Hakkinen couldn’t disclose how many users Rawr had, but said there had been more than 1 million interactions using the apps globetrotter feature, where users are paired at random to chat, and these conversations are lasting for up to 212 seconds on average. For example over in Thailand, messaging apps like LINE are more popular, while over in China, they might prefer WeChat.
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To see what messaging apps are the most popular around the world, check out the full SimilarWeb study here. Out of 187 countries, WhatsApp was the most popular app in 109.
One of the SimilarWeb’s more surprising findings, perhaps, was the continued dominance of BlackBerry’s BBM service – at least in one country.
Facebook is winning the contest of communication globally, but it still faces resistance, much of which comes directly from governments-Brazil shut down WhatsApp for a day because of the company’s refusal to release data to a police investigation. Unless you’re North American or Canadian, you’ll be surprised to learn that Facebook Messenger rules the USA and Canada. On the other hand, Viber has high popularity in Eastern European countries like Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. The app is free to download, but can make money through in-app purchases including new clothes for the avatar. Some apps were found to have a loyal user base in only one country, such as KakaoTalk in South Korea, imo in Cuba, Zalo in Vietnam, ChatOn in Eritrea, and Blackberry Messenger in Indonesia.
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“When comparing the install rate of BBM to other countries, it becomes clear just how large the divide is”, Similar Web’s analysis states.
