Brazil’s telecommunications market has experienced significant changes in recent years. While connectivity used to be the end product, today it is just the starting point. Customers expect more; complete solutions, integrated services, and experiences that meet diverse profiles, from digitally savvy urban customers to those who value human interaction in smaller towns. 

For Vero, one of Brazil’s largest telecommunications companies and a reference in digital inclusion, this shift posed a clear challenge – how to anticipate the needs of such diverse customers and deliver value far beyond internet access? 

This is where the partnership with Infobip proves its value. We have been part of Vero’s operation from the very beginning, helping create a unified journey across all channels focused on speed, clarity, and contextual service. 

In our conversation, Tamires Bergamim, Digital Transformation Manager at Vero, shared how they are ensuring that every customer, regardless of profile or location, receives a personalized and meaningful experience. 

Digital evolution for diverse customer profiles

Vero serves audiences with very different behaviors. In large cities, customers prefer to solve everything quickly and digitally. In smaller towns, the experience takes on another layer: proximity, face-to-face conversations, and even sharing a coffee at the store. 

The challenge is balancing these two worlds without losing efficiency. With our support, Vero has also been working to transform physical stores into digitalization points: spaces that educate, guide, and encourage customers to explore new channels. This expands access and reinforces Vero’s commitment to digital inclusion, regardless of profile or location. 

WhatsApp as the communication hub

In Brazil, you simply can’t exist without WhatsApp. For Vero, it’s the primary point of contact with customers. With our platform, Vero has consolidated: 

• Portfolio change notifications 
• Appointment reminders and updates 
• Self-service flows 
• Personalized communications 

This approach delivers strong engagement, with timely responses and interactions that feel natural to the customer.

Continuous innovation and operational efficiency

Thinking about the future means rethinking every step of the journey. This mindset led Vero to evolve critical processes with WhatsApp at the center of operations. 

One example is reducing missed technical visits, especially when customers are unavailable or don’t answer. With WhatsApp Calling, Vero plans to strengthen communication between field teams and customers, making the process safer and more efficient. 

Another major advancement came with implementing WhatsApp Payments integrated with Pix. Adoption was immediate, reflecting the natural behavior of Brazilian consumers. Additionally, the solution reduced operational costs and accelerated payment cycles. 

These moves reinforce Vero’s commitment to applied innovation, always with the goal of making the customer experience engaging. 

Autonomy, agility, and intelligence in communication

The evolution of communication has also redefined the role of internal teams. Previously, creating or adjusting communication flows required constant technical support. With our platform, that has changed. Today, Vero’s marketing team has autonomy to: 

• Create complete journeys 
• Test different approaches 
• Adjust campaigns in real time 
• Analyze performance without relying on the tech department 

The outcome is speed, experimentation, and the ability to scale strategies much faster. 

Vero now benefits from smoother interactions, location identification, contextual support, and unified conversation management. This evolution is the result of a genuine co-creation relationship, where Infobip listened to feedback and implemented improvements that transformed both the product and day-to-day operations. 

The future of connectivity with AI

With AI, Vero has eliminated rigid menus and turned interactions into natural conversations, where customers simply write what they need. This reduces friction, speeds up resolutions, and enables more precise segmentation. In a sector with multiple internal systems, AI allows data unification and delivers personalized journeys for every type of customer. 

Vero and Infobip: Connecting people, business, and new possibilities 

For Tamires Bergamim, this partnership can be summed up in one word: “Amazing.” The partnership continues to evolve, combining technology, purpose, and a human touch in every journey.

Together, we are shaping the future of digital experiences in small, medium, and large cities, always guided by the real impact that connectivity brings to people’s lives.

As an international communication company working with all of the major messaging vendors globally, we have access to a range of usage and channel penetration data not publicly available. By cross referencing this with published data from analysts and proprietary data from our own platform, we have compiled what we firmly believe is the most accurate analysis of messaging app usage rates across the world.

Our aim to is to help global businesses to identify the best messaging channels for every region and every use case – to help build effective and trusted relationships with their customers.

In the context of our research, a messaging app is a software application on a mobile phone that enables users to send and receive messages, including text, audio, video, and other media, over the internet.

Unlike SMS, which relies on cellular networks, messaging apps operate using Wi-Fi or mobile data to support features like group chats, multimedia sharing, location sharing, emojis, stickers, and even voice and video calls.

If we assume that all mobile phones can receive conventional text messages (SMS) then the penetration rate for SMS would be 100% in all countries.

In most cases users need to download a messaging app to use it – this includes WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, Signal, Line and Viber.

RCS (Rich Communication Services) and Apple Messages (iMessage) are slightly different as no download is required.

In the case of iMessage – where both people are using an iPhone then the message will be transmitted via the internet. If an iMessage recipient isn’t using an Apple device or is offline, the message will automatically be sent as a traditional SMS or MMS message.

For RCS, both the sender and receiver need to have RCS enabled on their devices and their phone carrier has to support the messaging protocol.

The best messaging app for business by country

There is a great deal of diversity in the communication channels that brands use to interact with customers and prospects in countries across the world. SMS and email are commonly used across all regions, but the story is more complex for digital channels. This is because apps that are hugely popular in one country may have only a handful of users in another region or may even be blocked completely (for example WhatsApp is not available in China or Syria).

We see this trend clearly in the data from our own platform where we send upwards of 530 billion messages on behalf of businesses across the globe – covering all available digital and traditional channels.

The trend that we have been tracking for a number of years is brands adopting multiple channels to interact with their customers. Savvy businesses will lean on the expertise of their local staff and their communication platform provider to ensure they are using the channels with the highest penetration in the region. This ensures the highest delivery rates and engagement for key messages.

Across all industries, the most used combination of channels is SMS + the most popular chat app in the region. In our country analysis below, we have provided a snapshot of the messaging apps that are most popular for B2C communication.

We have also talked to Infobip colleagues from all over the world to get their take on how they use messaging apps and what their preferences are for interacting with brands.

What makes messaging apps grow?

Messaging apps usually start in a single country and then grow organically by providing new features that people like and want to share with friends and family. As the user base grows the channel becomes more attractive to businesses as they can capitalize on the increasing trend for users to prefer to use messaging for interacting with brands.

You will also find that with the global migration of the workforce people will take their favorite messaging app with them when they move to a new country – initially to keep in touch with people at home but also with new people they meet in the host country. This is why countries with a very diverse workforce like the United States, Western Europe and middle eastern states will see a large number of different apps being used.

