Whatsapp is popular. Very popular. So popular that it is now testing voice calling, a feature that is already available on several of its competitions like Viber but one that is expected to be explosive and take off really well once it leaves beta and goes live in a few months’ time. Recently, Whatsapp became available on the desktop. New numbers on the Google Play Store show that the popular messaging application is not only way ahead with its 700 million monthly active users but now has the distinct reputation of being only one of two applications not owned by Google to hit the magical 1 billion install mark on the Play Store.
Facebook, the current owner of Whatsapp, also has its main application to thank as it was the first non-Google app to be downloaded and installed on Android devices via the Play Store over a billion times. Google’s own Maps, YouTube and Chrome are the other applications that have crossed the 1 billion install mark on the Play Store.
While the Play Store numbers may not be directly accurate, they serve as a pointer to the social app’s explosive growth over the years and helps paint a rough picture. With Whatsapp being a global phenomenon and not having the privilege of being a pre-installed application on most devices like Google’s apps and even Facebook, racking up a billion installs is quite something. Never mind that the Play Store only counts installs and downloads on a Google account basis and not per device basis.
Could the numbers have received a quick boost from the hordes now flocking to the official Whatsapp application after Whatsapp cracked the whip on third party clients like Whatsapp Plus?
