LINE starts charging! 2026最新方案费用、免费用户自救指南一次看懂

Since yesterday, your phones have probably been flooded with the news: "LINE is starting to charge." To be honest, this rumour has been doing the rounds online for almost six months, and the official announcement finally came out on March 17th with the full details. This isn't just a simple price hike; it's a major shift in LINE's entire business model. Today, we're going to lay it all out clearly: which features will cost you, how much, and most importantly – how we, the freeloaders used to getting everything for free, can handle it.

First things first, this isn't a total lockdown of free usage. Instead, they're introducing a subscription model for specific "premium features." Officially named "LINE Premium," the plan is currently set at £7 per month or £70 per year. But if you're a long-term user or link a specific credit card, word is there's a first-year discount. Here's a quick rundown of the main features moving behind the paywall:

• AI Stickers and Effects: Those animated, personalised AI-generated stickers will now require a Premium membership.
• Message Backup and Cloud Restore: Free users will only be able to back up the last 30 days of chat history. Anything older will need a subscription for a full restore.
• High-Quality Photo Transfer: Sending photos in their original quality becomes a paid feature. Free versions will always be compressed.
• Call Noise Cancellation and Recording: LINE's built-in call recording and advanced noise cancellation are also now behind the paywall.

Seeing this list, many are probably ready to vent. But let's be fair, LINE has held back a bit. Basic messaging, voice calls, and video calls remain untouched. The sticker shop, so beloved here in the UK, and official account notifications are also staying free. So, if you're just sending daily "You alright?" and "Had dinner yet?" messages, your LINE experience will be exactly the same as yesterday.

However, for heavy users or freelancers who rely on LINE for work, this cost might be unavoidable. I know many friends in project-based work who use LINE to send contract drafts or design files. If their photos get compressed or chat history goes missing, it would be a nightmare. This is when you need to figure out the most cost-effective way to handle LINE's charges. My advice? Don't rush to subscribe. They offer a one-time free "feature check-up." You can go into "LINE Premium Plans" in your settings, and the system will analyse your usage over the last 30 days, showing you exactly which features you'd gain access to if you paid.

If you're like me and still on the fence, checking out the general consensus on LINE's pricing, opinions online are currently polarised. Some feel that £7 is cheaper than a meal deal and a worthwhile trade for a cleaner experience. Others argue that LINE already makes a packet from ads and sticker commissions, so now charging loyal users leaves a bad taste. Personally, I'm leaning towards being a "freeloading observer" for the first three months. The core functions are still there, and I can always subscribe later when I genuinely need to restore an old backup.

Don't want to pay? Here are a few "legally free" workarounds

If you really don't want to fork out, it's not entirely hopeless. First, you can manually back up your chat history – a bit tedious, but free. Second, when sending photos, use links from Google Photos or iCloud instead. As for AI stickers... there are other third-party apps that can generate them for now, it just takes a bit of a detour. If you're set on the native LINE experience, the final tip from this guide is: get your friends and family together for a family plan. The official announcement mentioned that Premium can be shared among up to six people, working out to around £1.20 per person per month – pretty much negligible.

Why is LINE daring to draw this line in the sand now?

Honestly, it's obvious to anyone watching. LINE's parent company, LY Corporation, is under considerable earnings pressure. With the UK market (and similar mature markets) reaching saturation, they need to extract more value from their existing user base. This move isn't so much a cash grab as it is testing the waters, gauging the acceptance of paying for a messaging app here. If the response is positive, who's to say basic message functions won't be phased into a paid model down the line? So, this "LINE Premium" isn't just a new plan; it's a barometer for the future of the LINE ecosystem over the next decade.

In short, as of March 17th, LINE has officially moved on from the "totally free era." Whether you choose to upgrade with them or continue being a savvy free user is up to you. For now, as long as your messages go through and you can still find your contacts, that's probably enough.