As of February 2025, two billion users were accessing the WhatsApp messenger on a monthly basis. The app’s reach in usage penetration is particularly strong in markets outside the United States, and it is one of the most popular mobile social apps worldwide. WeChat amassed over 1.38 billion users, and Facebook Messenger amassed around 947 million users worldwide. Instant messaging is a type of online chat which offers real-time text transmission via internet. Since the appearance of the smartphone and the subsequent explosion of mobile apps, low-cost or free chat and social messaging apps have proven themselves as a cheap alternative to operator-based text messaging via SMS. Many messenger apps offer features such as group chats, the exchange of graphics, video and even audio messages as well as stickers or emoticons.

In 2021, an estimate of 3.09 billion mobile phone users accessed over-the-top messaging apps to communicate. This figure is projected to grow to 3.51 billion users in 2025. At the beginning of 2021, WhatsApp was the most popular mobile messenger app worldwide. The messaging service had accumulated over two billion monthly active users.

Over three billion people use messaging apps, making them one of the most popular app types. For most people, mobile messaging consists of two platforms: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp....

During the third quarter of 2024, 94.5 percent of internet users worldwide accessed online chatting and messaging apps on a monthly basis. Between the beginning of 2022 and the end of 2023, instant messaging and smartphone chat usage remained constant among the global digital population. During the second quarter of 2023, approximately 95 percent of global users were reported accessing mobile chat services.

As of December 2024, around 1.08 billion people had used instant messaging services to communicate in China. Currently, there are mainly four messaging apps in the country.

China’s telecommunications market houses a variety of domestic messaging apps such as WeChat, QQ, and Momo that cater to its diverse population of smartphone users. As of November 2024, Tencent’s WeChat remained the most popular messaging app with over one billion monthly active users in the country. How competitive is the app landscape in China? Instant messaging was the most popular app category in China with a massive user base. When it comes to app usage time, video apps have attracted more attention from Chinese mobile users than any other app category. Apart from the well-established video-sharing platforms such as Youku, Tencent Video, and iQIYI, various short video apps - especially Douyin and Kuaishou (Kwai) - have been gaining traction rapidly in the app market. At the same time, online payment apps like Alipay and e-commerce apps such as Taobao and Pinduoduo have trailed closely behind in terms of monthly active user numbers. App usage trends China has one of the most engaged app user markets in the world, this is reflected in the high app installations, daily usage numbers, and consumer spending. However, data privacy awareness has been growing among Chinese consumers. An annual online survey found that a significant amount of users doubted the data privacy and security policies of internet companies. Besides, checking app permissions and partial granting personal data access on smartphones have become more common. It is important for app developers and publishers to avoid undesirable user permissions in order to gain the initial trust of Chinese users.

As of the third quarter of 2024, Nigeria was the region with the highest share of online audience using chat and messaging platforms worldwide. Around 100 percent of its internet users reported using such online communication services on a monthly basis. Morocco followed, with around 99.6 percent of its internet users using messaging apps. Approximately, 94.5 percent of the global internet audience used online chats and instant messaging platforms during the last measured quarter.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global Mobile Messaging Service market size will be USD 102584.2 million in 2024. It will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.20% from 2024 to 2031.

North America held the major market share for more than 40% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 41033.68 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4% from 2024 to 2031.
Europe accounted for a market share of over 30% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 30775.26 million.
Asia Pacific held a market share of around 23% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 23594.37 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.2% from 2024 to 2031.
Latin America had a market share of more than 5% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 5129.21 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.6% from 2024 to 2031.
Middle East and Africa had a market share of around 2% of the global revenue and was estimated at a market size of USD 2051.68 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.9% from 2024 to 2031.
The software category is the fastest growing segment of the Mobile Messaging Service industry

Market Dynamics of Mobile Messaging Service Market

Key Drivers for Mobile Messaging Service Market

The Global Proliferation of Smartphone Usage to Boost Market Growth

The market for mobile messaging services is expanding due in large part to the increase in smartphone adoption. Mobile messaging services are becoming more widely available to more people as cell phones are cheaper and easier to obtain, especially in developing nations. The increasing number of users on messaging apps like WeChat, Telegram, and WhatsApp is a result of their widespread acceptance, which raises user engagement. Additionally, smartphones have improved features like voice, video, and multimedia messaging, which boost communication in general. Furthermore, messaging apps are made more user-friendly and effective by the advancement of sophisticated smartphone technology like fast internet and potent CPUs. As a result, the market for mobile messaging is growing as a direct result of rising smartphone usage worldwide.

