How many monthly active users did WhatsApp reach in 2020?

WhatsApp reached more than 2 billion users globally in February 2020.

The milestone showed how quickly the messaging service had grown since its 2009 launch. WhatsApp began as a simple status-updating app founded by Jan Koum and Brian Acton, then evolved into a major platform for text messages, voice calls, video calls, file sharing, and group communication.

The wording can cause a common mix-up: WhatsApp's 2020 announcement was generally reported as more than 2 billion users, while some references describe the figure as monthly active users. It should not be confused with app installs. In January 2020, WhatsApp passed 5 billion Google Play installs, a separate measurement that counts downloads rather than people actively using the service.

WhatsApp continued growing after this milestone. Meta reported that the service had more than 3 billion monthly active users globally in May 2025.