Re:WhatsApp launches Status, an encrypted Snapchat Stories c...
by balladeer on Wednesday February 22, 2017 @10:23PM
(#13711374)
I am intrigued. What messaging app do people in the US use? SMS? Or iMessage? What cross-platform messaging is the most common in US? I mean to ask "used overall" and not by a particular age group.
Here in India I used to think it's only WhatsApp pretty much then I realised there are many apps which have substantial user-bases e.g. hike messenger (hike.in). I was surprised that Viber still has decent number of users in India and then of course there is Fb Messenger.
Instagram Stories is FB's direct shot at Snapchat and from my understanding, it is doing pretty well and growing.
WhatsApp is barely used in the US but heavily used outside the US. I think WhatsaApp Status is FB's play to bring Snapchat to the millions of users not in the US - stifling Snap's international growth through network effects.
My bet is they'll add SMS ( maybe + RCS) support to WhatsApp soon as well and then more slowly go with the WeChat model of becoming your everything app.