Private Blog Network – WhatsApp is the world’s most popular messaging app, offering numerous interesting features. There are several unique facts about WhatsApp that not many people know. Created by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, WhatsApp was first launched in January 2009. In February 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp Inc.
Here are some unique facts about WhatsApp that might surprise you:
Created by Former Yahoo Employees
Brian Acton and Jan Koum, the founders of WhatsApp, were former employees of Yahoo, having worked there for 20 years. According to Feedough, the initial concept for WhatsApp was simple—Jan Koum wanted an app that could display a user’s name and status. During its early development, WhatsApp faced numerous challenges. Koum’s demo received lukewarm responses from his friends, and the app initially had several issues, such as draining battery life and frequent crashes.
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Banned in 12 Countries
Appverticals reports that despite WhatsApp’s widespread global usage, it is banned in 12 countries, including Saudi Arabia, China, North Korea, Syria, Bangladesh, Iran, and others. These bans are primarily due to concerns related to national security.
Opened 23 Times a Day
WhatsApp states that, on average, users open the app 23 times or more per day, checking it approximately once every hour. Additionally, users send more than 29 million messages every minute. In 2018, users shared around 29 million messages per minute, excluding images, videos, and audio recordings.
The Most Downloaded App
In 2015, WhatsApp ranked as the third most downloaded app on Google Play Store globally.
The Idea Behind the Name ‘WhatsApp’
As explained on WhatsApp’s official website, the app’s name comes from the common phrase “What’s up?”, often used to start a conversation.
An Ad-Free App
From its inception, WhatsApp’s founders had a strict policy of keeping the app ad-free. However, this changed after Facebook acquired the company, introducing ads into the app. Interestingly, during its initial launch in 2009, WhatsApp didn’t employ any marketing or promotional strategies to attract users due to the founders’ limited budget.
WhatsApp’s Earnings Surpassed NASA
One of the most surprising facts is that WhatsApp’s net earnings have surpassed those of NASA and American Airlines. For instance, in 2014, N