WhatsApp Reaches 100 Million Monthly Users in the United States

WhatsApp this week reached a significant milestone of 100 million monthly active users in the United States, a market traditionally dominated by other messaging services such as SMS and iMessage.

Whatsapp Feature
The achievement, announced in an official blog post, indicates a potential shift in the American messaging landscape, where WhatsApp has steadily gained ground despite the longstanding popularity of Apple's iMessage. The Meta-owned messaging app is extremely popular in Europe owing to its cross-platform compatibility.

In recent years Meta invested heavily in U.S. marketing campaigns, including high-visibility ad placements in Times Square and television spots emphasizing privacy and end-to-end encryption. A recent campaign featured the cast of the TV show "Modern Family" highlighting WhatsApp's cross-platform capabilities.

The milestone of 100 million users is particularly impressive given the competition from iMessage, which has been the preferred messaging service for many iPhone users due to its default, seamless integration with Apple's ecosystem. However, WhatsApp's ability to offer a unified messaging experience across different devices apparently resonates with a significant portion of the American population, especially in major cities like Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Seattle.

WhatsApp's milestone comes at a time when the ‌iPhone‌'s messaging landscape is poised for further changes. Apple is set to introduce Rich Communication Services (RCS) in iOS 18 later this year, a move that should significantly enhance the functionality of messages sent between iPhones and Android devices. RCS offers features like high-quality media sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators, which could potentially reduce the need for third-party apps like WhatsApp for advanced messaging capabilities. However, it is notable that ‌RCS‌ does not offer end-to-end encryption – a key WhatsApp feature.

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Top Rated Comments

jz0309 Avatar
10 months ago

I don't trust Meta, and have little doubts they'll use the meta data.
But I, kind of, do trust their E2E encryption.


Communicating by WhatsApp is certainly not the equivalent of posting "all your personal info online".
I’m just going to leave this screenshot for you


Attachment Image
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
10 months ago
Active users?
Even if it were to become dominant here I. The US, I ain’t using anything Meta, might as well publish all your personal info online
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
10 months ago

WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted.
so are other services, and you trust Meta? that's fine, I don't
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WannaGoMac Avatar
10 months ago

WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted.
Big deal. Not the Meta data.

This is a product that people upload their entire contacts list to Meta (so the company then maps who knows whom), it also sees all the notes you may entered about a contact, and allows the Meta to know who you’re contacting and how often.

So while it’s nice they encrypt the actual chat, they know everything else about that chat. How long it is. How often it is. The location of each chat. The mapping of your entire network of friends because have to open your contacts list to have the names inserted.

It’s a shame such a product has become a standard around the world. It’s a shame signal can’t takeoff.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cbns Avatar
10 months ago
imagine having all your communication run through Facebook.

to quote the Zuck "They just 'trust' me. Dumb ****s"
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HJM.NL Avatar
10 months ago
In Europe WhatsApp is the standard. Have to use it to communicate with colleagues and friends. iMessage nobody uses here because of incompatibility.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)