Setting up LINE takes about five minutes if you have your phone number ready. The process is the same whether you are on an iPhone or an Android device, with a few small differences in where to find certain settings. This guide walks through each step in order, including the parts that sometimes cause confusion.

Step 1: Download the app

Open the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android) and search for LINE. The official app is published by LY Corporation and has a green icon with a white speech bubble. Download it and wait for it to install. It is about 200 MB, so a Wi-Fi connection is faster than mobile data for this step.

Step 2: Create your account

Open LINE and tap Log In, then Create New Account. Enter your phone number. LINE will send a verification code by SMS. Enter the code when it arrives. You will then be asked to set a display name and optionally a profile photo. Your display name is what your friends will see, so use something they will recognise. You can change it later in Settings.

Step 3: Add your first friends

LINE will offer to find friends from your phone's contact list. If you allow this, it checks which of your contacts already have LINE and adds them automatically. This is the fastest way to get started. Alternatively, you can search by LINE ID if someone has set one up, or scan their QR code. You can find your own QR code in your profile page, which you can show to someone in person.

Step 4: Set up a group chat

To create a group, tap the speech bubble icon to start a new chat, then choose Create Group. Select the friends you want to include and give the group a name. You can add a group photo too, which helps when you have several groups and want to tell them apart quickly. Groups can have up to 500 members, though most people's groups are much smaller than that.

Step 5: Back up your chat history

Before you do anything else, set up a backup. Go to Settings, then Chats, then Back Up Now. On iPhone this goes to iCloud; on Android it goes to Google Drive. Do this once now and then set it to run automatically each week. It takes a few minutes the first time and much less after that. If you ever switch phones, this backup is how you get your history back.

Once you have done these five steps, the rest of LINE is worth exploring at your own pace. The Sticker Shop, Keep, and LINE Pay are all worth looking at once the basics feel comfortable. If you get stuck, the FAQ on this site covers the most common questions.