Growing Need for Instant Communication to Drive Market Growth

The mobile messaging service market is growing due in large part to consumer demand for instant communication. A growing number of people and businesses are turning to messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Telegram because they need rapid, effective, and real-time communication solutions in today's hectic world. Instantaneous phone or video calls, message exchanges, and material sharing are all made possible by these technologies, which improve communication efficiency and speed. Instant messaging is being used more and more by organizations as a flexible means of communication since it offers an efficient avenue for teamwork, marketing, and customer service. More market expansion for mobile messaging services is being driven by consumers' desire for instant communication and the ease of being able to access them on their phones.

Restraint Factor for the Mobile Messaging Service Market

Data Privacy and Security Concerns Will Limit Market Growth

The market for mobile messaging services is being held back by serious worries about security and privacy. Users are becoming more and more concerned about data breaches, unlawful access, and the exploitation of their data as messaging platforms handle sensitive personal and corporate information. Users are reluctant to completely adopt or interact with some messaging apps as a result of high-profile hacking and privacy violation situations, which have increased consumer distrust and mistrust. Moreover, worries about data tracking and spying by governments and corporations compound worries about the security of private communications. There is a fragmented market where privacy concerns have a considerable impact on user uptake and retention despite the fact that certain platforms offer end-to-end encryption to minimize these challenges.

Impact of Covid-19 on the Mobile Messaging Service Market

The global market for mobile messaging services is booming due to the widespread use of smartphones and the increased demand for instant messaging services. However, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have created difficulties...

The global instant messaging software market is experiencing robust growth, projected to reach $22,550 million in 2025 and maintain a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.9% from 2025 to 2033. This expansion is driven by several key factors. The increasing penetration of smartphones and mobile internet access globally fuels the adoption of instant messaging apps for personal and professional communication. Businesses are increasingly leveraging instant messaging platforms for internal collaboration, customer service, and marketing, contributing significantly to market growth. Furthermore, the continuous innovation in features such as enhanced security, integration with other business tools, and the rise of AI-powered chatbots are further propelling market expansion. The market is segmented by device type (PC and Mobile) and application (Personal, Enterprise, and Other), with mobile applications dominating the market share due to their convenience and accessibility. The competitive landscape is highly fragmented, with established players like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Skype alongside newer entrants constantly vying for market share through feature enhancements and strategic partnerships. Geographical expansion, particularly in emerging markets with rapidly growing internet penetration, presents significant opportunities for market players. However, challenges remain. Data privacy concerns and regulatory scrutiny around data handling continue to be significant hurdles. Maintaining user engagement in a highly competitive landscape requires continuous innovation and the ability to adapt to evolving user preferences. Furthermore, ensuring the security and reliability of instant messaging platforms is crucial to maintaining user trust and preventing the misuse of these platforms. The market's future growth trajectory hinges on the ability of companies to address these challenges and effectively leverage technological advancements while prioritizing user privacy and security. The market's sustained growth will depend on continuing innovation, adept adaptation to changing user needs, and consistent focus on data security.

LINE's dominance in Taiwan's instant messenger market continues, according to a 2023 survey. About 77.56 percent of surveyed internet users were using the platform. Facebook Messenger held only a market share of 3.6 percent.

In the first quarter of 2022, Facebook Messenger reported the largest share of daily active users in the United States among the leading streaming apps examined. The Meta-owned chat and call platform had a share of 52 percent of U.S. users engaging with the app daily, down from 58 percent in the same quarter in 2020. WhatsApp was the second most-used app, with 26 percent daily users share in the latest reported period, while daily active users on Discord experienced a modest increase between 2020 and 2021.

In 2023, 80 percent of the surveyed French population used instant messaging apps on their mobile phones, which represents an increase of over 14 percent from the 70 percent recorded in 2020. Overall, mobile messaging app usage has surged by more than 370 percent since 2014.

As of December 2024, there were over 22.4 million Facebook Messenger users in Morocco. Overall, 33.9 percent of users were people aged between 25 and 34 years, whilst 33 percent of users were aged between 18 to 24 years. Just 3.1 percent of users were aged 65 years and over. Furthermore, the instant messaging app was mostly used by men.

This statistic presents the results of a survey about the usage of instant messaging software in Taiwan as of August 2020. During the survey period, 90.7 percent of respondents in Taiwan aged 20 to 24 years said they used instant message software.

