WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users as of February 2020. One of the key features of WhatsApp is the ability to make voice and video calls over the internet. But just how many calls are made on WhatsApp on a daily basis?
Key Statistics on WhatsApp Usage
Here are some key stats on WhatsApp usage:
- Over 2 billion monthly active users worldwide (as of February 2020)
- Over 100 billion messages sent daily
- 65 billion messages sent on New Year’s Eve 2019
- 1.6 billion photos shared daily
- Over 250 million users in India, WhatsApp’s biggest market
WhatsApp is clearly one of the most widely used mobile apps globally. But how much is it used for calling compared to messaging?
WhatsApp Calling Usage
WhatsApp first introduced voice calling in 2015 and later added video calling functionality. While calls are an important part of WhatsApp, messaging still makes up the vast majority of activity.
Here are some statistics on WhatsApp calling usage:
- Over 1 billion calls are made on WhatsApp per day
- An average of over 1,100 WhatsApp video calls are made every second
- WhatsApp users spend over 2 billion minutes on calls per day
- During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, WhatsApp calling increased significantly, with video calls doubling
So while WhatsApp calls account for a fraction of overall usage compared to messaging, still over 1 billion calls are made daily. WhatsApp calling has seen particularly strong growth in recent years.
WhatsApp Call Usage by Country
WhatsApp usage and calling patterns vary significantly by country. Here’s a look at WhatsApp call data for some key markets:
India
- 100 million WhatsApp video calls per day
- Average WhatsApp video call lasts about 5 minutes
- Video calls grew 5 times from March to October 2020 amid COVID-19 pandemic
Brazil
- 500 million WhatsApp calls per day in 2016
- WhatsApp accounts for 40% of Brazilian long distance calls
Mexico
- 325 million WhatsApp calls per day
- WhatsApp call usage grew 500% from 2015-2017
WhatsApp calling has seen massive growth in emerging markets like India, Brazil and Mexico where smartphone adoption continues to increase.
| Country | WhatsApp Users | WhatsApp Call Data |
|---|---|---|
| India | 400 million | 100 million video calls per day |
| Brazil | 120 million | 500 million calls per day (2016) |
| Mexico | 80 million | 325 million calls per day |
Factors Driving WhatsApp Call Usage
What are some of the key factors that have driven growth in WhatsApp calling over the past few years?
Increased Smartphone Penetration
As smartphone ownership has increased globally, particularly in emerging markets, more people have access to WhatsApp and internet connectivity required for calling.
Reduced Data Costs
Declining data costs due to increased competition and connectivity have made WhatsApp calling more affordable and accessible worldwide.
Call Quality
WhatsApp has focused on improving call quality and reliability as more users embrace it as a free alternative to traditional calling.
COVID-19 pandemic
WhatsApp calling and video calling saw dramatic increases during 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns as people looked for ways to stay connected.
WhatsApp Features to Support Calling
WhatsApp has released a number of features over the years aimed at making the calling experience better:
VoIP Technology
WhatsApp leverages VoIP technology to enable high quality calls over the internet.
End-to-end encryption
Calls are secured with end-to-end encryption to protect user privacy.
Low data usage
WhatsApp works to minimize data consumption for calls.
Group calls
Group voice and video calling for up to 8 participants.
Call waiting and merging
Ability to put calls on hold and merge ongoing calls.
Picture-in-picture
Allows video calls to continue while multitasking on Android.
Comparison of WhatsApp Calling to Telecom Calling
How does the total volume of WhatsApp calling compare to traditional mobile and landline telecom calling?
Global Telecom Market
- Over 1 trillion minutes of telecom calls made globally in 2019
- Mobile calls account for over 85% of total call minutes
- North America generates over 250 billion mobile call minutes yearly
Comparison
While WhatsApp handles over 2 billion call minutes per day, traditional telecom operators still handle vastly more call traffic globally. WhatsApp calling has grown rapidly but still represents a fraction of global telecom calls.
Future of WhatsApp Calling
WhatsApp calling has seen tremendous growth since its inception in 2015. Here is what we may see going forward:
Increased adoption in developing markets
As smartphone penetration increases in Asia, Africa and Latin America, expect WhatsApp calling to continue growing, especially video calls.
Integration with businesses
WhatsApp Business API and new features may allow businesses to communicate with customers via calls.
Competition from other apps
Apps like FaceTime, Google Duo and Telegram pose competition, but WhatsApp’s enormous user base provides an advantage.
Landline displacement
WhatsApp voice calling could accelerate displacement of traditional landlines in many countries.
Conclusion
While WhatsApp calling remains a relatively small percentage of global voice minutes compared to telecom operators, it has already exceeded 1 billion calls per day and continues seeing rapid user adoption. WhatsApp calling is on pace to become one of the most widely used calling platforms globally, especially as smartphone penetration increases in developing world markets. Going forward, expect WhatsApp to focus on improving call quality, expanding video calling features and integrating calling into business accounts to cement its position as a free and convenient way to stay connected around the world.