There’s no debating the popularity of messaging apps. The top dogs are WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Skype, LINE, and Viber. Depending on which part of the world you’re in, some messaging platforms are more popular than others.
For instance, in the U.S., Snapchat has proven to be a popular app.
messaging app growth has slowed in the U.S.
Another popular app, Kik is also popular in North America, with over 200 million registered users as of this week.
However, recent Comscore data shows that Kik and other messaging apps have slowed as far as growth in the U.S., largely due to the flatlining growth of smartphones. Kik CEO Ted Livingston told GigaOM that this was actually viewed as a sign of relief according to Kik:
“I can tell you from Kik’s perspective, we’re not growing as fast in the U.S. as we were in the past. I can tell you it’s not bullshit. We were very relieved to see [the Comscore data]. We were thinking maybe there’s something wrong with just us, but it’s everyone. Hey internet are you listening? Messaging has peaked!”
a ticket to the rest of the demographic
The CEO also pointed out that while Snapchat continues to pursue a “broadcast platform” with news and information, Kik pursues a WeChat- or LINE-like platform with its Kik Cards to attract users of all ages to its messaging platform:
“For us that’s where the [WeChat-like] platform play starts making sense. One you have critical density among youth and you have these non-commodity services on top of chat, teens will bring in everyone else they know. They’ll bring in parents because they need to buy something for them, or a friend because they need them to plan events. The platform may become a ticket to the rest of the demographic.”
Check out the full interview over at GigaOM. What do you think? Has messaging popularity peaked?