How to Use Kakao Map in English: Complete Guide for Foreigners (2026)

Kakao Map is the app locals actually use — but it launches in Korean, and there’s no single toggle that makes the entire app fully English. The good news: once you know where the language setting lives, and which few workarounds locals rely on (searching by phone number, for one), it’s genuinely usable without reading Hangul. Here’s exactly how to switch it, search in English, get directions, and know when to reach for Naver Map instead.

Quick Answer

• Kakao Map has an English display mode you can turn on in the app’s settings, but coverage isn’t complete — some transit and review content still shows in Korean even with English selected.
• You can search for places by typing an English name, a Hangul name, or the last 7–8 digits of the destination’s phone number, which is often the most reliable option.
• You do not need a Korean phone number or an account to use Kakao Map’s core search and navigation features.
• For public transit with fully English station names and transfer info, many foreigners keep Naver Map installed alongside Kakao Map.

Kakao Map vs. Naver Map vs. Google Maps

Google Maps is the app most visitors reach for first, but it’s the least reliable of the three inside Korea — South Korean regulations restrict exporting detailed mapping data outside the country, which is why Google Maps’ turn-by-turn driving directions and much of its transit routing don’t work reliably here. Naver Map and Kakao Map both use domestic map data instead, which is why locals and long-term foreign residents rely on one or both.

Step-by-Step: Switching Kakao Map to English

Kakao Map doesn’t always default to English automatically, even if your phone’s system language is English. On both the app and the web version, the language option lives inside the settings menu rather than on the home screen, so it takes a couple of extra taps to find:

1. On the mobile app: Open Kakao Map and tap the full menu icon (usually the three-line “≡” icon) from the home screen. From there, open Settings, then look for a Language option (sometimes nested under an “App Settings” or general settings group) and select English.
2. If you don’t see a language option right away: Some versions apply the language from your phone’s overall system language settings instead of an in-app toggle. If the in-app setting doesn’t appear or doesn’t stick, check that your phone’s system language is set to English and restart the app.
3. On the web version: The desktop/web version of Kakao Map (map.kakao.com) is largely Korean-only and doesn’t offer the same English mode as the mobile app — for English use, stick to the mobile app rather than the browser version.
4. What stays in Korean even after switching: Expect some user-generated content — reviews, business descriptions, certain transit alerts — to remain in Korean regardless of your language setting. This is normal; the interface (menus, labels) switches, but content submitted by Korean users doesn’t get translated.

Note: exact menu wording can shift slightly between app updates. If a label doesn’t match exactly what’s described above, look for “Settings” and “Language” as the general path — the structure has stayed consistent even when wording changes.

How to Use Kakao Map’s Street View

Kakao Map includes its own street-level imagery feature, similar in concept to Google’s Street View, letting you preview a location from ground level before you arrive — useful for confirming you’re headed to the right building entrance or storefront, especially in dense commercial areas where addresses alone can be confusing. To use it, search for or select a location on the map, then look for the street-view option in that location’s detail view or navigation panel; you can then pan around the 360-degree image the way you would in any other street-view tool. Coverage is strongest in Seoul and other major cities, and thinner in smaller towns and rural areas, so don’t count on it being available everywhere you search.

Searching Addresses and Places in English

You have three practical ways to search, and it’s worth trying more than one if your first attempt comes back empty:

• Type the English name directly. Well-known businesses, chains, landmarks, and transit stations often return results even when typed in English.
• Type the Hangul name. For smaller or newer businesses, an English search may return nothing. Copying the Korean name from a Google search result, a receipt, or a business’s Instagram bio and pasting it into Kakao Map is often faster than guessing at a translation.
• Search by phone number. Entering the last 7–8 digits of a business’s phone number is a genuinely useful trick locals use, and it sidesteps spelling and translation issues entirely — very effective when you have a phone number from a reservation, delivery order, or business card but aren’t sure how the name is written or transliterated.

You don’t need a Kakao account or a Korean phone number to search or navigate with the app. An account is only necessary if you want to save favorite places or sync them across devices, and you can create one using an email address and a foreign phone number for verification — a Korean SIM isn’t required.