The most popular messaging apps in the United States

Even though WhatsApp was founded in the US and Meta is based there, WhatsApp doesn’t dominate the market like it does in other countries. This is due to the prevalence of unlimited SMS plans and the popularity of iPhones and their inbuilt iMessage capability. Americans are therefore used to using SMS for both personal and business communication, which is often included in their mobile phone plans.

Meta have been working hard to promote WhatsApp as an alternate to SMS in the US – with prime-time TV ads featuring the cast of the hit TV show Modern Family. There have been signs that this has been starting to have an effect on uptake – last year Mark Zuckerberg proudly announced that the app had hit the milestone of 100 million active users.

However, time will tell if the sharp growth of RCS as a business messaging channel will put the brakes on WhatsApp’s popularity.

United States messaging app penetration rates

1. RCS – 80%
2. Instagram – 55%
3. Apple Messages – 50%
4. Messenger – 45%
5. WhatsApp – 30%

Messaging app combinations for business usage

RCS volumes have grown exponentially in North America over the past two years with a 14x increase in 2024 alone. With no dominant OTT messaging app in North America, the channel has the potential to be transformational in the market.

Over the past two years the top omni-channel combinations on our platform in the United States have been SMS & WhatsApp and SMS & Email. However, SMS & RCS and Email & RCS are both trending upwards sharply, as is SMS & Apple Messages – so we expect a shakeup of the top combinations by the end of 2025.

The most popular messaging apps in Brazil

Brazil is one of the markets where WhatsApp dominates with an 85% penetration rate. With widespread carrier support for RCS, it is also right up there with 70% of mobile phones in the country being able to receive messages.

As an important market for Meta, Brazil is one of the countries where WhatsApp Payments has been trialed. This feature enables users of the app to make purchases without leaving the app – no linking to a third-party payment portal like PayPal or Revolut – it all happens in WhatsApp.

Brazil messaging app penetration rates

1. WhatsApp – 85%
2. RCS – 70%
3. Instagram – 65%
4. Messenger – 45%
5. Telegram – 35%

Messaging app combinations for business usage

Even though WhatsApp dominates in terms of penetration in Brazil, similar to the United States there have been high levels of carrier support for RCS. This has resulted in a sharp increase in the use of RCS as a business messaging channel, particularly after September 2024 when Apple started supporting it with the release of iOS 18.

Mirroring the trend in the United States, the top omni-channel combinations on our platform in Brazil are also shifting – SMS & WhatsApp is still top but SMS & RCS is growing quickly and is likely to surpass SMS & Email in 2025.

The most popular messaging apps in India

India is another country where WhatsApp is the number one channel by some margin. Again, it is one of the regions where Meta prefers to trial new features like WhatsApp Payments and WhatsApp Business Calls.

With a population of nearly 1.5 billion, India will continue to have a huge impact on the user bases of both new and established messaging apps. An increase in users of just 5% for an app – translates to millions of new users.

India messaging app penetration rates

1. WhatsApp – 70%
2. RCS – 45%
3. Instagram – 40%
4. Messenger – 30%
5. Telegram – 20%

Messaging app combinations for business usage

Companies in India have shown a significant appetite for adopting AI. They are increasingly rolling out chatbots on WhatsApp offering real-time support, appointment booking, and many other use cases.

As mobile-first interactions dominate in India. the primary channel combinations are SMS & WhatsApp and SMS & RCS.

The most popular messaging apps in the United Kingdom

The UK is another country with a very diverse range of messaging apps in use. This is a reflection of the country’s multicultural society and its traditional role as a bridge between the Americas and Europe.

WhatsApp (65%) is widely used, as is Messenger (45%). A growing number of phones can now receive RCS, and we expect this figure to rise sharply as the trend for carrier adoption follows the North American market

United Kingdom messaging app penetration rates

1. WhatsApp – 65%
2. RCS – 60%
3. Instagram – 50%
4. Messenger 45%
5. Apple Messages – 35%

Messaging app combinations for business usage

The UK was a market where the trend for omnichannel B2C communication got early traction. Brands in the eCommerce and Retail sectors in particular were quick to embrace messaging apps like WhatsApp for use cases like promotions and delivery notifications.

SMS & Email and SMS & WhatsApp are the most common combinations that businesses use, but SMS & RCS is also growing quickly. We are also seeing other combinations being used for niche use cases as brands recognize the benefits of giving customers the option of interacting on their favorite app.

The most popular messaging apps in the Philippines

Messaging apps are very popular in the country. The Philippines is one of the strongest markets for both Messenger, with a 95% penetration rate, and Viber with a 71% penetration rate. With a young, diverse, and mobile-savvy population, WhatsApp (40%) and Instagram (25%) are also widely used.

Philippines messaging app penetration rates

1. Messenger – 95%
2. Viber – 71%
3. WhatsApp – 40%
4. Instagram – 25%
5. Telegram – 20%

Messaging app combinations for business usage

With such a diversity of messaging channels enjoying high penetration rates, we see an interesting trend in the Philippines. Rather than going all in on a particular channel, we see business favoring particular channels for specific use cases.

Messenger is becoming the go-to channel for promotional and support use cases, while for more formal business communication it is Viber that is most widely used. Its rich media features and chatbot capabilities make it well suited to finance, retail, and hospitality sectors. Our customer Metrobank is an excellent example of a financial institution using the features and widespread adoption of Viber effectively.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is used more selectively, often for personalized outreach and catalog sharing. These usage patterns reflect a shift toward mobile-first, conversational commerce in the Filipino market.

The most popular messaging apps in South Korea

KakaoTalk made its debut in 2010, quickly becoming South Korea’s go-to messaging app. Much like LINE in Japan or WeChat in China, KakaoTalk is deeply woven into daily life. People use it not only to chat, but also to order food, hail taxis, and make payments. For businesses aiming to connect with Korean consumers, KakaoTalk is an essential channel.

With 53.5 million users globally and a significant 95% adoption rate among Koreans, KakaoTalk handles over one billion messages every single day.

KakaoTalk supports a wide range of business applications—from marketing and pre-sales consultations to customer support and transactional alerts. However, companies must have a registered legal entity in South Korea to leverage KakaoTalk for business purposes.

