Home
News
You are here

Facebook Messenger is one of only three Android apps to reach this symbol of popularity

2comments

By Alan Friedman

Published: May 10, 2021, 12:57 PM

Facebook Messenger is one of only three Android apps to reach this symbol of popularity

Facebook Messenger first launched on August 9th, 2011 with standalone apps available for the Apple App Store and what was then called the Android Market. Today, Android Police noted that the messaging app has passed a milestone that only two non-Google apps had previously reached — 5 billion installs on Android. Overall, Facebook Messenger becomes the 14th Android app to have been installed five billion times.

Most of the 14 apps to hit the 5 billion installs club on Android are Google branded apps such as YouTube, the Google Search app, Gmail and Google Maps. The three non-Google developed apps to have reached five billion installs include Facebook, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp; all three are owned by Facebook.

Facebook reached the milestone in 2019 and WhatsApp hit it in 2020. You might recall that in February 2014, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for a combination of stock and cash that at first added up to $16 billion. Facebook is reportedly working on a way to allow all of its apps to work together, but this will require WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption to be added to Messenger (along with Instagram Direct) which is something that Facebook says won't happen until next year at the earliest.

Facebook Messenger is just the third non-Google Android app to hit 5 billion installations in the Play Store

Meanwhile, messaging apps like Signal and Telegram both offer end-to-end encryption and have picked up some new subscribers at WhatsApp's expense following the announcement of the latter's new privacy policy change. Signal has been installed over 50 million times and Telegram has been downloaded over 500 million times. This is a good example of how hard it is for a non-Google app to reach 5 billion installs.

$349

$799

$450 off (56%)

Mint Mobile now sells the Google Pixel 10 with a massive $450 discount. The promo is available on select color variants with 128GB of storage. You also get a 12-month unlimited data plan for $180 instead of $360.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$524

$999

$475 off (48%)

Grab the pro-grade, compact Pixel 10 Pro at Mint Mobile with a 12-month unlimited plan, and you can save a huge $475. The data plan comes with a discount, too: 50% off, to be exact.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$499

$1199

$700 off (58%)

The high-end Gemini AI-enhanced Pixel 10 Pro XL is now available with a mind-blowing discount. You can now save $700 on the phone, plus 50% off unlimited 12-month plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$1399

$1799

$400 off (22%)

The foldable Pixel 10 Pro Fold is another standout holiday offer. Right now, you can get the device for $400 off at Mint Mobile. On top of that, you save $180 on 12-month unlimited data plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

View Full Bio

Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

Read the latest from Alan Friedman