WhatsApp user statistics: How many people use WhatsApp?
Important WhatsApp user stats. Includes data on usage, downloads and more.
Topic: Instant messaging
Social network usage & growth statistics (2026)
Explore the ultimate roundup of social media user statistics. Discover social network statistics on growth, country, platform & time spent daily.
The future of engagement is in your customers’ hands (or pocket)
How marketers can prepare for the rise of messaging-first customer journeys.
Meta expands WhatsApp Status ad options
Meta fuses WhatsApp Status ads with click-to-message, giving brands a bigger stage to spark chats and boost engagement.
Google tightens AdMob policies, reshaping ad placement rules
Ads will be restricted in private communications and personalized advertising rules will be refined, reshaping user targeting.
Google Business Profile chat is gone and call history going away
This is just a reminder that Google has discontinued Google Business Profile chat yesterday and call history is going away.
10 things to eliminate from your life to be more productive at work
For most remote workers, staying productive can be challenging. These tips will help you get more done with less stress.
Twitter adds keyword search to Direct Messages
Good news for brands and businesses who use Twitter for customer service: you can now find DMs by searching for keywords.
Shoppers may soon be able to message merchants via Google Shopping
Google is running a messaging pilot program that would enable customers to send messages to your customer service email.
Google My Business adds messaging to desktop interface
Businesses can now message with customers through their web browser, not just the mobile app.
Google expands local business message & map query analytics
Consumers will be able to message with businesses in more ways and businesses will be able to see more local insights.
Google upgrades enterprise messaging capabilities in Maps and Search
Enhanced features include smart replies, visual product carousels, custom welcome messages.
Google emphasizes ‘Message this business’ in new local search test
Take notice, Google is testing a more prominent look for the messaging feature in the local search results. Is your business ready to manage text messages from your customers?
Google shutting down Allo, where Google Assistant made its debut
The company is investing in Duo and Android Messages, where it says it's seeing consumer traction.
Google begins rolling out messaging feature within Google My Business
You can now message with your customers directly via your Google local panel in mobile search.
Google My Business tests a messaging feature to chat with your customers
New pilot feature in Google My Business lets you do live chat with your customers directly from the Google search results.
Google Search Tests “Chat” Button In Local Business Box
Google is testing showing a live chat button in the local search box within the web search results for some businesses.
Facebook Launches “Messenger” App To Compete In Mobile Messaging Space
Today Facebook announced the release of Messenger, an app for mobile devices that allows for messaging to “friends and small groups.” This app allows for messaging to both Facebook friends and phone contacts, something Google+’s Huddles doesn’t do. Messenger acts as an extension of Facebook messages, so you can view your full history of mobile […]
Facebook Announces Video Calling, Group Chat & Redesigned Chat
Facebook announced three new “awesome” changes to the Facebook platform during a press event today. A great deal of Facebook information was displayed along with the announcement of three new elements . The new features and functionality include: Video Calling Facebook’s biggest announcement today was the partnership with Skype which will allow for video calling from within Facebook. This […]
This Is Facebook’s “Awesome” News: Group Chat & 1-to-1 Video Calling
Today, Facebook has promised us something “awesome.” The press has assembled. I’m here with them, and the live blogging will soon pour forth from my finger tips! The event is supposed to start at 10am Pacific, but I think it will be a bit late. When it starts, you can tune-in through the live stream […]
Google Talk Guru Brings Search To Instant Messaging
Google Talk Guru is a new experiment that tries to turn the instant messaging interface into a search engine of sorts. It was just added to Google Labs today, and is very much a lab-level project. There are a very limited number of search commands that currently work in Google Talk Guru. As you can […]
How The New Facebook Messages & Email System Works
At one end of the spectrum, Facebook says it’s “simple” and “fun.” On the other end, some are saying it’s Facebook’s version of Google Wave. And just about everyone spent the weekend suggesting that it’s a “Gmail killer.” “It” is Facebook’s new, Whatever-you-do-don’t-call-it-email-but-hey-here’s-a-Facebook-email-address-for-you email and messaging system. Facebook says it’s more like chat; and it’s […]
Facebook Messages: Export Of Facebook.com Addresses OK
How well can the new Facebook Messages interact with other email services? Pretty much not at all, Facebook told me. You can export some addresses, and you can forward email into Facebook, but that’s about it. I spoke with Facebook’s director of engineering Andrew Bosworth after today’s Facebook press conference about the new Facebook Messaging […]
Live Blogging The Facebook Messages / Email Event – With Screenshots!
