WhatsApp developed the messaging service that Facebook acquired in 2014.
WhatsApp was founded in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton, both former Yahoo employees. The service began as a way to show status updates, then evolved into an internet-based messaging application for sending texts, photos, videos, documents, and voice messages.
Facebook announced the acquisition in February 2014. The transaction was valued at approximately $19 billion when announced, consisting of cash, Facebook shares, and restricted stock. WhatsApp continued operating as a separate application after the deal and later became part of Meta's family of products.
WhatsApp is sometimes mistaken for a Facebook-created product. Facebook bought it after the app had already built a large international user base. Its strength was especially notable outside the United States, where mobile messaging and low-cost internet calling were widely adopted.