WhatsApp overtakes YouTube: heading for the global top spot?

This is a turning point in the history of social platforms: WhatsApp has just overtaken YouTube in monthly active users worldwide. In January 2025, the app recorded 2.95 billion active users, against 2.7 billion for YouTube. Only Facebook is still ahead, with 3.1 billion.

WhatsApp's growth is steady (+7% year on year) and sustained. If the trend holds, users' favourite messaging app could soon become the world's leading social platform.

Why is WhatsApp growing so fast?

On the user side: massive, global usage

• WhatsApp is the most downloaded messaging app in more than 60 countries.
• It combines simplicity, accessibility and low cost, particularly in the emerging markets of South Asia, Latin America and Africa.
• In India, WhatsApp has more than 530 million active users.
• In the United States, business features (click-to-chat, multi-device, voice transcription) are driving growing adoption.
• In Switzerland, WhatsApp has 5.4 million users, and 52 million in Germany.

On the business side: a platform with high conversational value

• More than 50 million businesses use WhatsApp to interact with their customers.
• The WhatsApp Business app attracts close to a billion monthly users.
• Every day, more than 200 million people interact with businesses, and 40 million browse product catalogues.

The platform's strength? An open rate above 90% for the messages sent.

Why WhatsApp changes the game for brands

WhatsApp is establishing itself as the most effective communication channel for engaging customers:

Sandra helps you switch on your WhatsApp strategy

At Sandra, we work with companies that want to make WhatsApp their new sales and customer relationship channel. From click-to-chat advertising to conversational automation, catalogue integration and TWINT payment, our solution is built to create conversations that convert.