Here are the details behind the popular messaging service that lets people send texts, photos and videos on their smartphones.
PROFILE:
- Year founded: 2009.
- Company founders: Former Yahoo engineers Jan Koum (the current CEO) and Brian Acton.
- Headquarters: Mountain View, Calif.
- Number of employees: 55.
HOW IT WORKS:
- Download the app to phones running Android and iPhones, as well as BlackBerry, Windows and Nokia phones.
- Messages are sent over the Internet, to individual people or groups.
- One check mark next to a message means it's been delivered; two check marks means it's been seen.
- Price users pay for one year of service: 99 cents.
VITAL STATS:
- Number of monthly WhatsApp users: 450 million.
- Number of people who use Facebook's mobile products, including Facebook Messenger and Instagram every month: nearly 950 million.
- Number of WhatsApp texts sent per day: 19 billion; texts received on the service per day: 34 billion.
- Number of daily voice messages sent with WhatsApp: 200 million; daily video messages: 100 million; daily photos: 600 million.
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