iMessage Revenue and Growth Statistics (2024)

Key iMessage user stats. Includes data on the number of active users, market share, availability, and more.
iMessage Revenue and Growth Statistics (2024)
Last updated on:
December 29, 2023
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iMessage Key facts

  • In 2022, iMessage users accounted for approximately 16.25% of the global population
  • The number of iMessage users around the world was estimated to be 1.3 billion in 2022
  • Users of iMessage spend, on average, 1 hour and 36 minutes per day using the iMessage app
  • iMessage has approximately 1 billion, monthly active users
  • An estimated 8.4 billion messages are shared on iMessage each day
  • iMessage users account for approximately 17% of the instant messaging market in the United States.

Overview about iMessage

iMessage, Apple's messaging service that is installed from factory in every Apple devices has some awesome numbers to show. Let's look at them!

Key StatsKey Info
Initial Release DateOctober 12, 2011
Headquarters1 Apple Park Way, Cupertino, California, U.S.A
DevelopersApple Inc.
Supported PlatformsiPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac
Operating system(s)iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS
Available languages12 languages
Websitehttps://support.apple.com/explore/messages

iMessage: Number of users

The number of iMessage users around the world was estimated to be 1.3 billion in 2022.

Graph about iMessage: Number of users
YearNumber of iMessage Users
20221.3 billion users
20211.08 billion users
2020895.57 million users
2019743.32 million users
2018616.96 million users
2017512 million users
2016425 million users
2015352.77 million users
2014292.79 million users
2013243 million users
2012201.71 million users

With Apple being such a popular company making devices loved by everyone all over the world, iMessage has always been popular and had many users.

In 2021, iMessage reached the 1 billion user milestone.

Source: Android Authority

What proportion of people in the world use iMessage?

iMessage users account for approximately 16.25% of the global population, as of 2022. That makes 8 billion people on iMessage.

Graph about proportion of people in the world use iMessage
YearNumber of iMessage UsersWorld Population% of iMessage Users' by World Population
20221.3 billion users8 billion people16.25%
20211.08 billion users7.88 billion people13.71%
2020895.57 million users7.82 billion people11.45%
2019743.32 million users7.74 billion people9.60%
2018616.96 million users7.66 billion people8.05%
2017512 million users7.60 billion people6.74%
2016425 million users7.49 billion people5.67%
2015352.77 million users7.40 billion people4.77%
2014292.79 million users7.31 billion people4.01%
2013243 million users7.22 billion people3.37%
2012201.71 million users7.14 billion people2.83%

In 2012, 'only' 2.83% of the world's population was using iMessage.

Source: United Nations

iMessage Monthly Active Users

iMessage has approximately 1 billion monthly active users.

This means that with each new month, there are 1 billion users who open the simply open the app - whether they're sending messages or not.

Infographic about  iMessage Monthly Active Users

iMessage usage by country (iMessage market share by country)

In 2022, it was encouraging to see how many users in the US, the UK, Germany, and other countries were aware of the iMessage app.

Furthermore, the number of iMessage users has increased in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and other countries, allowing iMessage to gain a larger market share in the instant messaging industry.

CountryPercentage of iMessage Brand AwarenessPercentage of iMessage PopularityPercentage of iMessage Usage Share
United States71%35%34%
United Kingdom76%34%33.00%
Germany55%14%12.00%
Others67%27%26.00%

Source: Statista 1, Statista 2, Statista 3

What is the average time spent on iMessage by users?

According to a survey, iMessage users engage with the app for at least four minutes every hour on average.

This suggests that users of iMessage spend, on average, 1 hour and 36 minutes per day using the iMessage app.

Infographic about users average time spent using iMessage

How many messages are exchanged on iMessage every day? (Global iMessage Message Volume Per Day)

A study found that a daily average of 41 messages are sent to and received by active instant message users.

Given the propensity of iMessage users to participate in the study's pre-survey, this will show that each iMessage user exchanges an average of 7 messages on the iMessage platform each day, reflecting the platform's 17% market share in the instant messaging industry.

As a result, an estimated 8.4 billion messages are shared daily on iMessage.

Number of Messages Exchanged on iMessage
Every Minute5.8 million messages
Every Hour350 million messages
Every Day8.4 billion messages
Every Month252 billion messages
Every Year3 trillion messages

Source: Geek Wire

How many Operating Systems does iMessage support?

iMessage is compatible with the following Operation Systems; iOS, iPad-OS, mac-OS, and watch-OS.

How many iMessage iOS downloads are there?

Given that the iOS operating system-compatible iPhones and other Apple devices come pre-installed with iMessage, more than 1.2 billion people have the iMessage app on their devices.

Source: Apple Store

How does iMessage make money? (iMessage business model)

Since its introduction iMessage has remained a freemium service. As a result, iMessage does not bring in money for Apple.However, Apple recently proposed developing an extremely secure iMessage and other iOS apps that would be offered as premium apps to highly targeted digital victims.

Source: Tech Republic

What is iMessage market share in the mobile messenger apps industry?

iMessage users account for approximately 17% of the instant messaging market in the United States.

Where is iMessage available?

iMessage is available anywhere there is an internet connection to the internet with another iMessage user.

What is iMessage Pay? (iMessage payment service)

Only Americans can use the iMessage Payment service, a feature of the iMessage platform, to send money to their contacts.

In the Messages app and the Wallet app, you can quickly and easily send, receive, and request money using Apple Cash.

You can use the cards you already have in Apple Pay, and there's no need to download any additional apps.

Money that you receive in Messages is added to your Wallet Apple Cash card.

Is payment via iMessage safe?

Yes, making a payment via iMessage is secure. You can trust that your money will be sent securely and safely using this service because all iMessage messages are fully encrypted.

How do I use iMessage Pay to get money?

On the iMessage app;

  • Tap the Apple Cash button in an iMessage conversation, then enter the amount.
  • Tap Pay and then leave a comment (optional).
  • Tap the Send button to finish the payment, then authenticate it with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

Where is the iMessage Pay service available?

iMessage Payment features are only available for users in the U.S. for now.

Who developed iMessage?

Apple Inc. created the instant messaging service iMessage, which debuted in 2011.

iMessage FAQ

Can someone read your messages on iMessage?

iMessage is designed specifically for iPhone: messages sent between two Apple devices with iMessage enabled are always end-to-end encrypted.

If an iMessage user sends a text to an Android device, there will be no encryption.

FAQs

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About the author

Ch Daniel is the co-founder of SignHouse and chairman of the CH Group. Daniel is leading the development of SignHouse's product, as well as strategising how else the company can reach its main mission: empowering 100M+ to use the world's most efficient document organisational tools.