Messaging apps came as the solution to overcome the challenges people used to face with SMS.

You might have remembered-

• The limitation of 160 characters, 
• Messages to be sent or received per month,
• Uncertain delivery, 
• No acknowledgement, 
• Difficulty keeping track of conversations,
• And the extra charge for exceeding the text limit; 

Still, SMS used to be costly. 

WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and others came to the rescue from expensive SMS plans. Messaging apps are no longer used for one-on-one communications; it became a go-to platform for most individuals for personal and official lives to share various types of content and beyond that. Most probably, messaging apps are widely being used as marketing platforms. 

Messaging apps even surpassed social media platforms-Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Though social media platforms have many uses daily, people still spend maximum-time on messaging apps than social media platforms. 

“Messaging is one of the few things that people do more than social networking.”

  — Mark Zuckerberg.

Let’s look at some 2020 messaging apps statistics:

• Over 2.9 billion people are now using messenger and Whatsapp.
• Messaging apps are leading social networks in the number of active users by 20%.
• Forty-one million messages are sent out every minute using messaging apps.
• Over 2.52 billion people use messaging apps on their mobiles. And it may reach 3 billion in 2022.

Let’s through light on-

Why Do Messaging Apps Gain Popularity?

When we see the number of active users in India, Whatsapp stands in the first position and Facebook messenger at the fourth position, as shown in the table below.

Let’s look at some stats of Whatsapp that depicts its popularity:

• WhatsApp was downloaded 96 million times in Feb 2020.
• WhatsApp is available in over 180 countries and 60 different languages. 
• Moreover, India is a huge market for WhatsApp, with 340 million users.
• More than 65 billion messages are sent through Whatsapp every day.
• Over 5 million businesses using WhatsApp business. 
• Half a billion WhatsApp users use the WhatsApp status feature every day.

Other powers of messaging apps that make them so popular are:

• Messaging apps are not limited to just chatting; many social media platforms are integrated with messaging apps that boost user experience. 
• Discovery and re-engagement help to expand and re-engage the audience. 
• Payments feature that allows users to send or receive money while interacting with brands or chatting with individuals. E.g., Whatsapp Payment feature.
• Assisting businesses to engage with their customers better. For example,- Appointment bookings, Providing feedback, Making purchases, Taking surveys, and Various other customer support services.

Let’s Know the Best Messaging Apps here-

When we say- ”Messenger apps help the brands to take their next level,” what does it mean?  

Typically, it means-messaging apps provide all such features in a single app, such as video & audio calls, payments, interacting with brands, chatting with friends and family, tracking order status, shopping, booking appointments, and many others. It helps brands and individuals to connect and resolve issues easily while interacting.

Let’s have a glance at some of the top messaging apps here-

Whatsapp: Widely Used App Worldwide

Whatsapp is used in almost all countries. The number of active users on WhatsApp makes it more useful to connect with people worldwide for personal or official reasons easily.

Let’s list out some of Whatsapp features here:

• You can connect with WhatsApp on any device (mobile, desktop, or laptop) on any operating system(Android, iOS, Windows, or Mac). 
• Voice & video calling and instant messaging are free on Whatsapp. 
• Even you can add frequently contacting people as a shortcut on your mobile screen for quick access. 
• You can connect with many people using the broadcast feature and simultaneously send messages to 256 people.
• You have the option to mute group chats for eight hours, week, or year. And many more.

Facebook Messenger: Widely Used App by Americans

Facebook messenger is the second biggest messenger app when we talk about monthly active users. Americans are widely using it, with 105 million users. It’s a free app; you can connect with anyone who has a Facebook account and messenger app installed on their smartphones or desktop. 

Let’s list out some of Messaging apps features here:

• Messenger can also allow you to do voice & video calls.
• You can use Facebook messenger on a desktop or smartphones on any operating system.
• Using Facebook’s code scanning feature, you can add other messenger users by scanning their unique codes.
• You can share your live location with contact.
• You can adjust Emojis sizes.
• Facebook Messenger app uses very little data on Android.

Snapchat- Full of Fun Filters

Snapchat is the most loved messenger app for android and iOS users. It has unique features that allow the users to send multimedia ‘snaps’ stored for a particular time before they vanish forever.

Let’s list out some of Snapchat features here-

• You can use this app for voice or video calling or sending snaps to individuals or in groups.
• It’s the first app to introduce augmented reality filters to set over images you send. Snapchat updates its filters daily; For example, the filters will make you look like a bride or dog or younger than your age, attach flowers, snow, or other backgrounds.
• The sponsored lens has proven to be an excellent feature for marketing primarily to engage younger audiences.
• Snapchat AR Lenses: It’s a premium feature, which is interactive and Snapchat users can use it to create their Snaps.
• You can send personalized Bitmoji avatars along with your multimedia messages. 
• You can share your status on Snapchat stories with your friends, family, or customers. This feature takes a collection of snaps that will cover your last 24 hours.

Telegram- Add-Free Messenger App

Though it’s not that famous like WhatsApp and Facebook, it still holds 200 million users worldwide, and it’s widely used in Iran and Uzbekistan.

Like other above- mentioned messaging apps, Telegram also permits you to voice & video calls and instant text messages worldwide. Though it claims to be secure apps, only it secures the “Secret Chat” function using end-to-end encryption. And remaining functions follow other security measures.

Let’s list out some of Telegram features here-

• It’s primarily helpful for brands or individuals who want to create massive groups of up to 200,000 members, better than other apps.
• Telegram won’t display any ads on its platform, and it claims it remains ad-free in the future.
• It supports almost every platform; it has a native app for most platforms.

What Makes Messaging Apps So Popular?

Messaging apps are a critical part of an individual life. People spend most of their free time calling or texting their networks. 

Here we have jotted down some points that depict what makes messaging apps so popular. All the messenger apps support everything listed below in one or another way:

Audio-Support

International calls are something costly via regular calls; messaging apps came to the rescue. In almost all messaging apps, you can make voice calls for free with decent clarity. However, you need to spend some data to use this service. 

Video Calls Makes It Easy

Obviously, the touch you miss in voice calls can get you in video calls. After Skype, many messenger apps introduced this video calling feature. It helps people to connect with friends, families, and also for official purposes. 

Non-Intrusive

If you want to take suggestions from your spouse, friends, family, or others. You can just message them for quick opinions instead of calling them; it’s a time-consuming process. Also, it’s easier to reply to a message most of the time than to respond to a call.

File Transfer

To explain, almost all messaging apps hold features that allow you to send or receive multimedia files from others. However, the size constraints vary from one app to another. 

Backup

Messaging apps automatically back-up and save them daily on your phone storage. Based on your phone settings, you can also back-up your chats to Google Drive. 

With all these features and beyond that, it makes the people get attracted towards it. 

What is the Future for Messaging Apps?

Messaging apps are simply adding excellent value to individuals and brands. Most messaging apps come with so many unique features that can help the brands boost their customer satisyes

faction rate. 

Moreover, messaging apps integrated with social media platforms are an added advantage for brands to improve their sales. 

Certainly, chatbots are the most likely solutions brands came up with to enhance their customer satisfaction value. Instant replies for customer queries that too round the clock.

If you’re also eager to know more about the integration of messaging apps and chatbots. Reach to us. Our SmatBot team is glad to help you.