Comparing the share of instant messaging users in selected countries worldwide, the highest share can be found in Indonesia with 91 percent of consumers falling into this category. South Africa follows in the second place, while Japan ends up at the bottom of the ranking.Statista Consumer Insights offer you all results of our exclusive Statista surveys, based on more than 2,000,000 interviews.

This statistic presents the results of a survey about the usage of instant messaging software in Taiwan as of August 2020. During the survey period, more than 95 percent of female respondents in Taiwan said they used instant message software.

General Information

1. Title of Dataset

Dopek.eu (Polish clear web and dark web message board) messages data.

1. Data Collectors

Haitao Shi (The University of Edinburgh, UK); Leszek Świeca (Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland).

1. Funding Information

The dataset is part of the research supported by the Polish National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki) grant 2021/43/B/HS6/00710.

Project title: “Rhizomatic networks, circulation of meanings and contents, and offline contexts of online drug trade” (2022-2025; PLN 956 620; funding institution: Polish National Science Centre [NCN], call: OPUS 22; Principal Investigator: Piotr Siuda [Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland]).

Data Collection Context

1. Data Source

Clear web and dark web message board called dopek.eu (https://dopek.eu/).

1. Purpose

This dataset was developed within the abovementioned project. The project delves into internet dynamics within disruptive activities, specifically focusing on the online drug trade in Poland. It aims to (1) examine the utilization of the open internet, including social media, in the drug trade; (2) delineate the role of darknet environments in narcotics distribution; and (3) uncover the intricate flow of drug trade-related content and its meanings between the open web and the darknet, and how these meanings are shaped within the so-called drug subculture.

The dopek.eu forum emerges as a pivotal online space on the Polish internet, serving as a hub for trading, discussions, and the exchange of knowledge and experiences concerning the use of the so-called new psychoactive substances (designer drugs). The dataset has been instrumental in conducting analyses pertinent to the earlier project goals.

1. Collection Method

The dataset was compiled using the Scrapy framework, a web crawling and scraping library for Python. This tool facilitated systematic content extraction from the targeted message board.

1. Collection Date

The data was collected in October 2023.

Data Content

1. Data Description

The dataset comprises all messages posted on dopek.eu from its inception until October 2023. These messages include the initial posts that start each thread and the subsequent posts (replies) within those threads. A .txt file has been prepared detailing the structure of the message board folders from which the posts were extracted. The dataset includes 171,121 posts.

1. Data Cleaning, Processing, and Anonymization

The data has been cleaned and processed using regular expressions in Python. Additionally, all personal information was removed through regular expressions. The data has been hashed to exclude all identifiers related to instant messaging apps and email addresses. Furthermore, all usernames appearing in messages have been eliminated.

1. File Formats and Variables/Fields

The dataset consists of the following types of files:

Zipped .txt files (dopek.zip) containing all messages (posts).

A .csv file that lists all the messages, including file names and the content of each post.

Accessibility and Usage

1. Access Conditions

The data can be accessed without any restrictions.

1. Related Documentation

Attached are .txt files detailing the tree of folders for “dopek.zip”.

Ethical Considerations

1. Ethics Statement

A set of data handling policies aimed at ensuring safety and ethics has been outlined in the following paper:

Harviainen, J.T., Haasio, A., Ruokolainen, T., Hassan, L., Siuda, P., Hamari, J. (2021). Information Protection in Dark Web Drug Markets Research [in:] Proceedings of the 54th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2021, Grand Hyatt Kauai, Hawaii, USA, 4-8 January 2021, Maui, Hawaii, (ed.) Tung X. Bui, Honolulu, HI, pp. 4673-4680.

The primary safeguard was the early-stage hashing of usernames and identifiers from the posts, utilizing automated systems for irreversible hashing. Recognizing that scraping and automatic name removal might not catch all identifiers, the data underwent manual review to ensure compliance with research ethics and thorough anonymization.

In 2023, over eight out of 10 respondents in the European Union reported using online instant messaging services, such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or as online platforms Skype. Almost 96 percent of internet users in Türkiye reported using instant messengers, while only 71 percent of German users reported engaging with messaging services online.

In Portugal, in 2024, the age group between 35 and 44 years of age was the one with the highest share of internet users who send instant messages, at a rate of 98 percent. The figures decrease slightly with the progression of the years of age, but they remain high. Namely, the age group from 65 to 74 years of age presents the lowest share of instant messaging users, but it still counts with a share of 79 percent.

In 2024, 97 percent of individuals with higher education used instant messaging platforms, and 96 percent of those with upper secondary education did so too. The education level group with the lowest share of instant messaging users was the one of individuals with up to lower secondary education, with a still high share of 86 percent.