By thothub22@gmail.com 
If you want the direct answer first, Kik Messenger is owned and operated today by MediaLab. The clearest current proof is in the app stores, where the Apple App Store lists the developer as Medialab – Kik and the seller as Ai Medialab Inc, while Google Play lists MediaLab AI – Kik and identifies the developer as Medialab.Ai Inc.
That is the simple answer. The more interesting part is how Kik got there, because the app was not originally built under MediaLab at all. It started under Kik Interactive, and for a while it looked like the platform might disappear completely before the ownership change saved it.
Kik Messenger was originally owned by Kik Interactive
Before MediaLab entered the picture, Kik Messenger belonged to Kik Interactive, the company behind the app. By 2019, the business was under pressure during an ongoing battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and earlier reports had suggested the app could shut down. TechCrunch reported in October 2019 that Kik’s chief executive Tim Livingston had pushed back on shutdown reports and said a deal was in progress with another company.
That moment matters because it explains why so many people still search for who owns Kik Messenger today. The ownership question is tied to a real turning point in the app’s history. For many users, Kik was not just changing hands quietly. It was being rescued from a very uncertain future.
MediaLab bought Kik Messenger in 2019
The ownership change became official in October 2019. TechCrunch reported that MediaLab had finalized an agreement to acquire Kik Messenger and keep it running. The report said MediaLab was a Los Angeles based holding company and already owned other mobile properties, including Whisper and DatPiff.
That acquisition is the key event behind the current ownership story. Once the deal closed, Kik Messenger stopped being part of Kik Interactive’s direct operating business and became part of MediaLab’s app portfolio. In other words, the app did not vanish. It moved into a new company structure.
Why the sale happened in the first place
The sale was not just a random business move. It happened during a difficult period for the old parent company. TechCrunch tied the transition to the company’s broader legal fight and the uncertainty around whether the messaging platform would continue. That is why the acquisition was framed at the time as proof that Kik was “here to stay.”
The tone around the deal also shows that MediaLab was not buying a dead app for scrap value. The company said it had ideas for improving Kik, including making it faster and reducing unwanted messages and spam bots. It also planned to introduce advertising to help cover the costs of operating the platform. That is important because it shows the new owner intended to keep the app alive and monetize it, not just sit on the brand.
What changed after MediaLab took over
After the acquisition, Kik Messenger became part of MediaLab’s wider strategy of owning and operating consumer internet properties. TechCrunch described MediaLab as a holding company expanding its mobile app portfolio, and the company specifically talked about improving performance and fighting spam inside Kik.
That shift is part of what makes the ownership story worth telling in full. Kik did not simply move from one owner to another on paper. The app moved from its original creator into the hands of a company that specialized in managing and monetizing social and community-based apps. That gave Kik a better chance of staying active, even if the platform itself no longer had the same place in the messaging market that it once did.
The app stores now confirm who runs Kik
For people searching today, the most practical way to confirm ownership is not just to read the old acquisition news. It is to look at the current app listings. On the Apple App Store, the app page shows Developer: Medialab – Kik, and further down it lists the seller as Ai Medialab Inc. On Google Play, the app appears under MediaLab AI – Kik, and the “About the developer” section names Medialab.Ai Inc.
Those details matter because they connect the 2019 acquisition story to the present-day reality. It is one thing to know MediaLab bought the app years ago. It is another to see that the platform is still being published under MediaLab branding now. That closes the loop for anyone asking who owns Kik Messenger today.
So who owns Kik Messenger today?
Today, Kik Messenger is owned and operated by MediaLab through Medialab.Ai Inc. The app was originally associated with Kik Interactive, but the business changed hands in October 2019, when MediaLab acquired Kik Messenger and kept the service alive instead of letting it shut down. Current app-store listings still reflect MediaLab as the developer and operator.That is the full ownership story in the clearest possible form. Kik started under Kik Interactive, reached a crisis point in 2019, and then moved into MediaLab’s portfolio, where it remains today. For most users, that is the real answer behind the search.