Initially, Kik looks just like any other instant messaging service. You sign up using an email address and password, negating the need for a phone number. If you want hands-on experience yourself, its free for iPhone and Android. You can then connect with family and friends by searching for their usernames, scanning a Kik code (which looks like a circular QR code), or allowing access to your address book. A lot of more circular QR codes KIK users you can find on this nice web https://kik.bar/