced by 'Discover'.

As of July 29, LINE Taiwan has not announced the termination of LINE VOOM. However, the company has repeatedly reduced the feature’s visibility this year. In March, advanced editing features like effects, audio, and text in the LINE VOOM camera were removed, leaving only basic recording. Starting June 30, the standalone tab at the center of the app’s bottom menu was officially removed, requiring access via the 'Services' list in the 'Home' screen.

This update is being rolled out in phases, so users may see the changes at different times, and must update to LINE version 26.9 or later to view the new interface. While core functions like posting and browsing remain unaffected, the 'Search' function is no longer supported.

The vacated bottom space is not left empty. On the same day, LINE launched a new e-commerce hub called 'Discover,' integrating LINE Shopping, LINE Gifts, LINE Travel, and official account stores. Japan has similarly replaced the LINE VOOM tab with a shopping tab, indicating both markets are increasing emphasis on e-commerce.

What happens to LINE VOOM posts in the Notebook? Deletion begins October 7.

On July 28, LINE Taiwan issued a separate announcement stating that due to service operation policy adjustments, starting September 14, the Notebook in chatrooms will no longer support creating two types of posts: text cards (which apply backgrounds to text) and voting posts that are automatically published to the Notebook when a vote is created in chat. The company clarified that the voting function itself remains usable, and existing text cards will be displayed as regular text posts.

More importantly, the deletion schedule is critical. Starting October 7, automatically published votes and 'LINE Pick a Date' posts, as well as LINE VOOM posts shared to the Notebook, will be deleted along with comments and emoji reactions. Users are advised to manually copy text or take screenshots before the deadline to preserve desired content.

How to disable LINE VOOM notifications and auto-play? Two settings to know.

While LINE VOOM remains available in Taiwan, users can adjust settings to avoid push notifications or video sound disturbances.

Method 1: Turn off post notifications 1. Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner of the LINE 'Home' screen. 2. Scroll down and tap 'LINE VOOM'. 3. Enter 'LINE VOOM Notifications' and turn off 'All Notifications'. 4. To further filter alerts, disable 'All New Post Alerts' individually.

Method 2: Disable video auto-play 1. Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner of the 'Home' screen. 2. Tap 'Photos & Videos'. 3. Select 'Auto-play Videos' and change it to 'Do Not Auto-play'.