WhatsApp Reaches 100 Million Active Users In The U.S.

Meta’s instant messaging app WhatsApp has reached 100 million monthly active users in the United States. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, announced it yesterday on his WhatsApp channel.

According to TechCrunch, this is the first time the company shared data about users in the U.S. Whatsapp also mentioned that 50% of American users have iPhones. The milestone is significant as many smartphone owners rely on basic SMS systems—integrated with iMessage on iPhones.

Meta has been portraying WhatsApp as a communication solution between Android and iPhone users, investing in big marketing campaigns addressed to users in the U.S. One of its newest commercials went viral last month as it featured part of the cast from the popular show Modern Family. “If your group has different phones, just use WhatsApp. It’s seamless and private,” says the painter in the commercial.

‘Modern Family’ cast reunites for a WhatsApp commercial.

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— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 18, 2024

WhatsApp’s largest user base is in India where the platform has 500 million active users, followed by Brazil—where Meta recently withdrew generative AI services—and Indonesia.

According to The Verge, WhatsApp also announced that the fastest-growing U.S. locations are Miami, New York, and Los Angeles. The company also emphasized that southern cities have embraced the platform as well and that there are over 10 million active users in Texas.

“The biggest messaging app in the world, has experienced tremendous growth in the U.S.,” said WhatsApp spokesperson Ashley O’Reilly in the press release, as reported by The Verge.

Meta bought WhatsApp in 2014 for $16 billion and has invested in making it popular in the U.S. and the world. The messaging platform currently has 2 billion users across 180 countries

Last month, Meta introduced new WhatsApp tools for businesses, such as targeted ads, and just a few days ago the platform announced a new AI-powered feature to create personalized avatars.