31+ Top Facebook Messenger Statistics For 2024
How popular is Facebook Messenger? And how many messages are sent using Facebook’s messaging platform?
In this post, we’re breaking down all of the Facebook Messenger statistics you need to know.
Editor’s picks
- 20 billion messages are sent between Messenger users monthly. (Social Media Today)
- Facebook Messenger marketing delivers 10-80x better engagement. (Search Engine Journal)
- Messenger allows you to watch virtual concerts. (FB Messenger News)
Facebook Messenger usage statistics
Most people fail to appreciate the sheer volume of messages that are sent daily through Messenger. There are literally billions of messages sent in a month. And Messenger is one of the most-used social platforms.
These statistics will remove any doubt you may have about the popularity of Facebook Messenger worldwide.
20 billion messages are sent between Messenger users monthly.
Facebook (via Social Media Today) stated that as of 2019, there are 20 billion messages sent between people and businesses every month. It further commented that at the time, it had 300,000 active Messenger bots on the platform.
In the same period, it was the second-most popular iOS app of all time. It came in just behind the main Facebook app.
Source: Social Media Today
Messenger ranks 4th in the list of most-used social platforms globally.
According to the Digital 2021 Global Overview Report, Facebook Messenger is the fourth most-used social platform in the world with 1.3 billion users.
At the top of the list is Facebook (2.740 billion) followed by YouTube (2.291 billion) and WhatsApp (2 billion).
Source: Digital 2021 Global Overview Report
Messenger might have 138.1 million users in the US by 2022.
Statista predicts that Facebook Messenger users in the United States will grow to 138.1 million by 2022.
Statista’s data also shows how Facebook Messenger has steadily increased its user base throughout the years. Back in 2018, it had 126.3 million US-based users. That number steadily climbed higher as the years went on.
Source: Statista
Facebook Messenger is the 2nd most downloaded app in the last decade.
Facebook Messenger is the 2nd most downloaded app from 2010 to 2019 collectively. In first place is the main Facebook app itself.
Communication and social media apps were consumer favorites as they account for 7 of the top 10 entries.
Source: App Annie
India has over 112 million Messenger users.
As of 2019, India has over 112 million Facebook Messenger users. This accounts for 8% of its entire population.
The majority of Messenger users in India are men at 78.1%. There are only 21.9% female Messenger users in the country. Most users are aged 25 to 34.
Source: NapoleonCat
Facebook Messenger business statistics
Messaging apps like Facebook Messenger are changing the way people interact with one another. The days of relying on traditional texting are over.
Even businesses are realizing the potential that Facebook Messenger has to bring in new customers. And with the release of new features, it’s bound to only grow stronger over time.
Here are some facts and statistics on how you can use Messenger for business.
People are moving away from traditional text messaging.
According to Insider, US adults will spend an average of 24 minutes per day using mobile messaging apps like Facebook Messenger in 2020. This is up from 2019’s number by 4 minutes.
While this could be partly due to the pandemic, the switch is becoming the new trend as people move away from traditional text messaging. People are looking for alternative ways to stay in touch with loved ones.
It also helps that messaging apps have other capabilities such as the ability to share videos, GIFs, and memes. You can also quickly add more people to the conversation like you would in a conference call.
Source: Insider
Facebook Messenger marketing delivers 10-80x better engagement.
Facebook Messenger marketing can deliver 10x to 80x better engagement versus email or social media marketing.
When you use email marketing, you’ll get an open rate of about 5% to 10%. Social media post reach is even lower at 0% to 1% because social media sites have aggressive spam filters in place.
However, Facebook Messenger gets open rates of 70% to 80% within the first hour.
Source: Search Engine Journal
Messenger is improving emojis on the platform.
Facebook Messenger says that people send more than 2.4 billion messages with emojis using the platform every day. That’s why Messenger is improving its emojis features.
For instance, it’ll be easier now to find the exact emoji you need using a search bar. There’s also a recently used emojis section where you’ll find your favorites.
There’s also the introduction of soundmojis which are emojis that play sounds on Messenger like TV show quotes or song snippets.
Source: TechCrunch
Messenger competes with Zoom with the launch of Rooms.
Messenger’s release of the Rooms feature was done in direct response to the rise of Zoom. Messenger Rooms allows up to 50 users to participate in a group call with no time limit.
What’s even more amazing is that a user doesn’t need to have a Facebook account to join, making it accessible to everyone. And users are able to join from their phones or computers without having to download anything.
The goal of Messenger Rooms is to eventually work with Instagram Direct, WhatsApp, and Portal.
Source: Venture Beat
Messenger should be part of your marketing tools.
Inc released an article that explains why Messenger is bigger than Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram combined. It says Messenger can reach customers at scale in the same way email marketing and newsletter do.
Also, Messenger marketing can utilize automation software or chatbot builders to send push notifications and targeted conversations to over a billion people.’
It also adds that Messenger marketing can yield over 80% open rates which makes it more effective than email marketing.
