WhatsApp Remains the Most Popular Messaging Platform

There are plenty of other solid alternatives available, but for some reason, WhatsApp remains the most popular messaging platform and probably will continue to do so for a while yet. Of course, a high install rate doesn't necessarily mean that WhatsApp is the best messaging platform. With such a large active user base, it's no wonder WhatsApp has reached an impressive 5 billion downloads on Android.

Huawei was one of the largest contributors to this figure until recent US-China trade issues and blacklisting occurred. Additionally, many Samsung smartphones come with the multimedia messaging app pre-installed. This means that the 5 billion download figure likely includes both downloaded and pre-installed versions.

While WhatsApp is not a perfect messenger, it's easy to use, cross-platform, has some solid features, and links nicely with your contact book, making the entire sign-up process seamless. Considering that WhatsApp claims over 1 billion daily active users, it's no real surprise that the app has reached this download milestone on the Google Play Store.

In fact, given the popularity of WhatsApp around the globe, it probably comes as no surprise and follows in parent company Facebook's own 5 billion install milestone late last year. WhatsApp is now only the second non-Google app to reach this figure, having amassed it over a decade on Android and the Play Store. There are only a few apps on the Google Play Store that have reached the mythical 5 billion download figure, bar some of the pre-installed Google options.

To access the WhatsApp app, select Google Play Store from the list of apps and tap on the Storage option. The WhatsApp Messenger app is available to download on the Google Play website.

Play store app whatsapp