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How to contact us if you're having problems with LINE

I suddenly became unable to use a feature

The error message "Unable to use account" suddenly appeared

Important: The contents of this article only apply to LINE accounts created with LINE versions earlier than 13.11.0.

If a screen saying "Unable to use account" suddenly appeared, please check the information for each of the three scenarios below, in order.

You haven't registered your currently contracted phone number to LINE

If the phone number you registered to LINE isn't the same as the one you are currently contracted with, you may suddenly become unable to use LINE.

Once a certain amount of time passes after canceling your phone number, it can be contracted to and used by someone else.

If the new contract holder of the phone number registers it to LINE, the LINE account it had been registered to becomes unavailable.

Checking/changing your password

There is no way to directly check the password you need to transfer your LINE account. If you forgot your password, refer to either of the following steps and change it.

Note: Be sure to write your new password down so you don’t forget it.

If you still have your old device

1. Tap the Home tab > Settings > Account.
2. Tap Password.
Note: If you're asked to unlock the screen, use the unlock method you have configured on your device, such as your passcode or biometric identification (e.g. fingerprint, face). Do not use the password registered to your LINE account.
3. Enter your new password twice, then tap Change password.

Important: Your password must contain 8-20 non-repeating half-width characters, and be a combination of at least three of the following types (for more information, refer to Setting a secure password):
- Uppercase letters
- Lower case letters
- Numbers
- Symbols

Go to your Account settings (in the LINE smartphone app)

If you don't have your old device

Important:
- The following information only applies to LINE accounts created with LINE versions earlier than 13.11.0.
- You will not be able to reset your password if you haven't registered an email address to your LINE account.

To change your password:
1. Open LINE on your new device and tap Log in.
2. Tap Log in with phone number.
3. Check the Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy, then enter your phone number and tap the arrow > OK or Send.
4. Enter the verification code you received via text message.
Note: On some Android devices, the verification code is entered automatically. In this case, skip to the next step.
5. Tap Yes, that's my account.
Note: Or tap No, that's not me > Yes, transfer my account > Log in with previous number or Log in with email address, and enter your registered information.
6. Tap Forgot your password?
7. Enter the email address registered to your LINE account, then tap Send.
8. Rest your password by following the email that was sent to the email address you entered.

Important: Your password must contain 8-20 non-repeating half-width characters, and be a combination of at least three of the following types (for more information, refer to Setting a secure password):
- Uppercase letters
- Lower case letters
- Numbers
- Symbols

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Creating a new LINE account

Logging in to LINE on your iPad or PC using your smartphone's unlock method

Important: The contents of this article only apply to LINE accounts created with LINE versions earlier than 13.11.0.

See below for the steps to log in to LINE using your smartphone's unlock method.

When logging in to LINE with your smartphone's unlock method for the first time:

1. Start LINE for iPad or LINE for PC.

2. Enter the phone number registered to your LINE account and select Log in with smartphone.

3. Select Show verification code.

4. Start the smartphone version of LINE.

5. Select the Home tab > Settings > Account > Pair a new device.

6. Enter the verification code that appears on LINE for iPad or LINE for PC into your smartphone.

7. Use your smartphone's unlock method when prompted to do so.

When logging in after the first time:

1. Start LINE for iPad or LINE for PC.

2. Enter the phone number registered to your LINE account and select Log in with smartphone.

3. Start the smartphone version of LINE.

4. Use your smartphone's unlock method when prompted to do so.

"Login successful!" will appear when you're logged in. The LINE official account will also send a login notification message to you in the smartphone version of LINE.

Note: For details about the content of this notification, see this Help article.

For more information about your smartphone's unlock method, see this Help article.

For information on how to set up LINE so you can use your smartphone's unlock method for logging in, see this Help article.

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Preparing to transfer your LINE account

Before transferring your LINE account, you need to make some preparations on your device.

Check your registered information
On the device you're currently using LINE on, make sure you have a current phone number, current email address, and password registered to your account. For the steps to check/change your information, see the Help articles below.

