Data pick of the day: WeChat tops the list of messaging apps
With WhatsApp and Snapchat continuing to make the headlines each week, Global Web Index takes a look at the relative popularity of mobile messaging apps.
Overall, the dominance of WeChat is clear; around 35 per cent of the global mobile audience aged 16-64 are using it each month, putting it 10 per cent ahead of Facebook’s two messaging services. However, China plays a large role in this; over 80 per cent of the country’s mobile users engage with WeChat each month, giving it a vast national following.
If the trends across the rest of GWI’s 31 markets are observed, a different picture emerges. With China out of the equation, WhatsApp moves to first position on 39 per cent, having overtaken Facebook’s own Messenger service during Q2 (which is now used by 38 per cent).
It’s also worth noting that – despite rarely being out of the news – Snapchat is a relatively minor force globally. Even though up to 50 per cent of teens in markets such as the UK and Canada are Snapchatters, only 5 per cent of the global mobile audience use it each month.
