What’s up with WhatsApp is the usage numbers, with the messaging app reaching a record number of messages in a single day. Over a single period of 24 hours, WhatsApp has processed 27 billion messages, a massive step up from its previous best of 18 billion.
To be precise, the app has received 17 billion messages, while also sending 10 billion inbound messages from app users. The distinction is important, since group messages are counted as 1:10 for inbound:outbound, with more people receiving messages than sending.
With the app, users can send free text and multimedia messages to friends or groups. It works on multiple devices, including iOS, Android and Windows Phones, to name just a few. It has deals with operators worldwide, so that its services can be used by customers nearly everywhere and on any device.
What’s noteworthy about this, though, is the massive growth rate. This is a step up from its recent record, which was set at New Year’s Eve, when messaging tends to be at its highest. The fact that a single, non-noteworthy day in the year has managed to surpass that is telling for its usage, along with its user base of over 200 million active users each month.
With these numbers, WhatsApp has set itself streets ahead of its competitors. That said, it does charge its customers to use, but at 99 cents a year, it’s hardly worth noticing. Its competitors are attempting other methods of monetizing their services, though many would much rather spend less than a dollar each year than receive advertisements every time they try to use a messaging app.
If WhatsApp has any plans in store to take advantage of its massive userbase, I can’t say, since nothing has been announced. What we do know, however, is that the app has never been more popular, and it’s likely to keep growing in usage and popularity if it continues on at this rate. So yes, WhatsApp is indeed what’s up.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
QUICK LINKS 