Continuing to use the same phone number with a LINE account created with a version of LINE earlier than 13.11.0

Changing your phone number
Checking your registered email address
Creating a password
Checking/changing your password

Transferring your LINE account with a Facebook account, Apple ID, or Google account

Linking your Facebook account to LINE
Linking your Apple ID to LINE
Linking your Google account to LINE

Back up your chat history
To restore your chat history on your new device, you need to back up your chat history in advance.
Note: If you can't back up your chat history to Google Drive or if you're transferring your account to a new device with a different OS, you can automatically transfer your history from the last 14 days by setting a backup PIN beforehand. See this Help article for details.

Turn on the Allow account transfer setting
Turn on Allow account transfer only if you plan on transferring your account:
• With a phone number that's different from the one currently registered to your account.
• Using your Facebook account, Apple ID, or Google account.

For the steps to turning on the Allow account transfer setting, see this Help article.

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Transferring your LINE account

I see an error when backing up my chat history

If an error appears when you try to back up your chat history, check to make sure that:

• You're using the latest version of LINE. (Update the app here.)

• iCloud Drive is turned ON.

• You're connected to the correct Apple ID. (See this Apple Support page for details.)

• There is enough free space in iCloud Drive.

If you do not have enough storage space in iCloud Drive or on your device

If an auto-backup fails because you don't have enough free space in iCloud Drive or on your device, the LINE official account will send you a chat notification like the one below.

Note: You will not receive a notification if an auto-backup fails for another reason.

• "Unable to back up your chat history. You don't have enough free space on your device."

If you receive a notification like this, or if you find that you cannot do a periodic backup in the LINE app, refer to this Apple Support page and make sure that you have enough free space in your iCloud Drive and on your device, then back up your chat history again.

We recommend regularly checking the app to make sure your chat history is successfully backed up.

If your chat history backup won't complete

Try the following steps:

1. Go to your device's Settings and tap the Apple ID user name.

2. Tap iCloud > Manage Storage.

3. Tap LINE > Delete Data > Delete.

4. Open LINE and tap the Home tab > Settings > Chat history backup.

5. Tap Back up now.

Even if you're unable to back up your chat history to iCloud Drive, you can transfer your history from the last 14 days if you set a backup PIN beforehand. For the steps to do so, see this Help article.

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Backing up your chat history

To restore your chat history after transferring your LINE account, you need to back it up beforehand.

Before backing up your chats, be sure that:

• You're using the latest version of LINE. (Update the app here.)

• iCloud Drive/Google Drive is turned on.

Note: This feature is unavailable on Android devices that cannot use Google Drive.

• There is enough free space in iCloud Drive/Google Drive.

Note: For information about clearing space in your storage, see this Apple Support page or this Google Drive Help page.

For the basic ways to back up your chat history, see below.

iOS users

There are two methods available for backing up your chats to iCloud Drive.

Manually back up chats to iCloud Drive

1. From the Home tab, tap Settings > Chat history backup under Backup and transfer.
2. Tap Back up now.
Note: If you don't see Back up now, you need to set a backup PIN, so tap Create backup PIN to back up chat history.

Automatically back up chats to iCloud Drive

1. From the Home tab, tap Settings > Chat history backup under Backup and transfer.
2. Tap Back up how often.
3. Select how often you want to back up your chats.

You can also watch this video to learn how to configure your settings. (Video only available in Japanese.)

Your chats will only be backed up automatically if your device and settings meet the conditions below when the auto-backup refresh starts.

• Your device is plugged into an outlet.
• Your device is connected to the internet.
• The Background App Refresh setting on your device is turned on.
Note: For details on how to turn on Background App Refresh, see this link.

Android users

There are two methods available for backing up your chats to Google Drive.

Manually back up chats

1. From the Home tab, tap Settings > Back up and restore chat history under Backup and transfer.
2. Tap Back up now or Back up to Google Drive.
Note: If you don't see Back up now or Back up to Google Drive, you need to set a backup PIN, so tap Create backup PIN to back up chat history.

