Kik Interactive has released an update to its real-time messenger app for the iPhone and iPod touch adding support for sending and receiving photos and additional privacy and security features. Kik Messenger is a free multi-platform messaging app for the iPhone, iPod touch and Android that allows users to communicate in real-time, avoiding the costs associated with text messaging solutions.
Further, Kik provides full two-way status notifications to track whether messages have been delivered, read or are even in the process of being typed, providing a similar experience to Research in Motion’s proprietary BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service.
Kik Messenger 5.0 adds the ability to send pictures from the iPhone or iPod touch photo library to other Kik users and allows users to set their profile picture from the photo library.
The new version also provides the ability to block other users and adds SSL encryption for secure messaging. Kik Messenger is available from the App Store as a free download.