It’s incredible how one Terms of Service update from WhatsApp can dramatically impact the news cycle. New data set by Start.io implies there is a spike in WhatsApp rivals’ downloads, but those are still behind in terms of massive usage.
What Happened Exactly?
On January 4th, WhatsApp users were greeted with a popup message alerting them to changes in the app’s privacy policy. Users interpreted the policy changes to mean that by continuing to use the service, they would be required to share their personal info with the Facebook-owned app. This was followed by a tweet from Elon Musk to his 42+ million followers – two simple words: “Use Signal.”
Start.io tapped into its mobile data platform to see if the click-worthy fear-inducing headlines discussing WhatsApp’s downfall were warranted or if the data told a different story.
Digging Into The Data
Consumers all over the world have been downloading Signal, while WhatsApp downloads have some negative trend. However, WhatsApp growth is still around eight times higher than Signal and three times Telegram. The actual organic growth of both Signal and Telegram is relatively low compared to WhatsApp.
Global New Users Trend: WhatsApp VS. Signal
- Panel size: 65M
Global New Users Trend: WhatsApp VS. Telegram
- Panel size: 65M
In the US specifically, there is a similar trend showing a Signal spike, yet the drop in WhatsApp new users trend is only for a few days.
US New Users Trend: WhatsApp VS. Signal
- Panel size: 3M
Currently, in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, we see a shift in the top charts, with a big jump for both Telegram and Signal. The data seems to suggest that the dramatic headlines highlighting the growth of Signal and the decline of WhatsApp are more dramatic than the reality.