South Korea messaging app penetration rates

1. Kakao – 95%
2. Instagram – 45%
3. WhatsApp – 20%
4. Apple Messages – 20%
5. Telegram – 15%

Messaging app combinations for business usage

It goes without saying that Kakao is the dominant messaging app in South Korea for business communications and is used for customer service, marketing, internal team messaging, and multimedia communication. Features such as official business accounts, chatbots for automated responses, and integration with services like KakaoPay and KakaoMap make it invaluable for business communications.

The formality of South Korean business culture is well suited to the unlimited text multimedia capability of email, so the main omnichannel combination that we see is Kakao & Email with SMS used as a backup channel for notifications and other time sensitive messages.

Scheduled video calls that enable face to face communication are common for meetings and presentations and are often used for introductions before switching to more informal messaging channels.

The most popular messaging apps in China

The dominant messaging app in China is WeChat with over 1.3 billion active users. Well on its way to achieving ‘super app’ status, it offers a comprehensive digital ecosystem covering social media, mobile payments, and services like ordering food and booking appointments.

QQ is also widely used, particularly among younger users, and remains popular as a desktop messaging tool for workplaces.

Other apps used in China include DingTalk, primarily for workplace collaboration, and even international apps like Telegram for users that have access to a VPN.

Most businesses realize that digital communication is the future, but many overlook the massive responsibility that comes with it: protecting customer data. With over three billion active users, WhatsApp is the world’s most popular messaging channel, making it a prime target for cyber threats. However, it is also one of the most heavily fortified platforms available.  
 
If you are using WhatsApp for business, or planning to, you need to know exactly how your data travels, where it lives, and who can see it. In this guide, we break down the mechanics of encryption, the security architecture of the WhatsApp Business API, and the actionable steps you must take to mitigate risk. 

While that single fraudulent message can cause serious damage, the bigger picture is understanding why WhatsApp security matters for every interaction your business has.

Why data security on WhatsApp matters 

With rising cyber threats and strict data-protection regulations like GDPR and CCPA, secure messaging is no longer optional, it is a critical business requirement. Companies must ensure that every interaction, from a simple support query to a sensitive transactional notification, remains private and compliant. 

With its massive global user base, WhatsApp facilitates both casual chats and high-stakes business communications, requiring a rigorous approach to security. 

Beyond keeping conversations private, businesses also need to consider where their data is stored and how that aligns with local and global regulations. 

Understanding end-to-end encryption (E2EE) 

At the core of WhatsApp data security is end-to-end encryption (E2EE), which ensures that privacy is baked into the system rather than added as an afterthought. WhatsApp uses the Signal Protocol, an open-source system built on the Double-Ratchet algorithm and strong cryptographic primitives. E2EE means that every message is locked with a unique key before it ever leaves the sender’s device. 

How E2EE works 

The encryption process is automatic and invisible to the user, but the mechanics behind it are robust. 

• Encryption: When you send a message, your device locks it using a cryptographic lock. 
• Transmission: The message travels through WhatsApp’s servers in this locked, encrypted form. 
• Decryption: The message can only be unlocked and read by the recipient’s device, which holds the unique digital key. 

What is covered by E2EE 

This protection is not limited to simple text messages; it extends to almost every form of communication on the platform. 

• Texts: Standard messages and chats. 
• Calls: Voice and video calls are fully encrypted. 
• Media: Photos, videos, and documents shared in chats. 
• Group chats: Conversations with multiple participants are protected by the same protocol. 
• Verification: Users can manually verify encryption status using QR codes or numeric security codes within the chat info screen. 

Encryption provides a strong foundation, but WhatsApp strengthens this further with additional layers of protection around accounts and usage. 

How WhatsApp implements security beyond E2EE 

While encryption is the most famous security feature, WhatsApp employs a layered defense strategy to protect user accounts and metadata. These built-in protections work in the background to prevent unauthorized access and abuse. 

• Temporary storage: Messages are not stored on WhatsApp servers permanently; they are kept only until delivery is confirmed and then deleted. 
• Privacy controls: Default settings allow users to control who sees their profile photo, last seen status, online presence, and other personal details. 
• Account protection: Security alerts notify users if a contact’s security code changes (for example, after a device change or potential breach), and optional two-step verification adds an extra layer of protection against account theft. 
• Abuse and spam detection: Automated systems help identify and block bulk messaging, spam accounts, and other abusive behavior on the platform. 

These protections apply to everyday users, but businesses using WhatsApp at scale need to understand what changes when they move to the Business and Cloud APIs. 

WhatsApp Cloud API & MM API: Data handling and privacy 

For companies scaling their communication, the WhatsApp Business API and Cloud API offer powerful tools that maintain high security standards. It’s important to note that while E2EE protects the message in transit, the business is responsible for securing the data once it’s received. Messages sent via the API remain encrypted until they reach the business’s chosen dashboard or software integration. 

• Decryption point: Messages are decrypted only within the business’s own system or their Business Solution Provider’s (BSP) infrastructure. 
• Cloud API or MM API storage: Messages processed via the Cloud API are temporarily stored for up to 30 days to ensure delivery, after which they are deleted. 
• No Meta access: Meta cannot read the content of your messages at any point during transmission or temporary storage. 
• Compliance standards: Businesses should always ensure their hosting environment follows standards like ISO 27001 and GDPR to keep decrypted customer data safe. 

Even with secure APIs and strong encryption, there are still practical risks that businesses and users must be aware of. 

Common security risks & limitations 

No system is perfectly impenetrable, and most security risks on WhatsApp stem from user behavior or external factors rather than the encryption protocol itself. It’s vital to understand where the vulnerabilities lie so you can defend against them. The primary risks often involve metadata and unencrypted endpoints: 

• Metadata visibility: While message content is hidden, metadata such as phone numbers, timestamps, and frequency of interaction is not encrypted. 
• Cloud backups: By default, backups stored on Google Drive or iCloud are not protected by E2EE unless the user specifically enables encrypted backups. 
• Unofficial clients: Third-party “mod” apps (like WhatsApp Plus) bypass security protocols and often lack encryption, exposing users to data theft. 
• Phishing scams: Attackers often use social engineering to impersonate businesses or friends to steal verification codes or personal data. 

Knowing where the weaknesses are is only useful if you act on them, which is where clear security best practices come in. 

Best practices for maximizing WhatsApp security

Maintaining a secure environment is a shared responsibility between the platform, the business, and the end-user. By following a few strategic practices, you can significantly reduce the attack surface for your communications. 

