WhatsApp is undoubtedly one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, and it seems to be gaining even more users quicker than ever. In a Facebook post, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum announced that the service, which is owned by Facebook, has 800 million active users each month.
WhatsApp adds 100 million users in 4 months
WhatsApp Messenger allows its users to send text messages to other users for free – as long as the user has an Internet connection, it bypasses the mobile operators’ text messaging charges. The app is available on just about every type of phone, including iOS, Android, Windows Phone and even BlackBerry devices. The company has also recently released a voice calling feature, in competition with services such as Skype and Viber, although WhatsApp still doesn’t have a desktop video calling service, and so can’t yet fully compete with Microsoft-owned Skype.
WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook last year for a huge $19 billion, and has witnessed steady growth over the last few months – the 800 million milestone is an increase from 700 million in January and 600 million in August.
So WhatsApp is now one of the largest social services around. And in February, Twitter reported that its user base had grown to 288 million active users per month. In December, photo service Instagram reported 300 million monthly users. Lastly, Facebook, which owns Instagram and WhatsApp, reported that it has 1.39 billion active monthly users as of December 2014.
SOURCE: Facebook
Larry Banks is a keen follower of technology and finance. He has worked for a variety of online publications, writing about a diverse range of topics including mobile networks, patents, and Internet video delivery technologies.