Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on his channel on Thursday that WhatsApp has surpassed 100 million monthly active users in the US, where SMS/text is a common form of communication.
This is the first time WhatsApp has released data about its U.S. users. The company also noted that more than 50% of WhatsApp users own an iPhone, which isn't surprising given that iOS holds the lion's share of the market in the U.S.
WhatsApp is a popular app around the world with over 2 billion monthly active users. The company has so far focused on countries such as India, which has WhatsApp's largest user base with over 500 million monthly active users, as well as Brazil and Indonesia.
WhatsApp has recently stepped up its marketing efforts in the U.S. Over the past few years, it has made several appearances in Times Square and other locations. TV Spot It emphasizes privacy and end-to-end encryption protection, and recently brought back some of the cast of the TV show “Modern Family” to launch a national campaign for WhatsApp.
Like Google, Meta's marketing has emphasized the difference between green and blue bubble devices created by Apple's iMessage. But now that Apple has adopted Rich Messaging Service (RCS), Android users can send and receive high-quality media files and have the option to see typing indicators and read receipts. But messages will remain green, according to screenshots on Apple's website.
However, Meta continues to promote its cross-platform app by highlighting other features such as polls, high-quality video calling, reactions, etc. The company is rounding off the announcement with another marketing campaign, installing a 200-foot bubble between the Apple and Samsung stores at the Americana Mall in Los Angeles.