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 January 2025, Meta-owned chat and communication app WhatsApp was the most downloaded mobile messenger app worldwide, with over 57 million downloads. Mobile social and communication app Snapchat ranked second with approximately 30 million downloads, while Telegram ranked third with approximately 27.6 million download worldwide.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2025 among mobile messenger users, ** percent of surveyed mobile messenger users stated that they use KakaoTalk. It was by far the most used messenger service in South Korea. KakaoTalk’s massive user base In South Korea, almost every person with access to the internet and a suitable device is using KakaoTalk. In 2025, domestic user numbers amounted to over ** million active users. Over the years, user numbers have only increased, with only one major fluctuation being recorded in 2018. The popularity of the messenger app has also stretched to other countries. Including its domestic users, KakaoTalk’s user base breached the 50-million mark back in 2018. What other Kakao Corp. services are commonly used?  Kakao Corporation, the internet-based company running KakaoTalk, offers numerous services. Many of these can be accessed via the messenger app itself and include services related to navigation, transportation, entertainment, and finances. In fact, the mobile banking service Kakao Bank attracted millions of users by the end of 2024 despite being only established as a digital bank in 2017.

A 2023 survey found that most Generation Z in Indonesia frequently used WhatsApp, as stated by over ** percent of respondents. Furthermore, about ***** percent of survey participants were Discord users.

According to an online survey conducted in March 2024 in the United States, ************************* was the most used messaging service across all selected age groups, with more than ** percent of respondents aged between 18 and 54 using the platform, as well as ** percent of those aged 55 and older. ********* was the second most popular platform among respondents aged between 18 and 34 years, with more than **** of all respondents belonging to this age group using the service.

We asked UK consumers about "Most used messenger by brand" and found that ********** takes the top spot, while ******* is at the other end of the ranking.These results are based on a representative online survey conducted in 2025 among 5,457 consumers in the UK.

As of the third quarter of 2024, more than 70 percent of internet users in France were using Facebook. WhatsApp was the second most popular messaging platform, with a 66.6 percent usage reach. Additionally, 60.7 percent of French online audiences used Instagram as of the examined period.

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

As of September 2019, Facebook Messenger was the most popular mobile messenger app in the United States with 106.4 million unique U.S. users. Snapchat ranked second with an audience of almost 45.98 million users. As of that period, Facebook Messenger had a 57 percent mobile audience reach in the United States. Mobile messaging Mobile communications through messenger or chat apps is one of the leading online activities. The most-downloaded communication apps in the United States include WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger (and its less data-intense version, Messenger Lite) and Telegram. In March 2019, WhatsApp had over 70 million global downloads from the Google Play Store. During a November 2018 survey, it was found that 34 percent of U.S. adults had used one messaging service in the past month, and only four percent had used six services or more. Snapchat Snapchat is also one of the leading mobile messaging apps in the United States. The app, which focuses on multimedia messaging with photos and short video clips, is especially popular with teenage audiences. In spring 2019, it was found that Snapchat was the most important social network for 41 percent of U.S. teens. In 2018, there were almost 80 million Snapchat users in the United States and this figure is projected to increase to 78.1 million users in 2023.

WhatsApp was the leading actively used messenger service in Germany in 2021. Almost 84 percent of users confirmed this. While WhatsApp is foremost a messaging service, certain features indicate similarities with social media networks, as sharing and posting between users still occurs, just not necessarily on a publicly accessible website. Delivering the message For most of the population, modern life is unimaginable without messenger apps. Texting has become much more varied as a form of communication thanks to extended file and content sharing options within messages. There is no doubt that WhatsApp is a popular messaging app in Germany. In 2023, almost 85 percent of people were messaging on WhatsApp every day. By 2025, it is estimated that over 53 million people will be using WhatsApp in Germany, suggesting it's popularity as a messaging app will not diminish with time. Personal data While Facebook is extremely popular in many different countries, long-term questions and concerns from users continue to arise, with personal data security being one of the leading topics of discussion. In general, the there have been many breaches of personal data online. At the same time, social media continues to enjoy rising popularity and use among the German population, both in a private and professional context.

We asked Polish consumers about "Most used messenger by brand" and found that ******************** takes the top spot, while ******** is at the other end of the ranking.These results are based on a representative online survey conducted in 2025 among 2,018 consumers in Poland.

In France, ** percent of the respondents used Facebook for any purposes and ** percent declared using Facebook for the purpose of getting news as of 2023. YouTube and Instagram came in second and third positions when it comes to news with ** and ** percent respectively that same year.