For individual users 

Individuals should focus on account hygiene and device security:  

• Enable two-step verification: Set up a PIN to prevent SIM-swapping attacks. 
• Update regularly: Keep both the WhatsApp app and your phone’s operating system updated to patch security holes. 
• Encrypt backups: Manually enable end-to-end encrypted backups in the settings menu. 
• Verify links: Avoid clicking suspicious links and verify the identity of unknown business contacts. 

For businesses using WhatsApp API 

Enterprises must implement rigorous governance over how they access and store WhatsApp data:  

• Use official BSPs: Only work with authorized Business Solution Providers and official Cloud API partners to ensure protocol compliance. 
• Obtain opt-in: Strictly follow consent rules to ensure you are only messaging customers who want to hear from you. 
• Secure hosting: Implement strong access controls and firewalls for the dashboard where customer chats are stored. 
• Regular audits: Conduct security audits of your CRM and support platforms to prevent data leaks. 

While these steps go a long way toward protecting your data today, WhatsApp and Meta are continuously evolving their security and privacy capabilities. 

Future developments & emerging features 

Meta continues to invest heavily in privacy technologies to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats. We can expect to see more granular privacy controls that give users and businesses tighter command over their digital footprint. 

Upcoming features are likely to focus on identity protection and deeper encryption integration: 

• Passkey support: Moving beyond SMS verification to biometric and cryptographic passkeys for login. 
• Chat locks: The ability to lock specific sensitive chat threads behind a biometric wall. 
• IP protection: Features that mask IP addresses during calls to prevent location tracking. 
• AI threat detection: Enhanced AI models to detect sophisticated phishing attempts and account takeovers in real-time. 

Example of a threat detection warning:

WhatsApp data security is robust, leveraging the industry-leading Signal Protocol to ensure that personal and business conversations remain private. But technology is only one part of the equation. True security requires vigilance from users and rigorous compliance from businesses. 

FAQs about WhatsApp data security

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is a carrier-based protocol designed to upgrade the SMS and MMS customer experience. It introduces features we now expect from chat apps, like high-quality media sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators directly into a native messaging app.

Though the industry initiative began in 2007, the project was formally taken over by the GSM Association (GSMA) in early 2008, with the first official specification released later that year. However, the path from those early blueprints to global adoption wasn’t a straight line.

Origins of RCS (2007–2010): Concept and early development

If you want to know when RCS was invented, you have to look back to a time when SMS was king, but the mobile internet was knocking on the door.

In 2007, a group of telecom industry promoters launched the Rich Communication Suite (RCS) initiative. Their goal was ambitious but clear. They wanted to use IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) technology to upgrade the humble text message into something richer. They envisioned a service that offered phonebook-based presence (seeing who is online), file sharing, and video sharing alongside standard text.

The industry quickly realized that for this to work, it needed a global standard.

GSMA takes the lead

The initiative gained formal structure in February 2008 when the GSMA officially took over the project. They established a dedicated steering committee to guide its development. This move signaled that RCS wasn’t just an experiment. It was the intended roadmap for the future of carrier messaging.

On September 15, 2008, the GSMA released the first official RCS specification. This document laid the technical groundwork for rich features to exist within a carrier network.

A fragmented start 

Despite the official specification, the early years were slow. Deployments between 2008 and 2010 were mostly experimental. The technology faced significant hurdles:

• Fragmentation: Different carriers interpreted the specifications in different ways, making it hard for messages to travel across networks.
• Device support: Handsets did not support RCS natively. Users often had to download specific client apps, which defeated the purpose of a seamless SMS upgrade.
• Limited reach: Without a unified approach, RCS remained a niche engineering achievement rather than a consumer product.

Early carrier deployments and the Joyn initiative (2011–2014)

By 2011, the industry realized that specifications alone were not enough. During this period, apps like Facebook Messenger were rapidly training consumers to expect rich, app-like communication features that standard SMS simply couldn’t match.

Users were getting used to seeing when a friend was typing or knowing when a message had been read. To compete with these emerging OTT apps, including WhatsApp and BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), carriers needed a consumer-facing brand that users could recognize and trust.

Enter Joyn

In 2011, the GSMA unveiled “Joyn.” This brand was intended to be the consumer seal of approval for RCS. The idea was simple: if you saw the Joyn logo on your device, you knew it was capable of rich messaging, video calls, and file sharing right out of the box.

Major European operators, including Vodafone, Orange, Movistar, and Deutsche Telekom, rallied behind Joyn. They began rolling out services in 2012, particularly in markets like Spain. Across the Atlantic, MetroPCS (now part of T-Mobile) became one of the first U.S. carriers to support RCS services in late 2012.

Why Joyn struggled to take off

Despite the heavy marketing push, Joyn failed to gain widespread traction. The initiative faced several critical hurdles that stalled adoption:

• Inconsistency: Even with the Joyn branding, the underlying implementations often differed between carriers.
• The App problem: On many devices, Joyn wasn’t truly native.Users often had to download a specific carrier app instead of using their native messaging app to access the features.
• Limited device support: Apple’s iMessage (launched in 2011) offered a seamless, rich mobile messaging experience for iPhone users, leaving Joyn to fight a fragmented battle on Android.

The rise of the cloud hub 

In 2014, Jibe Mobile launched a cloud-based RCS hub. Instead of every carrier building complex, custom connections to every other carrier, they could connect once to the Jibe hub to achieve global interoperability. This cloud-first approach would soon catch the eye of a major technology giant and change the trajectory of RCS forever.

Google acquisition and Universal Profile (2015–2016)

By 2015, the RCS ecosystem was at a crossroads. That changed in September 2015, when Google acquired Jibe Mobile.

This acquisition was a clear signal that Google intended to make RCS the standard messaging protocol for Android. By integrating Jibe’s cloud-based hub, Google could offer carriers a hosted solution. Instead of building their own complex RCS infrastructure from scratch, carriers could simply plug into Google’s Jibe platform to deploy the service.

The turning point: The Universal Profile

While Google provided the infrastructure, the industry still needed a common language. In November 2016, the GSMA released the Universal Profile (UP).

The Universal Profile was a single, globally agreed-upon set of specifications for Advanced Messaging. It defined exactly how features like group chat, high-res photo sharing, and read receipts should work across different networks and devices. This marked the moment RCS shifted from a fragmented experiment to a viable global product.

Growth era (2017–2021): Partnerships and carrier adoption

With the Universal Profile in place, the years following 2016 were defined by a race to scale.

