Photo by Oberon Copeland @veryinformed.com on Unsplash
WhatsApp Reaches 100 Million Active Users In The U.S.
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
Meta’s instant messaging app WhatsApp has reached 100 million monthly active users in the United States. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, announced it yesterday on his WhatsApp channel.
According to TechCrunch , this is the first time the company shared data about users in the U.S. Whatsapp also mentioned that 50% of American users have iPhones. The milestone is significant as many smartphone owners rely on basic SMS systems—integrated with iMessage on iPhones.
Meta has been portraying WhatsApp as a communication solution between Android and iPhone users, investing in big marketing campaigns addressed to users in the U.S. One of its newest commercials went viral last month as it featured part of the cast from the popular show Modern Family . “If your group has different phones, just use WhatsApp. It’s seamless and private,” says the painter in the commercial.
‘Modern Family’ cast reunites for a WhatsApp commercial. pic.twitter.com/SYDXJZKbVq — Pop Base (@PopBase) June 18, 2024
WhatsApp’s largest user base is in India where the platform has 500 million active users, followed by Brazil—where Meta recently withdrew generative AI services —and Indonesia.
According to The Verge , WhatsApp also announced that the fastest-growing U.S. locations are Miami, New York, and Los Angeles. The company also emphasized that southern cities have embraced the platform as well and that there are over 10 million active users in Texas.
“The biggest messaging app in the world, has experienced tremendous growth in the U.S.,” said WhatsApp spokesperson Ashley O’Reilly in the press release, as reported by The Verge.
Meta bought WhatsApp in 2014 for $16 billion and has invested in making it popular in the U.S. and the world. The messaging platform currently has 2 billion users across 180 countries
Last month, Meta introduced new WhatsApp tools for businesses , such as targeted ads, and just a few days ago the platform announced a new AI-powered feature to create personalized avatars.
Fortnite Will Return to iOS in EU Soon, Exits Samsung Galaxy Store
- Written by Shipra Sanganeria Cybersecurity & Tech Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
Epic Games announced plans to relaunch Fortnite on Apple’s iOS devices in the European Union (EU). In a July 25th, 2024 blog post , the company shared updates on its mobile store strategy, including launching games via third-party iOS App Stores and ending distribution partnerships with stores following anticompetitive policies, such as the Samsung Galaxy Store.
We’ve announced our new strategy for bringing Epic’s games to mobile stores: not only the soon-to-launch Epic Games Store for mobile, but also other independent mobile stores that give all developers a fair deal, including https://t.co/wX14FI47KZ . https://t.co/mp3lq3fFbc — Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) July 25, 2024
In the blog post, Epic revealed plans to launch in the EU via AltStore PAL, an iOS app store, and expects to support “at least two other third-party stores soon.” Additionally, Epic disclosed its plans to bring the Epic Games Store app to Android globally and to iOS in the EU.
Although the company did not provide specific timelines for the third-party mobile store launch, it stated that the strategy aims to bring its mobile games to “other mobile stores that give all developers a great deal.” Epic also revealed its planned fee structure, charging developers a 12% store fee for payments processed by Epic and 0% for third-party payments.
This announcement is significant, given the ongoing feud between Epic and major mobile storefronts like Apple and Google over app store fees and commission policies.
In addition to the iOS relaunch, Epic announced plans to end distribution partnerships with mobile stores it described as “rent collectors” that engage in anticompetitive practices and unfair treatment of developers, even if these stores offer special deals to Epic for its games.
Consequently, Epic revealed that it will pull Fortnite and its other games from the Samsung Galaxy Store. According to the company, the decision was based on two factors: Samsung’s anticompetitive move to block side-loading by default on Samsung Android devices, and revelations from the US Epic v. Google lawsuit about Google’s proposals to Samsung to limit competition in the Android app distribution market.
