Many users have found that they can’t join groups on Kik, the free instant messaging service app from the Canadian company Kik Interactive.
A recent update enabled group chats where you can discuss different topics with other users, but it’s no fun if you’re unable to join them. It could be that you’ve been banned without realizing it, or you need to install the latest version of the app to fix any recent glitches.
Check out our quick steps below to get group chats working again for you.
Check Latest Version of Kik has been Updated
If you’re ever having issues with an app it’s always worth double-checking you’re running the latest version.
Developers frequently fix glitches and bugs in their applications before releasing new updates. It could be that the issue you’re having has been experienced by other users too and developers are aware and have sorted the problem. Go to the app store/play store and find the Kik app to see if you need to update it.
Close Down App and Reload
Another quick fix is to close down the app and reload it. It’s surprising how successful ‘turn it off and on again’ can be, and this is also true for Kik.
Make sure you’re force-closing the app as this will fully reset it. When you re-load it you may find the issues you experienced have been solved.
Banned From Group by Admins
If you’ve been banned from a group on Kik, there is a 30-day wait before you can join any other groups. This is called a ‘cooldown’ period, which is essentially a 30-day ban to prevent you from repeating the same issues in other groups.
If this is the case there’s not much you can do except wait out the cool-down period and try joining new groups after that. If you think you’ve been banned without good reason you can dispute Kik’s decision here.
The Group You’re Joining is Private
It could be that the group you’re attempting to join may be private. Any user can join a public group automatically, but to join a private group you need to be invited by a user that’s already part of the group.
Try speaking to some friends to see if they’re part of the group you want to join and see if they can accept you.
Uninstall and Reinstall
If in doubt and none of the above steps has solved your problem with joining groups on Kik, try deleting the app and reinstalling it.
If you have an account already set up you shouldn’t lose any data by doing this, and a hard reset may help to get rid of any glitches/bugs.
Last Resort – Send Report to Kik
We hope these steps have enabled you to join some of the groups you wanted to on the Kik app.
If you’re still at a loss after trying the above steps and uninstalling/reinstalling the app, you can submit a support request on the Kik website here. Kik does sometimes have issues as with any app so it could be that it’s Kik’s issue rather than yours. We also have some other support articles on Kik here.