Building the ecosystem

Momentum built quickly after the Mobile World Congress in 2016. Google began integrating RCS capabilities directly into Android Messages (now Google Messages), positioning it as the default messaging app for the Android ecosystem. This bypassed the need for users to download separate carrier apps.

By early 2020, RCS was available from 88 operators in 59 countries, creating a substantial base of RCS enabled users for the first time.

The U.S. carrier pivot

In the United States, the four major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint) briefly formed the Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI) in 2019 to build a unified RCS app. However, recognizing that Google’s solution was already scaling rapidly, the CCMI was dissolved in 2021. The carriers pivoted to adopting Google Messages as the default native messaging app on Android devices. This decision unified the U.S. market under a single, interoperable standard.

The birth of RCS for Business

As peer-to-peer adoption grew, the commercial potential emerged. The Universal Profile enabled RCS for Business, allowing brands to move beyond the 160-character limit of SMS. Between 2018 and 2021, early adopters started implementing RCS to leverage verified sender profiles, rich carousels, and suggested action buttons to drive engagement rates far higher than SMS.

RCS vs. SMS: The business upgrade

To understand why the industry fought so hard to standardize RCS, you have to look at the limitations of the technology it replaces. For decades, SMS has been the workhorse of mobile communication, but it is strictly limited to 160 characters of plain text. Implementing RCS upgrades this experience by removing those limits and adding rich interactivity.

Mainstream adoption and Apple’s entry (2022–2024)

If the previous years were about building infrastructure, 2022 to 2024 were about reaching critical mass.

By 2022, there were over one billion RCS users worldwide. Google Messages had firmly established itself as the primary texting app on most Android devices, and Samsung phased out its own messaging app in favor of Google’s, further unifying the Android ecosystem.

However, one major piece of the puzzle was missing: the iPhone.

The Apple announcement

For years, the “green bubble” vs. “blue bubble” divide meant that messaging between Android and iOS fell back to old-school SMS/MMS. That changed in November 2023, when Apple announced it would adopt the RCS Universal Profile.

iOS 18 launch

Apple officially released RCS support with iOS 18 in September 2024. This was a historic milestone. For the first time, iPhone users could exchange high-quality images, see typing indicators, and get read receipts when texting Android users.

Apple followed this up with the release of iOS 18.1, which introduced support for RCS for Business). This opened the door for brands to send rich, verified messages to iPhone users, effectively bridging the commercial divide between the two operating systems.

RCS today and the future (2025 and beyond)

As we look to 2025, RCS is poised to become the default messaging standard for the planet.

Market growth projections 

The market for rich messaging is just getting started. Research indicates massive acceleration, with total revenue expected to grow from 1.8 billion in 2024 to $8.7 billion by 2029, a staggering 370% market growth over the forecast period. This explosive growth is driven by brands shifting budget from traditional SMS to richer, interactive formats that drive higher engagement.

The Apple effect 

Apple’s entry into the ecosystem is a massive catalyst. With RCS support rolling out on iOS 18 in September 2024, the update instantly expanded the ecosystem to include millions of new RCS enabled devices worldwide. This effectively doubles the addressable market in many regions, allowing brands to reach iPhone and Android users with a single, unified rich messaging strategy.

Security and technical evolution

The future of RCS is deeply focused on privacy. Google has already rolled out end-to-end encryption for RCS chats and group messages on its platform. The next frontier is ensuring this level of encryption works seamlessly across different carriers and platforms, including Apple’s implementation.

The future of customer experience is conversational commerce, and it lives in the native inbox. We are moving toward a world where customers can browse a catalog, select a seat on a flight, and pay for a purchase directly within their phone’s native messaging app. This seamless experience allows customers to complete complex transactions in their default inbox without ever needing to download or log in to a separate application.

FAQs about the history of RCS 

Without the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), even the best SMS marketing campaigns are hard to scale, optimize, or track.

In this blog, we explain the key metrics that will help you evaluate campaign performance, from delivery to conversion. We’ll cover:

1. Delivery rate
2. Open rate
3. Click-through rate (CTR)
4. Response rate
5. Conversion rate
6. Opt-in rate
7. Unsubscribe (opt-out) rate
8. List growth rate
9. ROI

1. Delivery rate

What it is: SMS delivery rate is a metric that tracks the percentage of SMS messages that successfully reach your recipients’ devices.

Why it matters: If delivery is off, every other metric suffers. A high delivery rate indicates a clean contact list and strong infrastructure. Poor delivery impacts every other SMS performance metric.

Formula:

(Messages delivered ÷ Messages sent) × 100

Benchmark: Generally speaking, achieving a perfect 100% SMS delivery rate is impossible due to various technical factors affecting SMS deliverability. Setting a goal of over 90% is realistic, although it may vary based on network conditions in the target market.

For better delivery rates, you should:

• Remove inactive, outdated, or invalid numbers from your database using number (HLR) lookup
• Regularly maintain and clean up your number database
• Use a Tier-1 messaging provider with direct carrier connections

Related story:

2. Open rate

What it is: SMS open rate is a metric that tells you how many people likely opened your message.

Why it matters: It measures how quickly and often recipients engage with your messages. A high open rate indicates audience interest, while lower rates suggest you should refine your messaging, optimize timing, or change your offers.

But unlike Email, OTT channels or RCS, SMS doesn’t support tracking pixels or read receipts, so you can’t know exactly how many people opened your SMS messages, only estimate.

If your campaign has a trackable SMS link, measuring clicks shortly after sending can indicate open rates and high engagement.

Formula: Since SMS open rates can’t be tracked directly, CTR is often used instead, which shows the percentage of delivered messages that resulted in a link click. A click suggests the message was opened (more on CTRs in the chapter below).

This actually gives you the minimum possible open rate—all those who clicked opened the message, but others may have seen it without clicking. The true open rate may be higher, but it cannot be measured directly. 

Benchmark: Marketing stats like a “98% open rate” are often quoted for SMS. These are industry benchmarks based on calculations such as link clicks in a short period of time, user replies, or survey data, but aren’t an exact, direct measurement of open rates. 

3. Click-through rate (CTR)

What it is: If your message includes a link, CTR is the metric that tells you whether it was compelling enough to click.

Why it matters: It’s a strong indicator of engagement and interest, especially for promotional or transactional texts.

Formula:

(Messages with clicks ÷ Delivered messages) × 100

Benchmark: 6-10% is typical, depending on offer relevance and targeting. A CTR above 20% would be excellent for promotional SMS messages.

