WhatsApp is a social media messaging application owned by Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). It allows users to send messages, photos, videos, voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share locations with individuals or groups. WhatsApp is available for smartphones and desktop computers.
Key Features of WhatsApp
Some key features of WhatsApp include:
Messaging
– Send text messages, photos, videos, documents, voice messages, contacts, and location to contacts
– Create groups with up to 256 participants to message
– See when contacts are typing, when messages are delivered, and when they’re read
Calling
– Make free voice and video calls to individuals or groups
– Call quality relies on your internet connection
– See when contacts are calling and messages if you miss a call
Groups
– Create groups for up to 256 participants
– Name groups, mute notifications, add/remove participants
– Send messages, photos, videos to the entire group
Security
– End-to-end encryption for calls and messages
– Set messages to delete automatically after 7 days
– Protect chats with Touch and Face ID
User Statistics
WhatsApp has over 2 billion monthly active users worldwide as of February 2020, making it the most popular messaging app globally. Some key WhatsApp user statistics:
– Over 100 billion messages sent daily
– 65 billion messages sent per day (2022 estimate)
– 1.6 billion monthly active users as of January 2022
– Available in over 180 countries, supports over 60 languages
– Most popular country is India with over 400 million users
| Year | Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.6 billion |
| 2021 | 1.5 billion |
| 2020 | 2 billion |
| 2018 | 1.5 billion |
History of WhatsApp
Here is a brief history of WhatsApp:
- Founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, former employees of Yahoo
- Initial name was “WhatsApp Inc.” App launched in November 2009
- App was first exclusive to iOS, released on Android in 2010
- Acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion
- Hit 1 billion monthly active users in 2016
- Added features like video calling, GIFs, location sharing over the years
- Surpassed SMS global usage in 2019
- Renamed to “WhatsApp from Facebook” in 2019, “WhatsApp” in 2021
Some key dates:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2009 | WhatsApp Inc. founded, app launched |
| 2010 | Android app released |
| 2014 | Acquired by Facebook for $19 billion |
| 2016 | Hit 1 billion monthly active users |
| 2019 | Surpassed SMS global usage |
How WhatsApp Works
WhatsApp works by using an internet connection on the user’s smartphone to send messages, make calls, share media and more. Here is a quick overview:
Contacts
– Users add contacts by allowing WhatsApp access to their phone’s contacts list
– Contacts who also have WhatsApp accounts will be linked automatically
– Only mutual contacts appear in WhatsApp contact list
Messaging
– Messages are sent over the internet (mobile data or WiFi)
– They are delivered almost instantly to recipients
– Media can also be shared like photos, videos, documents
End-to-End Encryption
– Messages and calls are secured with end-to-end encryption
– Only the sender and recipient can read messages, not even WhatsApp itself
– Provides enhanced privacy and security
Servers
– WhatsApp uses its own servers to route messages and handle requests
– Metadata like who messaged who and when is collected and stored
– But message contents are not stored due to end-to-end encryption
This allows WhatsApp to provide a fast, simple, secure messaging experience on smartphones globally.
Types of Social Media
There are various types and categories of social media platforms. WhatsApp can be classified primarily as:
Instant Messaging
– Enables real-time communication with individuals or groups
– Dominant features are instant messaging, group chats
– Other examples: Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Telegram, Signal
Social Networking
– Connects users with friends, family, interests to share and interact
– User profiles, timelines, feeds, messaging, groups, etc.
– Examples: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
WhatsApp has elements of both instant messaging and social networking:
– Instant messaging features for communication
– Social network for connecting contacts and groups
– But focus is more on messaging than public sharing
So in summary, WhatsApp is primarily an instant messaging social media application, with additional social networking capabilities. The core user experience is real-time communication through messaging, voice and video calls.
Conclusion
To conclude, WhatsApp is an instant messaging application owned by Meta Platforms. It has over 2 billion monthly active users globally, making it the most popular messaging app worldwide.
WhatsApp allows users to send text messages, make voice and video calls, and share photos, videos, documents, and location with individuals or groups. Key features include end-to-end encryption for security and privacy.
WhatsApp utilizes the internet and its own servers to provide a fast messaging experience on smartphones. It can be classified as an instant messaging social media app with elements of social networking due to group chats and connections. WhatsApp’s main focus is on convenient real-time communication rather than public sharing.