Today, Facebook is widely expected to announce that it is offering email to its members. Will that be the case? We’ll all find out soon enough. I’ll be live blogging the Facebook event that begins at 10am Pacific Time. Also see our expanded piece: How The New Facebook Messages & Email System Works
Google Wave Crashes
Last May Google Wave was unveiled as a new communication platform and positioned as a successor to both email and instant messaging. It was also a powerful, real-time collaboration tool. It did other things too. Perhaps that was the problem; it offered too many possibilities. Beyond that people didn’t necessarily see the need for Wave, […]
Google Expanding Access To Wave Soon, First “Hands-On” Impressions
At the end of next month, September 30, Google will expand the current “developer preview” of Google Wave to roughly 100,000 consumer users. According to Google, “included in this group of early testers will be some of the businesses using Google Apps.” In anticipation of this wider release, Danny and I got some time with Lars Rasmussen […]
Live Blogging Yahoo’s Product Call
I will be living blogging Yahoo’s product call, so please check back here for frequent updates. 2:00pm: Title of the introductory slide is “Connecting You To What Matters Most”. 2:04pm: Still waiting to begin, not sure what the delay is. 2:06pm: The conference room manager said she is still trying to find the presenter, if […]
Developer Impressions Of Google Wave: “Real-Time Email On Crack”
What is it? Google’s answer to Twitter? Email and IM replacement? Personal communications and collaboration platform? These were questions and characterizations that emerged as Google announced Wave at the company’s May developer event in San Francisco. (Here’s a bit more context from my related post at the press conference.) It’s a shapeshifter, a new species […]
The 6 Types Of Annoying Social Media Promoters
You could be the next “Will It Blend” but if nobody knows about you, then it doesn’t matter how creative and awesomely original you are. One of the most important factors in social media is the promotion of your content, and this often leads to annoyance. There are many annoying social media habits, but perhaps […]
Google’s New Wave Of Ambition
I’m in the Google Wave press conference, following a dizzying keynote — dizzying, at least, after a night of little sleep. As he did yesterday Google co-founder Sergey Brin joined the discussion and similarly apologized for arriving late. Danny live blogged the keynote earlier this morning. He jokingly compared Wave to Lotus Notes. In some […]
Live Blogging Google Wave
Back at the second keynote of Google I/O. We were promised something absolutely awesome and we got it. Steve Ballmer announcing Bing on stage. Oops, that’s D. This is about a new collaboration tool. Oh, and I’m live blogging this, and I’ve had no sleep (see Bing above), so who knows where it’s all going. […]
Aardvark “Help Engine” Opens To Wider Use
In private testing for the past few months, Aardvark is now opening its doors to more searchers today in conjunction with the South By Southwest conference. Also known as Vark, Aardvark is a “help engine” that allows people to send questions to friends and friends of friends and receive fast responses. My companion piece, The […]
Google Talk / Gmail Adds Live Chat & Invisible Mode Features
Google Talk has announced a couple new features, including Google Talk Chatback and invisible mode. The first feature is similar to a live chat box that you can add to any web page and chat with anyone via your Google Talk or Gmail account. Google calls the feature “chatback,” and it allows anyone, even without […]
Google Talk Meets AOL Instant Messager: Time Warner & Google Complete AIM Integration Deal
Yesterday, Google announced that you can now login and talk to AOL Instant Messenger users via Google Talk, through Google Talk’s Gmail interface. Making the two instant messaging tools work together is a feature promised way back when AOL and Google formed a strategic alliance in December 2005. If you read the old press release, […]
Yahoo Takes Beta Label Off New Mail, Adds Features
Yahoo has taken the “beta” label off its new Yahoo Mail service. Here’s an overview from the Yodel Anecdotal blog. Arguably the most interesting aspect of the new features is the capability of sending text messages to mobile phones from Yahoo Mail.
SearchCap: The Day In Search, Feb. 20, 2007
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web:
SuggestLocal Offers Collaboration Tools For Local Search
A new site SuggestLocal seeks to solve the problem of figuring out where to go and what to do with a group of colleagues or friends. The site isn’t focused on rating local venues (it incorporates Yahoo ratings); rather it’s focused on enabling collaboration and helping people make group decisions, which is notoriously difficult. Users […]