Most Popular Messaging Apps in the USA (2024)
As the number of people using chat apps grows year after year, the time has come for businesses to start marketing there. Because not only is it a convenient way for buyers to reach businesses (and vice versa), but it also helps to instill trust and confidence in consumers.
If you’re running a store whose target market is the United States, it’s essential to know what messaging apps consumers there frequent to craft a more efficient strategy. This raises the question: What are the most popular chat apps in the USA in terms of usage?
Most popular messaging apps in the USA: top six
This ranking of the most popular messaging apps in the USA is based on usage, determined by combining the number of current installations with the count of active users over a period of 28 days.
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Most popular chat apps in the USA, ranked by usage |
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1. Google Messages |
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2. Facebook Messenger |
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3. WhatsApp |
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4. Snapchat |
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5. Discord |
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6. Telegram |
1. Google Messages
According to the latest data, as of October 2024, Google Messages is the most popular messaging app downloaded on the Google Play Store in the USA. Owned by Alphabet, Google Messages recently surpassed the one billion user mark, a significant achievement the company commemorated by introducing seven innovative features.
2. Facebook Messenger
After Google Messages, the second-most used chat app in the USA is Facebook Messenger. This is no surprise, considering it also ranks among the most used messaging app globally, with an estimated one billion users. In the USA alone, it boasts close to 200 million users.
For brands considering leveraging Facebook Messenger, understanding the app's user demographics is crucial. Approximately one-quarter of its American users fall within the 25 to 34 age bracket, making this group the largest segment. Following closely are users aged between 35 and 44, accounting for 21.1%, and those in the 45 to 54 age range, representing 16.8%. This indicates that over 60% of Facebook Messenger's user base in the USA is aged between 25 and 54, highlighting its appeal to a mature audience.
3. WhatsApp
Next in line on this ranking of the most popular chat apps in the USA is WhatsApp, another application under Meta's umbrella. As of 2024, WhatsApp boasts 98 million users in the USA alone. On a global scale, this number is significantly higher—there are close to 3 billion WhatsApp users worldwide.
4. Snapchat
With more than 100 million American Snapchat users, the app ranks fourth on the list of the most popular messaging apps in the USA. Incidentally, it also ranks among the top social media platforms in the USA. This is because aside from texting, the app also allows its users to send and share photos and videos.
5. Discord
Fifth on the list of the most popular messaging apps in the USA is Discord. Even though the California-based company was founded fairly recently (in 2015) in comparison with other top messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, it was still able to break into the top six.
6. Telegram
Rounding out the list is Telegram, the sixth most popular messaging app in the USA. Recent statistics show that the Telegram app was downloaded 7.25 million times in the USA in the third quarter of 2023 alone, marking a 4.32% annual increase.