Tips to improve message CTRs:

• Personalize text messages by including names, recent behavior, or location
• Test CTA variations (“View offer” vs. “Shop now”) via A/B testing

4. Response rate

What it is: Response rate is a metric that shows how many recipients replied to your message. It’s especially important for two-way campaigns, like surveys, confirmations, or chat-based flows.

Why it matters: High response rates indicate trust and interest, and are critical for qualifying leads or collecting customer input.

Tips to improve response rates:

• Use simple, direct questions (e.g., “Reply 1 for Yes, 2 for No”)
• Trigger automated SMS replies to reduce manual work
• Personalize messages and segment by behavior for better resonance

5. Conversion rate

What it is: Conversion rate is a metric that shows how many recipients completed a desired outcome, like making a purchase or signing up.

Why it matters: It links SMS directly to business outcomes and helps evaluate ROI per campaign.

Formula:

(Conversions ÷ delivered messages) × 100

To optimize your conversion rate, try to:

• Align message timing with user behavior or sales funnel stage
• Add urgency such as countdowns, promo codes, or exclusivity
• Streamline post-click experience for mobile users

6. Opt-in rate

What it is: SMS opt-in rate is a metric that reflects how many people actively subscribed to receive your SMS updates, showing the effectiveness of your acquisition strategy.

Why it matters: A high opt-in rate indicates strong brand value, trust, and the effectiveness of your lead gen funnels. Consent builds trust and ensures legal SMS compliance.

To improve your opt-in rate, you should:

• Offer exclusive SMS-only promotions or first-time discounts
• Promote SMS signups during checkout, events, or account creation
• Use QR codes or short codes to drive mobile-friendly opt-ins

7. Unsubscribe (opt-out) rate

What it is: Unsubscribe rate is a metric that reveals how many users opted out after receiving your messages.

Why it matters: This metric is a key signal of message fatigue or misalignment. A rising opt-out rate signals that your messaging may be too frequent, irrelevant to your recipients, or poorly timed.

To keep users from unsubscribing, you should:

• Segment users more precisely to ensure relevance
• Test content formats (short vs. long, offer vs. reminder)
• Always include clear opt-out instructions
• Set frequency caps to avoid message fatigue
  

8. List growth rate

What it is: List growth rate is a metric that tracks how your subscriber base is evolving over time, balancing opt-ins and opt-outs to measure healthy momentum.

Why it matters: A healthy list growth rate ensures long-term scalability and indicates that your messaging is resonating.

Formula:

(New subscribers – Unsubscribes) ÷ Total subscribers × 100

Tips for list growth:

• Monitor opt-out triggers and segment based on engagement levels
• Automate reactivation campaigns to re-engage silent users

9. ROI (return on investment)

What it is: ROI is a metric that measures the financial return from your investment in SMS marketing, factoring in revenue vs. cost.

Why it matters: Almost goes without saying, ROI is a key metric to justify your budget and scale.

Formula:

(Campaign revenue – cost) ÷ Cost × 100

To improve your SMS marketing ROI, you should essentially try to improve all of the metrics mentioned above, from delivery to conversion rate.

Conclusion: move from “tracking” to “orchestrating”

Tracking KPIs like delivery rates and click-throughs is just the starting point. The real value comes when you use these metrics to shape your entire marketing strategy.

Instead of just getting answers to “How many clicks?”, use your SMS marketing KPIs to answer high-value questions like:

• “Is my current messaging strategy maximizing conversions and minimizing costs by matching the channel (e.g., SMS vs. email) to each use case?” → Optimize budget and cost by comparing channel performance
• “Does triggering an SMS 30 minutes after an unopened email increase conversion rates?” → Increase engagement and conversions by orchestrating omnichannel flows
• “Are customers who opt-in to SMS actually retaining longer and spending more (LTV) than email-only subscribers?” → Maximize long-term value of customers

• Get started with SMS
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At some point, you’ve probably come across an interactive voice response (IVR) system. Whether you’re trying to resolve a Wi-Fi issue, or if you’ve used voice responses to make changes to your bank account, a lot of call centers will use a guided IVR menu.   

For call centers, IVR menus can offer automated, efficient, and personalized interactions for both inbound and outbound calls making interacting with customers more convenient and simpler.  

This blog will give you a step-by-step guide on how to best implement IVR solutions in your contact center so you can always offer your customers convenience over frustration. 

What is IVR for call centers?

Interactive Voice Response, or IVR for short, is a solution that call centers use to intelligently route inbound or outbound calls based on what the caller selects. Its purpose is simple; to automate and triage calls for call centers and help alleviate wait times and increase the ability for users to complete self-service tasks over Voice. 

Inbound vs outbound IVR menus

There are two types of IVR menus, inbound and outbound. The main difference is self-explanatory, inbound IVR handles calls coming from users, and outbound reaches out to users.  

Here’s a more detailed breakdown for call centers to use to track and better plan their IVR menu usages:  

The benefits: Why should call centers be using IVR menus?

Call centers use IVR menus to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and create smoother customer experiences. Here’s a closer look at the business benefits of IVR: 

1. Reduce call volume to agents: IVRs let customers complete simple tasks like checking balances, resetting passwords, or getting order status without speaking to an agent. This frees agents for more complex issues. 
2. Improve call routing: IVRs route customers to the right team based on choices or speech recognition. This reduces transfers, shortens handling time, and increases first-call resolution. 
3. Cut operational costs: Self-service interactions are far cheaper than agent-assisted calls. IVRs help scale support while keeping your workforce the same. 
4. Provide 24/7 service: Customers can access information or perform tasks anytime, even outside business hours. 
5. Reduce wait times: A good IVR design helps callers quickly get what they need, minimizing frustration and perceived wait time. 
6. Enable personalization: With CRM or database integration, IVRs can greet callers by name, reference account info, or tailor menu options. 
7. Support high-call-volume situations: During promotions, outages, emergencies, or seasonal spikes, IVRs help absorb the surge without overwhelming agents. 
8. Improve reporting and insights: IVRs track menu choices, drop-offs, containment, and usage patterns, giving call centers data to optimize operations. 
9. Increase consistency and compliance: IVRs deliver scripted, accurate information every time, reducing the risk of incorrect or non-compliant messaging. 

IVR best practices for call centers

IVR menus are only as good as you design them to be. We’ve all experienced a terrible IVR loop, or menu that doesn’t give you the answers you need. Following these best practices will help your call center design and deploy the perfect IVR menus so you can reap the benefits.