Source: Inc
Facebook Messenger app statistics
The Facebook Messenger app itself has gone through a lot of changes. It’s now more efficient than ever before. And it’s been able to set records left and right.
Here are some statistics about the Messenger app that’ll make you appreciate just how far it’s come.
An hour-long Messenger video call consumes 260 MB on average.
If you use Messenger to call someone for an hour, you’ll likely consume around 260 MB of data according to Apps2Data. So even if you’re not connected to Wi-Fi, you’re still not using as much mobile data.
iOS users will be happy to know that as long as you’re using the latest version, Facetime should only consume 130 to 180 MB per hour. In comparison, an hour-long WhatsApp video call will consume 300 MB according to the same source.
Source: Apps2Data
Messenger and WhatsApp set records on New Year’s Eve.
WhatsApp and the Messenger app set records as users welcomed 2021. WhatsApp recorded 1.4 billion voice and video calls on Dec 31, 2020 — that’s the most ever in a single day on the app.
Messenger, for its part, saw twice as many New Year’s Eve group video chats during an average day.
According to Caitlin Banfors, a technical program manager at Facebook, New Year’s Eve generated Facebook’s biggest spikes in messaging, photo uploads, and social sharing at midnight across the world.
Source: PCMag
60% of Instagram users linked up to the Messenger app.
According to a Facebook executive, 60% of Instagram users have linked up to Messenger. This is primarily due to the interoperability between the two apps.
That means 60% of Instagram users now have the ability to exchange messages with their contacts on Messenger. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously said that he wants to remove friction points that prevent people from exchanging messages across their social platforms.
Facebook’s research shows that 70% of Americans use three or more messaging apps. And it’s getting harder for users to remember where certain conversation threads are. That’s why the company is building out cross-app communication.
Source: CNBC
The Messenger app crossed the 5 billion mark on Google Play Store.
Facebook Messenger managed to cross the 5 billion downloads mark on Google Play Store. This is after the main Facebook app and WhatsApp hit the same mark in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
It’s become the 14th app overall to get the achievement. Other apps included in the list include Google Play, YouTube, Google Maps, and Gmail.
Source: First Post
Facebook Messenger competitor statistics
As previously mentioned, Messenger isn’t the only communication app in the game. So let’s use this opportunity to see what other messaging options are out there and how they stack up against Facebook Messenger.
WhatsApp is the most popular mobile messenger app.
As of July 2021, WhatsApp became the most popular global mobile messenger app based on monthly active users.
WhatsApp has 2 billion users accessing the app monthly. Facebook Messenger, on the other hand, only has 1.3 billion monthly active users.
Other social messaging apps on the list include WeChat (1.242 billion), QQ (606 million), Telegram (550 million), and Snapchat (514 million).
Source: Statista
More people downloaded TikTok than Messenger in 2019.
When it comes to apps, TikTok had a better year than Messenger did worldwide in 2019. The only app that did better than TikTok was WhatsApp.
WhatsApp has over 850 million downloads thanks to its popularity in India.
Source: CNET
Zoom is no longer the only video calling platform of choice.
To compete with Zoom, Messenger released a feature called Rooms which allows up to 50 participants to join a conversation. But that’s not the only cool thing about Messenger now. Users can finally live stream their Rooms sessions on Facebook.
This does not only make Messenger a competitor of Zoom but of Houseparty as well. Houseparty is an app that’s similar to Messenger Rooms but can only accommodate 8 users at a time.
Source: TechCrunch
There are at least 58,496 companies using Zoom.
According to Enlyft, there are 58,496 companies that use Zoom. Most of these companies are based in the United States and are in the computer software industry.
Zoom is used by companies with 10 to 50 employees and whose revenues are in the $1M to $10M range.
Source: Enlyft
Signal’s user base is steadily going up.
One of Messenger’s main competitors, Signal, has seen its user base grow in the last couple of years. In December 2019, it only had 500,000 users. But as of July 2020, it rose to 3.5 million.
Come December 2020, its users exploded to 20 million. And just one month after that, Signal had 40 million users.
Source: Business of Apps
Telegram has 100 million monthly active users.
According to Telegram, it has 100 million monthly active users as of January 2016. It further adds that there are 350,000 new users signing up each day. This translates to 15 billion messages sent daily.
Source: Telegram
Telegram now allows video calls with up to 1,000 viewers.
Telegram’s Group Video Calls 2.0 will now allow up to 1,000 people to view a group call. Other notable improvements include the addition of 1-on-1 screen sharing with sound and the ability to auto-delete messages after a day, a week, or a month.
Source: Telegram
Facebook Messenger technology statistics and facts
There’s a long list of features that Facebook added to Messenger over the years. And what’s great about it is that the company is still coming out with features to this day. New technology will be the key to keeping up with the competition and improving the overall user experience.
This section will give you a better idea of what Facebook is doing with Messenger to keep up with the times.
