The controversial decision of dividing Facebook Messenger from the main app has obviously had a number of implications and is made all the more obvious from recent data collected by GlobalWebIndex.
The report shows that usage in the United Kingdom jumped from 27% at the end of 2013 to 40% in the middle of 2014.
Facebook Messenger is not the only standalone messaging service the social network owns. Its WhatsApp Messenger already has over 600 million users and continues to gain more. With 38% of the global mobile audience outside of China using Messenger each month, this makes Messenger the world’s second most popular messaging application behind WhatsApp, a combination that gives Facebook an extensive amount of control over the popular messaging market.
Data also shows Facebook Messenger peaking at 55% or more in the Philippines, India and the UAE, and it doesn’t appear to negatively impact WhatsApp in the slightest.
While there are some that are still furious with Facebook over the change and continue to give the social network a 1-star review in app stores, it’s clear from these numbers why Facebook chose to make that divide.