According to a January 2025 study, over ** percent of the smartphone users surveyed in Brazil claimed to use WhatsApp to exchange text messages. Meanwhile, ** percent of respondents claimed to use Instagram over its Direct channel for the same purpose. Overall, WhatsApp remains the most used messenger in the country, as ** percent of respondents claimed to use it for exchanging images and another ** percent to exchange voice messages.

88 percent of Chilean respondents answer our survey on "Most used social media platforms by type" with "Instant messengers (e.g., WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat)". The survey was conducted in 2023, among 2,096 consumers.Access millions of exclusive survey results with Statista Consumer Insights.

How many people use social media?

              Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities. In 2024, over five billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to over six billion in 2028.

              Who uses social media?
              Social networking is one of the most popular digital activities worldwide and it is no surprise that social networking penetration across all regions is constantly increasing. As of January 2023, the global social media usage rate stood at 59 percent. This figure is anticipated to grow as lesser developed digital markets catch up with other regions
              when it comes to infrastructure development and the availability of cheap mobile devices. In fact, most of social media’s global growth is driven by the increasing usage of mobile devices. Mobile-first market Eastern Asia topped the global ranking of mobile social networking penetration, followed by established digital powerhouses such as the Americas and Northern Europe.

              How much time do people spend on social media?
              Social media is an integral part of daily internet usage. On average, internet users spend 151 minutes per day on social media and messaging apps, an increase of 40 minutes since 2015. On average, internet users in Latin America had the highest average time spent per day on social media.

              What are the most popular social media platforms?
              Market leader Facebook was the first social network to surpass one billion registered accounts and currently boasts approximately 2.9 billion monthly active users, making it the most popular social network worldwide. In June 2023, the top social media apps in the Apple App Store included mobile messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram Messenger, as well as the ever-popular app version of Facebook.

We asked Mexican consumers about "Most used messenger by brand" and found that "WhatsApp" takes the top spot, while "Signal" is at the other end of the ranking.These results are based on a representative online survey conducted in 2025 among ***** consumers in Mexico.

How many people use social media? Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities. In 2024, over **** ******* people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to over *** billion in 2029. Who uses social media? Social networking is one of the most popular digital activities worldwide and it is no surprise that social networking penetration across all regions is constantly increasing. As of January 2023, the global social media usage rate stood at ** percent. This figure is anticipated to grow as lesser developed digital markets catch up with other regions when it comes to infrastructure development and the availability of cheap mobile devices. In fact, most of social media’s global growth is driven by the increasing usage of mobile devices. Mobile-first market Eastern Asia topped the global ranking of mobile social networking penetration, followed by established digital powerhouses such as the Americas and Northern Europe. How much time do people spend on social media? Social media is an integral part of daily internet usage. On average, internet users spend *** minutes per day on social media and messaging apps, an increase of ** minutes since 2015. On average, internet users in Latin America had the highest average time spent per day on social media. What are the most popular social media platforms? Market leader Facebook was the first social network to surpass *** billion registered accounts and currently boasts approximately *** billion monthly active users, making it the most popular social network worldwide. In June 2023, the top social media apps in the Apple App Store included mobile messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram Messenger, as well as the ever-popular app version of Facebook.

We asked Canadian consumers about "Most used messenger by brand" and found that ******************** takes the top spot, while ******* is at the other end of the ranking.These results are based on a representative online survey conducted in 2025 among 2,732 consumers in Canada.

We asked Australian consumers about "Most used messenger by brand" and found that ******************** takes the top spot, while ******* is at the other end of the ranking.These results are based on a representative online survey conducted in 2025 among 2,754 consumers in Australia.

Approximately ** percent of smartphone owners surveyed in Brazil in February 2025 said they had WhatsApp installed on their mobile devices. Instagram and Facebook Messenger ranked second and third, as ** percent and ** percent of respondents claimed to have the two Meta's applications on their devices. Meanwhile, ** percent of interviewees claimed to have Telegram on their phones, up from ** percent on the previous year. Furthermore, ** percent of smartphone users in that South American country stated that they had the Signal app on their devices. ‘Zapzap’ as a lifestyle The use of WhatsApp in Brazil – where the app is often nicknamed ‘zapzap’ – spans beyond the realm of texting. Whereas the share of Brazilian smartphone owners who send SMS text messages declined, most WhatsApp users utilized the app to exchange text and voice messages, besides images. It also serves as a sales channel for small and medium-sized enterprises. WhatsApp’s competition gets tighter This app kept a stable penetration rate in Brazil in the past few years, but Telegram and Signal are trending up. Still, competitors of WhatsApp have a long way to go: only ** percent of Telegram users surveyed in Brazil in 2025 said they used the app daily or almost daily, despite the rate of respondents that stated never or almost never using it coming down to *** percent.