Facebook Messenger launched a chatbot to fight Covid-19 misinformation.
The World Health Organization launched a Facebook Messenger version of its WHO Health Alert Platform to fight the misinformation being spread about Covid-19. The chatbot can be used in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish.
Users only need to go to the WHO’s official Facebook page and select Send Message to communicate.
Regions that were hit hardest by the pandemic saw increased use of more than 50% across Facebook’s family of apps.
Source: World Health Organization
Messenger allows you to watch virtual concerts.
Facebook Inc. lets you watch virtual concerts on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger using its Watch Together feature.
To view a concert, Messenger users can start a video chat or Room then swipe up to access the menu. When you select Watch Together, you can search for a specific show that you’d like to enjoy with your friends or family.
Facebook has special concerts you could watch. For instance, it’s working with Travis Barker and Steve Aoki to bring you the full performance of “That Close with Steve and Travis”. It’s even releasing two new limited-edition Soundmojis that let you send sound clips in a Messenger chat.
Source: FB Messenger News
Messenger is still releasing new features.
Facebook Messenger is still releasing new features to encourage more users to continue using the platform. In its 10th anniversary post, Facebook announced new features to commemorate the occasion.
These features include new games like “Most Likely To”, birthday gifting using Facebook Pay, birthday expression tools, a new way to share Facebook contacts, and a new conversation customization option called Word Effects.
Source: FB Messenger News
Messenger released cross-app group chats.
Facebook Messenger released a cross-app group chat feature that’ll help it integrate with Instagram better. What this means for users is that they now have the ability to start group chats among Instagram and Messenger contacts.
Messenger is also releasing a group typing feature to group DMs. This indicates which users are typing even if they do so at the same time. And it’ll work regardless of which Facebook Inc. app they’re using.
Source: TechCrunch
Messenger will have end-to-end encryption.
End-to-end encryption is a security feature that prevents other people from eavesdropping on a phone call. And it’s going to become available on Messenger calls and Instagram DMs.
This is something that’s already available on Facebook Messenger for text conversations. But despite the government’s call for Facebook to roll back, the company is pushing forward. This makes sure that nobody—not even Facebook—can listen in on what its users send or say.
Source: TechCrunch
Facebook adds multiplayer AR to Messenger.
Messenger’s video call feature is getting support for AR effects and games. This was announced in Facebook’s F8 Developer Conference.
Support for AR modes will also be available on Instagram and Facebook’s Portal devices. Facebook isn’t the only company experimenting with AR technology. Other companies like Niantic, Snapchat, Microsoft, Apple, and Google are also exploring AR.
All these games should make it more fun to interact with friends and family especially if you’re stuck at home during the pandemic.
Source: CNET
Controversial Facebook Messenger Facts and Statistics
There are people who exploit Facebook Messenger for personal gain. That’s the reason why Messenger can pop up in news stories about scammers and cybercrime in general.
But Messenger also has its fair share of controversies especially when it comes to what it does with the data it collects off its users.
These are just some of the controversial stories about Facebook Messenger that are making the rounds recently.
Scammers used Messenger to con people during the pandemic.
As of August 2020, Americans have lost $124 million due to fraudulent activities that are related to the pandemic according to the Federal Trade Commission.
While the world is dealing with Covid-19, scammers are hacking Facebook accounts and using Messenger to trick people into giving away sensitive information.
For example, a scammer might use your friend’s account to send you a link to a site with Covid-19 information. Once you’re on the site, you’ll be asked for your personal information which the scammers will use to steal your identity.
Source: AARP
Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp collect a huge amount of user data.
Based on the new privacy labels that Apple rolled out in 2021, WhatsApp and Messenger collect more user data than other messaging app alternatives like iMessage or Signal.
Both messaging services share the information they gather with Facebook, their parent company. And not all users are sure how to opt out of this.
Source: Tom’s Guide
Scammers use Messenger to steal user data in Singapore.
Scammers are going after Singaporean Messenger users by convincing them to upgrade to a more recent version of Messenger. They’ll be provided a link pointing to a scam site where the scammers would steal their personal information.
The cybersecurity company, Group-IB, flagged the scam which saw 1,000 fake Facebook profiles being used to scam other users. Some profiles targeted users in 80 other countries as well including Indonesia and Thailand.
The fake profiles used the official Messenger logo as their profile photo.
Source: The Straits Times
Facebook Messenger statistics sources
Conclusion
As you probably realize by now, Facebook Messenger is still growing. It’s still breaking new records. And it’s responsible for sending billions of messages worldwide.
It’s an important tool for businesses as well. Messenger marketing has better success than email marketing, after all. And there are technologies available to automate Messenger including the use of chatbots.
Facebook Messenger has a lot of competitors. But while other messaging apps are getting more users, Messenger is by far the most-used platform globally.
So for now, it’s a no-brainer. Messenger is the way to go whether you’re using it for personal or professional use. That is, providing you have no issue with the sheer volume of data that Facebook collects.
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