WhatsApp is closing in on Facebook in terms of users pretty fast. On Friday, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum, revealed on his Facebook page the number of active users (monthly) on the world's most popular instant messaging application. According to Koum, who also tagged Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in his post, WhatsApp now has more than 900 million monthly active users.
The latest update on the WhatsApp user base is quite impressive, considering the app had 800 million users in April. The app recorded a 50% growth in its user base over the past 12 months, CNET reports. Facebook's generous investment of $19 billion in purchasing WhatsApp proved to be favourable for the world's largest social network.
So far, WhatsApp hasn't been turning any profit and Facebook's acquisition did not change that. Zuckerberg assured last year that the messaging app will not get interrupting advertisements to make money.
"Once we get to being a service with 1 billion, 2 billion, 3 billion people, there are many clear ways that we can monetize," Zuckerberg said at the time, according to TechCrunch.
WhatsApp is still quite far from the impressive 1 billion milestone. While the plans of monetisation aren't clear as of now, the app is already served as a paid subscription in some countries. It is possible that Facebook will expand the subscription-based model to other countries in future, but it is too soon to tell.
First things first, Zuckerberg took to Facebook to congratulate Koum and his team on achieving this spectacular feat.
WhatsApp is the only messaging application that has crossed 900 million users, while rivals such as WeChat, Kik, KakaoTalk and Line trail behind. Since 2009, WhatsApp has come a long way from being just a messaging app to becoming a voice-calling app. It works via PC too.
