As of today, one billion people are using WhatsApp – that’s nearly one in seven people on Earth who use WhatsApp each month to stay in touch with their loved ones, their friends and their family.
The mobile messaging service was acquired by Facebook little more than two years ago in a deal valued at $19 billion.
Two weeks ago, the company dropped its $1-a-year subscription fee (which only kicked in after one, anyway), saying it planned to make money through businesses that use the app to communicate with consumers.
WhatsApp and Facebook owner, Mark Zuckerberg announced their one-billion-user milestone on Facebook.
“One billion people now use WhatsApp. Congrats to Jan, Brian and everyone who helped reach this milestone!”
“…WhatsApp’s community has more than doubled since joining Facebook. We’ve added the ability for you to call loved ones far away. We’ve dropped the subscription fee and made WhatsApp completely free. Next, we’re going to work to connect more people around the world and make it easier to communicate with businesses.”
“…There are only a few services that connect more than a billion people. This milestone is an important step towards connecting the entire world,” he said.