Other how popular is iMessage in your home country?

[circatee]

So I find it strange many westerners are stubbornly only using one service (eg iMessage only or Whatsapp only).

I honestly just don't want to deal with 'loads' of chat apps. I have enough applications to deal with at work. Thus, certainly want a separation on the personal side of things.

Alas, I also wish text/SMS was simply part of everyone's tariffs and more secure, too. If that was the case, well, I would only use that...

 

[jav6454]

I don't know about the US or western Europe, but we in Asia are already installing multiple messaging services as needed. Most people in my country will already have at least two or three (Whatsapp, Line, and maybe Telegram or WeChat or FB). It's not an issue to have multiple messaging services on the device to communicate with people from multiple countries. So I find it strange many westerners are stubbornly only using one service (eg iMessage only or Whatsapp only).

Because it is easier to manage. Why would I use 3 services? Stick to one and it'll get easier.

 

[ukms]

Because it is easier to manage. Why would I use 3 services? Stick to one and it'll get easier.

It’s fine sticking to one if all of the people you contact use the same platform. For many living in certain parts of the world that just doesn’t happen.

 

[jav6454]

It’s fine sticking to one if all of the people you contact use the same platform. For many living in certain parts of the world that just doesn’t happen.

That's true, but the poster was generalizing as in without a reason, all Asians have 3+ messaging service and that all westerners should follow. That statement made no sense.

 

[ukms]

That's true, but the poster was generalizing as in without a reason, all Asians have 3+ messaging service and that all westerners should follow. That statement made no sense.

A slight tangent but one thing I like about WhatsApp is that I can use it with both my numbers. Being an expat I have a local UAE number but still retain my UK number. So I use WhatsApp for my local number and WhatsApp for business for my UK. I have the same numbers on iMessage but the distinction isn’t quite there.

 

[ian87w]

Because it is easier to manage. Why would I use 3 services? Stick to one and it'll get easier.

If you only communicate with your family, maybe. But the world of business has more variety, and you don’t go telling potential partners that they must conform to your choice of messaging service.

 

[ian87w]

That's true, but the poster was generalizing as in without a reason, all Asians have 3+ messaging service and that all westerners should follow. That statement made no sense.

I never said westerners should follow. That's just your feeling projecting.

The point is, whether iMessage is popular or not is inconsequential as we just use whatever platforms the other person is using. With smartphones, one can use many different services all at once. Many of the comments here made it seem like one can only use one single chat platform, while in reality that's just a personal bottleneck as the smartphone platform allows multiple services at the same time.

 

[ian87w]

A slight tangent but one thing I like about WhatsApp is that I can use it with both my numbers. Being an expat I have a local UAE number but still retain my UK number. So I use WhatsApp for my local number and WhatsApp for business for my UK. I have the same numbers on iMessage but the distinction isn’t quite there.

It's even better on some Android OEMs with twin apps. I can have three Whatsapp accounts in one phone (two regular, one business) ?

 

[Howyalikdemapls]

If you only communicate with your family, maybe. But the world of business has more variety, and you don’t go telling potential partners that they must conform to your choice of messaging service.

Texting (SMS) is fairly universal though, no? I live in the US so I have bias based on that, but ever since the advent of texting I haven’t understood the need for a limited instant messenger. Why not just text everyone? And that’s where iMessage comes in handy. Whether or not you have an iPhone I can message you the same way. If you have an iPhone then we get all the benefits of iMessage. If you don’t, we can still communicate just fine. No need to configure multiple different applications to communicate with different people. It’s already built in to your phone number… why complicate things?

If you really want to have a more robust communication platform that can be used from PCs and whatnot as well as your phone, then use email, which again is universal and works across all different preferred email applications. Don’t understand the desire to gravitate towards a limited proprietary alternative to what everyone already has.

 

[kaardowiq]

… why complicate things?

Because many people here in Europe still have very small contracts, often still prepaid ones, that may charge you per message. Often there isn’t any value on their plans left and they only use WIFI with Whatsapp

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Texting (SMS) is fairly universal though, no? I live in the US so I have bias based on that, but ever since the advent of texting I haven’t understood the need for a limited instant messenger. Why not just text everyone? And that’s where iMessage comes in handy. Whether or not you have an iPhone I can message you the same way. If you have an iPhone then we get all the benefits of iMessage. If you don’t, we can still communicate just fine. No need to configure multiple different applications to communicate with different people. It’s already built in to your phone number… why complicate things?

If you really want to have a more robust communication platform that can be used from PCs and whatnot as well as your phone, then use email, which again is universal and works across all different preferred email applications. Don’t understand the desire to gravitate towards a limited proprietary alternative to what everyone already has.

The problem with iMessage is I can only really use it with fellow iPhone users. With modern text messaging we like to now send pictures and videos and if I send any of those to someone with an Android phone, I get charged £0.50 a time outside of my contract. This is why WhatsApp has become super popular in the UK and rest of Europe.

