WhatsApp Users Make 100m Calls Every Month

WhatsApp now handles more than 100 million voice calls every month, highlighting how the application is becoming a popular over the top (OTT) alternative to traditional phone calls as it targets a possible move into the enterprise.

Voice calls arrived on the Facebook-owned messaging service last year, hoping to mimic the success that it, and other apps, have had in reducing SMS traffic. This also brought WhatsApp into competition with VoIP apps like Skype and Viber.

100m WhatsApp calls

“For more than a year, people have used WhatsApp Calling to talk with friends and family around the world,” the company said in a blog post. “It’s a great way to stay in touch, especially when connecting with people in other countries, or when messages alone won’t do.

“Today, more than 100 million voice calls are made every day on WhatsApp – that’s over 1,100 calls a second! We’re humbled that so many people have found this feature useful, and we’re committed to making it even better in the months to come.”

WhatsApp recently added the ability to send documents, leading to suggestions that Facebook, which bought the app for £19 billion in 2014, is looking to target businesses. Desktop applications for Mac and PC, which are designed to encourage more frequent use, have added strength to this view.

Facebook is already set to scrap subscription fees, which it had charged users on a yearly basis, although the company has said it won’t be introducing advertising to compensate for this.

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