1. Use a clear voice for the IVR menu

Customers don’t want to feel like they are talking to a robot, even though they might be. Use a human voice for your IVR, either with a voice-over actor, a text-to-speech tool, or AI. Steering away from robotic voices will help add credibility to your customer service and make customers feel like your brand is easily accessible. 

2. Keep it short and sweet 

Nothing will turn your customers off more than a lengthy IVR menu. They are looking for a fast resolution to their queries, which means your greeting messages should be very short, and your menu shouldn’t include too many options as it becomes hard to keep track of. The shorter and more efficient your menu is, the more satisfied your customers will be. 

3. Provide access to a live agent

Although IVR is ideal for self-service issues, some customers just want to speak with a representative. Always offer the option to speak with an agent at the end of your IVR menu. This also helps customers who get caught in a loop or have already decided they are calling with the intent of speaking with a representative. 

4. Offer multiple languages

If you offer services internationally, or even in regions with culturally diverse populations like the USA or UK, offering different languages on IVR menus can go a long way. This makes your services accessible to a wide range of people and will add to the overall satisfaction with your brand.

5. Use a high-quality speech recognition tool 

It will quickly become frustrating for customers if your IVR cannot understand their voice responses. Make sure you account for potential background noise, phones, and call quality. This can all impact how well your customers’ responses are recognized. Ensure you also provide enough time for a response, but not too much time where they are waiting for the next step of the menu.   brand.

6. Set up a fallback to DTMF 

Ensure you’re prepared for any scenario. For one reason or another, a speech recognition tool might not be able to pick up on your customer’s voice. In the case they are making selections by speech, and it does not work, add a fallback to dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF). Setting up a fallback makes your IVR system more reliable and easier to use, helping avoid frustrating situations for customers. 

7. Personalize your IVR system

Customers expect interactions to be personalized, and IVR is no exception. You can integrate your IVR solution into your back-end systems or use a customer data platform to ensure data and information can be used across your solutions. When a customer calls, you can recognize their phone number and use it to personalize the IVR menu presented by pulling information about the customer profile, orders made etc. making every IVR menu relevant to the respective customer. 

How to build an IVR system with Infobip (no coding required) 

Building an IVR system with Infobip is like stacking Lego blocks. Choose which blocks (elements) you want in your IVR menu and stack them up to create a strong structure that will guide customers – no coding required. 

Our customer engagement platform is ideal for call centers that are looking for a drag-and-drop or low-code approach to integrating Voice to their communication stack.

Let’s walk through how to build an inbound IVR call flow. Keep in mind, you can use a similar call flow for different use cases and change the menu details or script to fit your needs. The platform is customizable and makes building an IVR system quick and easy.  

Step 1: Select a phone number 

When you enter the platform, click Start from Scratch, then Start Inbound Call. This is where you’ll be asked to select a phone number. Remember, you can’t build an IVR system without a phone number from Infobip. You can purchase and set up a number in no time, ensuring you can continue building your IVR system without any delays. 

Step 2: Set up your menu 

You will start with a blank canvas to build your IVR flow. You’ve selected Start Inbound Call, now add the Play element. This will allow you to set up a message that your customers hear when they call you. You can use our Text-to-Speech tool, a pre-recorded audio file, or a recording of your previous IVR menu.

Here you can also choose the language and voice type you want, reproduction speed and duration of silence before the message is played.   

Step 3: Collect responses 

After your customer hears your IVR menu, you’ll need to gather their response and guide them to their desired destination. Add the Collect element to gather their answers, and what each answer will lead to in the menu. 

You can set up conditions for each answer. For example, press 1 for billing issues, press 2 for product quality concerns, and press 3 for service disruptions.

Step 4: Connect to SMS 

If a customer hangs up in the middle of your menu, you can set up an SMS message to be delivered with a link for the customer to reconnect to your IVR menu. When they click on the link, they will be directed back to the original IVR menu recording.  

Connect data from our Customer Data Platform (CDP) to personalize your IVR menus and elevate your Voice service. It makes creating IVR menus straightforward and allows you to integrate a Voice solution with as little heavy lifting as possible.

Building an IVR via API  

On the other hand, if you want a bit more control over how to customize your IVR menu and you want to embed Voice solutions into your existing tech stack, our Voice API for IVR is for you.   Voice API is a robust set of APIs that allows you to customize Voice message content and delivery as well as develop complex IVR menu scenarios.

You can get access to these add-on features with IVR over API:   

• Text-to-speech  
• Answering machine detection  
• Speech recognition  

Here’s a quick run-down on what you can do with Voice API: 

Create IVR scenario

Make an IVR system using our Voice API. You can custom create any IVR scenario using the coding language you’re comfortable with. Our detailed Voice API documentation gives you deeper insight into what elements you can mix to make a multi-level plan that fits your business.  

You can use a wide range of elements including:   

• Call API  
• Capture  
• Collect   
• Dial machine detection 

Initiate an IVR call

You can use Launch API for outbound calls or configure a custom IVR for your Voice number. You can customize any aspect of your IVR system from destinations, ring duration, sending rate and speed, and validity period.

Modify and delete scenarios

Always having an ideal IVR system means you should be regularly updating and adjusting when you see if. Updating or deleting your pre-configured IVR scenario can be done using the DELETE method, so there’s no need to make a new IVR menu from scratch each time.  

IVR FAQs

Personalized, real-time communication has become the standard expectation for travelers everywhere. People no longer want to wait on calls. They expect brands to respond instantly, in the same channels they use every day. Messaging apps are now at the center of this new way of interacting, which is why brands must adapt to provide timely and relevant experiences. 

We spoke to Caroline Launois, VP of Digital Sales at Club Med, and Siddhartha Chatterjee, Chief Data & AI Officer, about how AI and WhatsApp messaging are improving travel CX. 

Engaging customers where they already are

For Club Med, great customer experience starts with accessibility and simplicity. Travelers are busy, mobile-first, and often planning on the go. The brand recognized that in order to truly meet customer expectations, it needed to engage people directly in the environments where they spend time.

Conversations that keep you moving

With Infobip’s platform, Club Med combines smooth messaging flows with AI intelligence. It gives travelers the ability to start a conversation anytime, without waiting for an agent to be available. This approach improves response times and internal workflows, allowing teams to handle higher volumes of inquiries.   

AI-powered omnichannel journeys

Our platform allows Club Med to build flexible, omnichannel experiences, integrating APIs with their AI systems and internal data sources to ensure smooth communication. 