You can also watch this video to learn how to configure your settings. (Video only available in Japanese.)

Automatically back up chats

1. From the Home tab, tap Settings > Back up and restore chat history under Backup and transfer.
2. Tap Back up how often and turn Enable auto-backup ON.
3. Select how often you want to back up your chats.

You can also watch this video to learn how to configure your settings. (Video only available in Japanese.)

Your chats will only be backed up automatically if your device and settings meet the conditions below when the auto-backup refresh starts.

• Your device is plugged into an outlet.
• Your device is connected to the internet.
Note: If you can't use a Wi-Fi connection, you can still back up your chats with Use mobile data selected.

Your chats will be backed up automatically when you stop using your device and its screen has turned off.

If an auto-backup fails, you'll receive a chat notification from the LINE official account. For more information about this notification, see this Help article.

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Registering an email address

About the backup PIN

A backup PIN lets you transfer your chat history when you transfer your LINE account.
Note: To transfer your chat history in this way, you need to update LINE to version 12.13.0 or later. (Update LINE to the latest version)

Even if you haven't backed up your chat history beforehand, you can transfer your chat history from the last 14 days regardless of the OS when you set up a backup PIN.
Note: If you've backed up your chat history beforehand, you can only transfer your entire chat history between the same OS. Refer to the following Help article for details.

Backing up your chat history

For the steps to set, check, or reset your backup PIN, refer to the following sections.

Setting a PIN code

1. From the Home tab, tap Settings > Backup and transfer > Chat history backup/Back up and restore chat history.
2. Tap Back up now or Create backup PIN and back up chat history.
3. Enter a six-digit number.
4. Tap the arrow.

Checking/resetting a backup PIN

1. From the Home tab, tap Settings > Backup and transfer > Chat history backup/Back up and restore chat history.
2. Tap Backup PIN.
Note: If you're asked to unlock the screen, use the unlock method you have configured on your device, such as your passcode or biometric identification (e.g. fingerprint, face). Do not use the password registered to your LINE account.
3. Check the PIN you currently have set.
4. To change your PIN, tap Change.
5. Enter your new PIN, and tap Change.

Make sure your backup PIN is a secure combination to prevent it from being used by someone else without your permission.

Here are some tips for setting a hard-to-guess backup PIN:
• Don't use consecutive numbers (e.g. 123456).
• Don't use the same number repetitively (e.g. 111111).
• Don't make the PIN your birthday.

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"This message can't be displayed" appears and I can't see sent/received chat messages

If you see any of the following messages after transferring your account on a smartphone, you may not be able to view past chat messages.

- "This message can't be displayed"

- "This message wasn't backed up and restored from your previous device. Unfortunately, there's no way to read it on your current device."

- "Unable to display message as it couldn't be decrypted."

The messages above appear when:

• You transfer your account to a device with the same OS (e.g. iOS to iOS) without backing up and restoring your chats.

If you back up your chats on your old device before transferring your account, you can view them on your new device. For the steps to do so, see the following Help article.

Transferring your chat history

• You transfer your account to a device with a different OS (e.g. iOS to Android).

Note: You cannot transfer your past chats.

• You receive chat messages while transferring your account.

Any such messages cannot be transferred to your new device. For more information, see the following Help article.

About Letter Sealing

If any of these messages appear and you cannot view your past chat messages, there is unfortunately no way to re-display them. In this case, please ask the other person in the chat to send you any old messages that you need.

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How to contact us if you're having problems with LINE

I suddenly became unable to use a feature

The error message "Unable to use account" suddenly appeared

Checking/changing your password

Creating a new LINE account

Logging in to LINE on your iPad or PC using your smartphone's unlock method

Preparing to transfer your LINE account

Transferring your LINE account

I see an error when backing up my chat history

Backing up your chat history

Registering an email address

About the backup PIN

"This message can't be displayed" appears and I can't see sent/received chat messages

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