Re:WhatsApp loses millions of users after terms update
by kelnos on Monday January 25, 2021 @01:53AM
(#25900131)
> The thing is: users are not loyal at all. Telegram or Signal or others are a click or two away: it's neither hard to find/install nor to use.
Users aren't loyal, true, and installing another app is easy, but getting your friends and family to switch often is not.
Re:WhatsApp loses millions of users after terms update
by pilif on Monday January 25, 2021 @02:27AM
(#25900355)
the ToS hubbub going through mainstream media has made it much easier to get people to switch though.
In my case, I was one of those people really not wanting to use WhatsApp but being forced by group pressure.
But now that I can even just vaguely reference the ToS issue with WhatsApp, I find people are willing to at least try and install Signal.
Re:WhatsApp loses millions of users after terms update
by jpalomaki on Monday January 25, 2021 @03:00AM
(#25900606)
There's quite likely a lot of overlap. For example I'm using all of them (Signal, Telegram, whatsApp, iMessage and whatnot).
Re:WhatsApp loses millions of users after terms update
by thekyle on Monday January 25, 2021 @07:25AM
(#25902353)
> many don't like FB but have no idea WhatsApp belongs to FB
When you start WhatsApp the splash screen says "WhatsApp from Facebook" so I would be surprised if people really didn't know that the two companies were related. Instagram is the same, it says "Instagram from Facebook".
WhatsApp: https://i.imgur.com/JS20lGJ.png
Instagram: https://i.imgur.com/1SWybdu.png
Well me too and... Even before this recent WhatsApp fiasco I noticed that some parents are using Telegram at the school where my kid goes. Out of 24 kids in my kid's class, there are 3 families which I know for sure have Telegram (I don't have contact with all of the parents so I don't know).
And I think Telegram is reporting more than, what, 500M users by now? If it's true, it's definitely a sizeable dent in WhatsApp's market share. It may not be 2B+, but 500M is quite something.
The thing is: users are not loyal at all. Telegram or Signal or others are a click or two away: it's neither hard to find/install nor to use.
I really wouldn't be surprised to see a bigger shift some day once more people begin to realize that "WhatsApp = FB" (many don't like FB but have no idea WhatsApp belongs to FB).