 

[ManuCH]

Texting (SMS) is fairly universal though, no? I live in the US so I have bias based on that, but ever since the advent of texting I haven’t understood the need for a limited instant messenger. Why not just text everyone? And that’s where iMessage comes in handy. Whether or not you have an iPhone I can message you the same way. If you have an iPhone then we get all the benefits of iMessage. If you don’t, we can still communicate just fine. No need to configure multiple different applications to communicate with different people. It’s already built in to your phone number… why complicate things?

If you really want to have a more robust communication platform that can be used from PCs and whatnot as well as your phone, then use email, which again is universal and works across all different preferred email applications. Don’t understand the desire to gravitate towards a limited proprietary alternative to what everyone already has.

Regular texting (SMS) is just way too crippled to be useful in any way. It's okay for basic texts, but as soon as pictures are involved, or any other kind of feature that is actually useful (reactions, quotes, replies, etc) nothing works anymore. It's an old technology and I hope we get rid of it soon.

I actually have "all" messaging apps installed. I have my preferences, as I expressed earlier, but people can contact me on any of them and I'm available. It doesn't bother me too much, except for some apps like WhatsApp that I really consider to be "bad" for various reasons. But I won't refuse to use them or anything.

 

[purpletulip]

In China it is all about WeChat, but that's because you can literally do everything you need on WeChat. I hate using it since I know big brother watches everything. I leave in 6 weeks and can't wait!

I'm moving to the Middle East and my understanding is it as all about Whats App there. Because I have lots of friends in expat communities, WhatsApp makes sense so it doesn't have to be tied to a specific phone number when switching countries.

I kept my USA number because I think too many of my family members are tech illiterate and will complain about another app. lol

 

[akash.nu]

This is my setup, I mainly use iMessage and for android friends i use signal, if they don’t want to use signal then or iMessage then I don’t contact them! Easy

I used to use WhatsApp until Facebook bought them.



I don’t get that, why have a iPhone and not use iMessage!

Exactly. If people state they want to converse with me but won't make any real effort to do so, that tells me said people are either lying or lazy. Either way, I don't have time for either.

One thing I will not do is sacrifice security and privacy to try and be more popular.

Glad that I’m not the only one who has taken that stance with friends and family.

 

[contacos]

Everyone I know in Germany uses WhatsApp for texts. I force most people I know on iPhone to answer me on iMessage because it’s just easier when you also have an iPad but most people prefer to use WhatsApp. To be honest, it is nicer. Also, it takes a million years to send a photo on iMessage, it is almost instantly on WhatsApp.

Back home in Mexico, WhatsApp is used for EVERYTHING. My sister runs her whole clinic communication with clients via WhatsApp. They also book their vacations or wedding stuff on there. In Germany that wouldn’t even be allowed for privacy reasons and GDPR.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

A narrow social stratum as it is limited to iPhone users.

I don't use it at all.

My friends and I prefer Signal.

 

[arfbsantoso]

I have more than 500 contacts on my phone.
And only 7 of them using iMessage.

The biggest player is Whatsapp.

 

[circatee]

A narrow social stratum as it is limited to iPhone users.

I don't use it at all.

My friends and I prefer Signal.

I do wish my friends used Signal. I have no one on Signal. Not in the mood to convince people to use it...

 

[Ulenspiegel]

I do wish my friends used Signal. I have no one on Signal. Not in the mood to convince people to use it...

We have chosen it not without a reason. ?

 

[kaardowiq]

The biggest player is Whatsapp.

To be or not to be. This is...

So we can clearly see:
iMessage, FB Messenger: USA, Australia
WhatsApp: Europe (Eastern Europe mostly WA, followed by Telegram, odnoklasnsiki and vkontakti)
Asia: Weechat [mostly China] (followed by Line, WhatsApp etc.)

 

[IsaacM]

Croatia, nobody here uses iMsg

Wapp is #1

 

[Barbareren]

[…]WhatsApp makes sense so it doesn't have to be tied to a specific phone number when switching countries.

WhatsApp is actually tied to your phone number, but it only uses data, so you can use it across borders.

 

[purpletulip]

WhatsApp is actually tied to your phone number, but it only uses data, so you can use it across borders.

Except that if you change phone numbers, people on WhatsApp can still reach you without needing to know your phone number change. that's more what I meant, I just wasn't as clear.

 

[kaardowiq]

Except that if you change phone numbers, people on WhatsApp can still reach you without needing to know your phone number change. that's more what I meant, I just wasn't as clear.

Yep and often problematic. These people do not know to change their number… few month later, when the number gets reassigned, whoooop suddenly someone else makes use of the number… so much confusion.

 

[BigDO]

Resurrecting this thread - I just realized that one of the big reasons I don’t use iMessage even with people who I know use an iPhone is the fact that the app is absolutely cluttered with SMSs - OTPs, transaction notifications, spam etc - I currently see in excess of 500 unread “messages” because I just glance at them and never open them. WhatsApp is definitely more restricted to “real” communications and thus what I turn to.