4 ms·

Especially WhatsApp, I would say. It is the absolute standard for communication in much of the world.

ben_w 7y ago
That’s surprising. Nobody has yet asked me for my WhatsApp contact details and thereby forced me to create an account. (Germany, previously UK).
- reaperducer 7y ago
  Ditto. I've never seen WhatsApp in the wild. I've been asked if I have iMessage and Venmo more times than I can remember, but nobody has ever asked me if I have WhatsApp.
  - mycall 7y ago
    January of 2018. At the time, Zuckerberg said WhatsApp had 1.5 billion monthly active users.
    - reaperducer 7y ago
      Zuckerberg also counts both of my cats as active Facebook users.
      - mycall 7y ago
        That hurts my head, having separate chat history and ads for your cats.
  - kalleboo 7y ago
    Messaging platforms are very regional. From your mention of Venmo (which is US-only) I assume you're American. WhatsApp has it's popularity outside of the US. I've not once in my life had someone ask for an iMessage, and Venmo I've only heard about online. The last time I sent an SMS was probably a decade ago. Currently I live in LINE-land. 90% of my communication is on LINE. Among friends abroad, everyone has Facebook messenger but it's nobody's preferred method, rather a fallback. WhatsApp is popular among friends in Europe (Sweden/Spain). Don't know anyone who's mentioned Telegram/Signal.
  - jogjayr 7y ago
    Whatsapp is used by 81% of messaging app users in Germany[1] and almost 70% of Britons[2]. It hasn't caught on as much in the US. 1. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#Germany https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati... 2. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#GreatBritain https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati...
- RikNieu 7y ago
  Its mostly used in third world countries. South Africa, Brazil, ect. Doesn't seem to have caught on that much in the first world, from what I've read.
  - jogjayr 7y ago
    Whatsapp is used by 81% of messaging app users in Germany[1] and almost 70% of Britons[2]. 1. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#Germany https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati... 2. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#GreatBritain https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati...
- pjmlp 7y ago
  Really? Everyone uses WhatApp over here (Germany).
- jogjayr 7y ago
  That is surprising. Whatsapp is used by 81% of messaging app users in Germany[1] and almost 70% of Britons[2]. 1. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#Germany https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati... 2. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#GreatBritain https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati...
sangnoir 7y ago
I've been casually following incidents of a number of governments blocking WhatsApp/Facebook to disrupt organizers of protests: every single time Telegram usage blooms literally overnight as it's harder to block. WhatsApp is not as sticky as I thought, if the entire network graph is forced off.

That’s surprising. Nobody has yet asked me for my WhatsApp contact details and thereby forced me to create an account. (Germany, previously UK).

reaperducer 7y ago
Ditto. I've never seen WhatsApp in the wild. I've been asked if I have iMessage and Venmo more times than I can remember, but nobody has ever asked me if I have WhatsApp.
- mycall 7y ago
  January of 2018. At the time, Zuckerberg said WhatsApp had 1.5 billion monthly active users.
  - reaperducer 7y ago
    Zuckerberg also counts both of my cats as active Facebook users.
    - mycall 7y ago
      That hurts my head, having separate chat history and ads for your cats.
- kalleboo 7y ago
  Messaging platforms are very regional. From your mention of Venmo (which is US-only) I assume you're American. WhatsApp has it's popularity outside of the US. I've not once in my life had someone ask for an iMessage, and Venmo I've only heard about online. The last time I sent an SMS was probably a decade ago. Currently I live in LINE-land. 90% of my communication is on LINE. Among friends abroad, everyone has Facebook messenger but it's nobody's preferred method, rather a fallback. WhatsApp is popular among friends in Europe (Sweden/Spain). Don't know anyone who's mentioned Telegram/Signal.
- jogjayr 7y ago
  Whatsapp is used by 81% of messaging app users in Germany[1] and almost 70% of Britons[2]. It hasn't caught on as much in the US. 1. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#Germany https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati... 2. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#GreatBritain https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati...
RikNieu 7y ago
Its mostly used in third world countries. South Africa, Brazil, ect. Doesn't seem to have caught on that much in the first world, from what I've read.
- jogjayr 7y ago
  Whatsapp is used by 81% of messaging app users in Germany[1] and almost 70% of Britons[2]. 1. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#Germany https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati... 2. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#GreatBritain https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati...
pjmlp 7y ago
Really? Everyone uses WhatApp over here (Germany).
jogjayr 7y ago
That is surprising. Whatsapp is used by 81% of messaging app users in Germany[1] and almost 70% of Britons[2]. 1. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#Germany https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati... 2. https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-statistics/#GreatBritain https://www.messengerpeople.com/global-messenger-usage-stati...

sangnoir 7y ago

I've been casually following incidents of a number of governments blocking WhatsApp/Facebook to disrupt organizers of protests: every single time Telegram usage blooms literally overnight as it's harder to block. WhatsApp is not as sticky as I thought, if the entire network graph is forced off.