Facebook Messenger Reaches 1.2 Billion Users – How Does it Become So Powerful?

Hate it or love it, Facebook has help facilitate both person-to-person and group communication tremendously ever since it became popular about a decade ago. However, many users complained about it taking the messaging function out of its mobile app and introducing (or forcefully implementing, depending on your experience) a completely separate app called Messenger that exclusively deals with Facebook IM management.

Whether or not you agreed to the initial introduction of the Messenger app, you most likely use it today if you have a Facebook account. And, even though it’s sometimes buggy and annoying, the app is overall quite useful, and also comes with cute little features such as sticker packs and GIFs. Pretty cool, huh?

1.2 Billion Worldwide Users

As per a report released by the social media giant, the Messenger app now has 1.2 billion worldwide users. That’s a pretty huge number, isn’t it? Yes, but seeing as the app already had 800 million users six months ago, the growth is nowhere near impressive. Less and less people are installing the Messenger app on their phones, and those who do see it as a necessary evil sometimes.

While the app is certainly not bad by any means, many people have reportedly grown tired of being forced to install it, and would rather just ignore their Facebook messages altogether during the day and just check them from their desktop. Unfortunately for Facebook, this disappointment was to be expected considering their very aggressive marketing tactics. Let’s face it, nobody likes to be pushed around by social media platforms. Social media should be a place of leisure.

Still, it cannot be denied that the app is still very much popular (even with its annoying and useless new Snapchat rip-off of a Stories feature). And when on the go, what better way to get in touch with someone than to send a Facebook IM anywhere, anytime?