Getting Walking/Transit Directions in English

From a place’s detail page, select the directions/navigation option and choose your travel mode — walking, public transit, driving, or cycling — and Kakao Map will lay out route options with estimated time for each. For public transit specifically, Kakao Map’s real-time bus location tracking (showing exactly where your bus currently is and its estimated arrival time) is one of its strongest features — but be aware that some of this live transit detail, like specific alert text or line notices, often displays in Korean even with the English interface turned on. If you rely heavily on transit and want everything — stop names, transfer instructions, exit numbers — consistently in English, Naver Map is generally the more complete option for that specific use case (see the comparison table above).

When You Still Need Naver Map Too

Kakao Map covers most day-to-day needs, but a few gaps are common enough that keeping Naver Map installed as a backup is worth it:

• Fully English transit directions. If you need station names, transfer instructions, and exit numbers reliably in English rather than partially translated, Naver Map generally does this more completely.
• Turn-by-turn driving with English voice guidance. Kakao Map’s own app isn’t built for in-car turn-by-turn use the way Naver Map is — Kakao’s driving navigation lives in a separate app (Kakao Navi), which adds friction if you just want one app for everything.
• Rural or less-touristed areas. Street View coverage, detailed place information, and review volume can be thinner outside major cities on any Korean map app, but cross-checking between Kakao Map and Naver Map sometimes fills gaps either has on its own.

Many long-term foreign residents end up using both apps side by side rather than picking one permanently — Kakao Map for its real-time bus tracking and phone-number search, Naver Map when English completeness matters more. A practical routine that works for most people: default to Kakao Map for quick place lookups and bus arrival times, and switch to Naver Map specifically when you’re navigating an unfamiliar transit route with multiple transfers, or when you want driving directions with English voice guidance in the car.

A Few Extra Tips Before You Start

• Save your home and a few key addresses early. Once you’re comfortable searching in Hangul or by phone number, pin your home, workplace, or school so you don’t have to re-search them every time.
• Screenshot addresses in Korean before you go somewhere new. If you’re heading to a small business without a strong online presence, having the Hangul address or the phone number ready (for the last-7-digits search trick) saves time on the spot.
• Don’t assume every app update keeps menus in the same place. Kakao Map, like most apps, periodically redesigns its settings layout — if a menu item described in this guide has moved, look for “Settings” and “Language” as the general landmarks rather than an exact tap sequence.

FAQ

Is Kakao Map fully translated into English?

No. The app’s menus and interface can be switched to English, but user-generated content like reviews and some real-time transit alerts generally stays in Korean regardless of your language setting.

Kakao Map vs. Naver Map — which is better?

Neither is strictly better — they’re generally complementary. Naver Map tends to offer more complete English transit information, while Kakao Map’s real-time bus tracking and phone-number search are particularly strong. Many foreigners keep both installed.

Can you use Kakao Map without a Korean phone number?

Yes. Core search and navigation work without any account or Korean phone number at all. An account is only needed to save favorites across devices, and it can be created with an email and a foreign phone number.

Does Kakao Map work offline?

Kakao Map generally supports downloading select areas for offline use, which can help avoid relying on mobile data or roaming while traveling. Coverage and how up-to-date offline data stays can vary, so it’s worth downloading your route area in advance rather than assuming full offline functionality everywhere.

How accurate is Kakao Map’s Street View coverage?

It’s generally strong and frequently updated in Seoul and other major cities, but thinner in smaller towns and rural areas. Treat it as a helpful confirmation tool for city addresses rather than something guaranteed to be available everywhere.

Related Koreayo Guides

For a broader look at which apps to have on your phone as a foreigner in Korea — beyond just maps — see our guide to essential digital tools in South Korea. If you’re using Kakao Map to scope out where to live, our guides to Korean neighborhoods and apartment living in South Korea pair well with it, and for getting around once you’ve settled in, see our Korea public transportation guide.

Sources

• Kakao Map official app listing and feature overview (Kakao Corp.) — checked 2026-08-15
• Cross-referenced foreigner-focused Kakao Map usage guides (language switching, phone-number search, account requirements) — checked 2026-08-15
• Comparative reporting on Naver Map, Kakao Map, and Google Maps functionality in Korea, including Korea’s spatial data export restrictions affecting Google Maps — checked 2026-08-15

Last updated: August 15, 2026. Kakao Map’s interface and menu labels change with app updates — the language-switching steps above describe the general navigation path (Settings → Language) and should be reconfirmed against the current app version with a screenshot before publishing, per standard pre-publish QA.