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Other how popular is iMessage in your home country?

circatee said:
Not sure if I previously mentioned it here. But, I have since deleted WhatsApp. Not a fan of anything related to Facebook. However, ‘friends’ had often pressed me to have and use WhatsApp.

Honestly, I just don’t get it. If I really need to contact me, send an iMessage, Text, Email or just phone me…
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I only download those APPs if I definitively cannot be informed/communicate without them.

I do understand WhatsApp's appeal for Europeans. its cheaper for their market and is cross platform.

Last messaging platform I downloaded was GroupMe for College/university group project. then I deleted it once the project was finished.

while easy and or convenient for others. I try my best to protect my privacy. I'll make the sacrifices here and there, when necessary.

but overall, I'll always go on the side of "no thanks, don't want it, don't need it"

I always ask myself the question "is our relationship important/strong enough that both of us would be willing to go out of our ways to direct message/communicate with one another that's not popular/convenient?"

if the answer is no, our relationship isn't that important to us/me. sorry.

BTW . im a Gen Y Millenial that deleted/deactivated Facebook in 2013... back then I asked myself the same question.
 
Snapchat > iMessage = fb messenger >>> WhatsApp in terms of how much I prefer it. WhatsApp’s interface seems so dated, I don’t think it’s changed since about 2012. It’s still the most popular here though (UK) and I get the impression to an even greater extent in Europe

Telegram is almost totally unheard of though, and is mainly the domain of terrorists and paedos
 
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This is an interesting thread, actually.
I am located in Germany and it is true, iMessage is not non-existent, but people are really into WhatsApp.
I don't use WhatsApp.
As other users have stated here, my setup is iMessage for everyone who has an iPhone and Signal for cross-platform messaging or people who don't want to use iMessage. I also have Threema installed on my iPhone, if someone wishes to contact me there. Both Threema and Signal are trustworthy secure messaging services that I can accept.
Since most of my closer family and friends own iPhones, iMessage is the app I use the most.
 
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As others have stated, WhatsApp was the first free messaging app at a time when the UK carriers were still charging for SMS/MMS and it was cross platform.

So it became the default app for most people in the UK and given that people are always resistant to change (even with all the privacy talk) that’s how it will continue to be.
 
Curious, side question. For those in Europe, do carriers charge for iMessage, i.e. do not merely charge it as free, since it is ‘data’?

Seems some countries charge iMessage differently.
 
The only thing carriers in Europe charge for iMessage is the initial activation SMS since the message has to be sent to a UK number. Thus every time I get a new iPhone, I pay around 20 Serbian dinars (a bit less than $0.2) for the international SMS and from then on I get charged for 4G data only (when not on WiFi, obviously).

Carriers couldn’t charge per message for iMessage even if they wanted to since the traffic is encrypted and all they can see is that a device is talking to Apple servers and exhanging some data. They can’t ever be sure it’s iMessage traffic so no way to apply additional charges. Charging per message would defeat the purpose of iMessage to a certain extent.
 
ppetrovic said:
The only thing carriers in Europe charge for iMessage is the initial activation SMS since the message has to be sent to a UK number. Thus every time I get a new iPhone, I pay around 20 Serbian dinars (a bit less than $0.2) for the international SMS and from then on I get charged for 4G data only (when not on WiFi, obviously).

Carriers couldn’t charge per message for iMessage even if they wanted to since the traffic is encrypted and all they can see is that a device is talking to Apple servers and exhanging some data. They can’t ever be sure it’s iMessage traffic so no way to apply additional charges. Charging per message would defeat the purpose of iMessage to a certain extent.
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Hmm, I see. My mate and I were communicating via iMessage (UK to USA and vice versa), and at the end of the month, received a massive bill.

Hence, my question…
 
circatee said:
Hmm, I see. My mate and I were communicating via iMessage (UK to USA and vice versa), and at the end of the month, received a massive bill.

Hence, my question…
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I think there is an option to use SMS if iMessage doesn't work. Perhaps that was toggled on?
 
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KOTN91 said:
Snapchat > iMessage = fb messenger >>> WhatsApp in terms of how much I prefer it. WhatsApp’s interface seems so dated, I don’t think it’s changed since about 2012. It’s still the most popular here though (UK) and I get the impression to an even greater extent in Europe

Telegram is almost totally unheard of though, and is mainly the domain of terrorists and paedos
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What an uneducated comment referring to Telegram. The app is by far the best communication system I’ve ever had the pleasure of using.
 
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circatee said:
Hmm, I see. My mate and I were communicating via iMessage (UK to USA and vice versa), and at the end of the month, received a massive bill.

Hence, my question…
Click to expand...
I’ve sent plenty of iMessages to the UK from the USA and never been charged. He probably doesn’t want to chat to you anymore so used that excuse 🤣
 
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Here in the Netherlands it’s all WhatsApp. Friends and family are all there, and if I receive someone’s private phone number it’s quite likely they will be on there too.

When WhatsApp’s terms and conditions changed (because of Facebook) a few people switched to Signal, enough that I have that installed alongside WhatsApp.

Apple’s market share of the smartphone market here is only about 10%, most people have Android phones so imessage is not used much.
 
While I’m an iMessage user I do have family outside the USA so Viber and whatsapp are vital. It’s better than using calling cards
 
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