WhatsApp enables the brand to:

• Respond 24/7
• Automate conversations when appropriate
• Deliver timely, relevant information

Together, these capabilities meet travelers’ growing demand for effortless service.

Siddhartha notes that 52% of customers expect fast, instant responses, emphasizing the value of timely, accurate communication across all channels.

Club Med is using WhatsApp in 15 markets, handling one-third of all inbound contacts, with 42% of conversations automated to date.

Guiding travelers every step of the way

With more travelers planning their trips online from start to finish, messaging platforms have become key touchpoints between travelers and brands.

Combined with AI, they transform how people research destinations, ask questions, and make bookings, all within a single, uninterrupted conversation. AI guides travelers through every step while automatically delivering the right information at the right time.  

The result is faster responses, smoother journeys, and more meaningful connections with every guest.

Infobip’s focus on customer experience through WhatsApp

Club Med is adapting as AI-driven, omnichannel engagement becomes the new standard. Instead of siloed interactions, travelers get a streamlined journey through WhatsApp, that feels personal, connected, and always available.

By putting customers first, Club Med and Infobip demonstrate what great CX looks like: faster, smarter, and more efficient experiences that make travel planning as effortless as the vacation itself.

Viber is a messaging app that in 2025 is used by over 1 billion people globally and is the most popular app in several significant markets including Philippines, Bulgaria, and Greece. Brands that operate in the regions where it is popular have recognized the value of incorporating the app into their business communication – and this includes deploying chatbots on the channel.

Viber bots are a great way for businesses to reduce the cost of customer service, boost engagement and retention with bold marketing campaigns, and automate a lot of transactional messages. They allow brands to offer around-the-clock service without the overhead of human staff. In this blog we cover everything you need to know to design and build a Viber chatbot, with step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow.

The types of Viber chatbot that you can build

There are two main types of chatbot, each with its unique strengths and features:

• Rule-based Viber chatbots: These chatbots provide a pre-configured menu of options for users to select from. They are the quickest and easiest to set up but can be incredibly useful for answering day-to-day queries that customers would previously have called a contact center to answer. Anything from store opening hours, product availability, and account balances can be provided via a simple set of options.
• Intent-based Viber chatbots: These are more sophisticated chatbots that can be designed to provide a more conversational experience for people interacting with them. They take longer to build as they use natural language processing (NLP) and need to be ‘trained’ to understand multiple words and phrases and user intents. However, they can be incredibly flexible and a real asset to any business that wants to showcase its creativity and market leadership.

Matching chatbot type with use case

To help you choose the best type of chatbot for your use case we have expanded on the types of chatbot and what they can be used for. This should help you choose the right tool for the job and avoid over-engineering the solution.

Static informational bots

You might consider these automated responses rather than chatbots as they don’t support what we would consider two-way chat. However, they can be very useful in providing information or directing customers to another channel when there isn’t a person available to reply to a message. For example “Thank you for your message. Our store is closed right now, but you can explore our website to find and purchase the products that you are interested….”

Interactive Viber chatbots

These chatbots flex the strengths of rule-based chatbots to enable two-way communication with users using workflows that are simple to build, but also incredibly useful and flexible. The user chooses options via a guided set of menu options that can include buttons, and quick replies.

They can be used effectively for all sorts of use cases including providing answers and gathering information from the customer in a secure way, for example Gender, Number of dependents, Preferred check-in time and any data point that can be provided via a set of options or free text field.

Transactional Viber chatbots

By integrating your Viber bot into your operational systems means that you can use it for a host of transactional use cases. Enable users to complete actions like booking appointments, placing orders, or making even making payments via integrations with payment systems like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and other local alternatives.

Conversational AI Viber chatbots

Use NLP and machine learning to enable natural conversations over the Viber channel. These chatbots can really chat by understanding intent and provide contextual responses. They are most suitable for advanced customer support or conversational marketing use cases.

How to build a Viber chatbot in 6 simple steps

If you would like to try building your own Viber chatbot you can register for a free account on our website and request a demo by clicking the following option:

You can then request access to our chatbot building platform where you can follow these simple steps to create a working Viber chatbot in under half an hour.

Step 1 – Getting started

Once you have logged into your new account, select the Chatbots option from the menu on the left.

Click Create Chatbot and then Start from Scratch.

Give your chatbot a name and select Viber from the dropdown menu (depending on your region, you may need to ask your Infobip account representative to add Viber to your account).

This will open the main chatbot builder canvas.

The Build section on the right of the screen has a set of tools that can be used by dragging and dropping them onto the workspace. You can use these to build up the structure and flow of your automated Viber chat.

The tools (called elements) are separated into three categories based on their function – but they all work in exactly the same way: Drag onto the workspace > Configure > Link to conversation flow.

You will get the hang of it really quickly once you start using them.

Step 2 – Add a welcome message

Every good conversation starts with a friendly greeting, right?

Drag and drop a Text element onto your workspace from the Chatbot sends menu.

You can then add some welcome text and maybe a question to kick off the engagement. Any answers that the person provides can be saved and used later in the chat, so they don’t have to keep repeating basic information like name, account number, or postcode.

Everyone is different and uses language in a slightly different way so there will always be times when the chatbot can’t quite understand what the person has asked, or maybe they have foreign characters on their keyboard. This is when the Repeat and Fallback options can be used to provide a more seamless experience.

Step 3 – Display options for users to select

By providing a set of options for users to select from, the chatbot can answer increasingly complex queries with cascading sub-menus.

Our example will only have one set of options, but you can go as deep as you like by following the same process.

Add a Send Text dialogue that asks the person to make a selection from the list that we will configure in the next step.

Next, you need to link the introductory text to the list of options by adding a Go To Dialog element and then a Text element to introduce the menu and specify the list of options it will contain.

It is a really good idea to use the Delay option to provide a bit of time for the person to read the text you are displaying and make a decision on what they would like to do. You’ll find it under Bot Actions.

The next step is to add a User Input element (you can find it under the Bot Receives menu). This will process the response that the person replies with. You can add Synonyms to handle multiple forms of response and make the chat more flexible.

Step 4 – Link responses to actions

You will then need to create an Action for each of the options that the user might choose. This can be done by configuring a Go To Dialog for each option.

You can be extra creative when creating your actions by including rich media like image carousels and videos for added engagement possibilities.

• If your customer requests the address of their nearest store send them the geolocation using the Location attribute.
• If a user requests information about one of your products, why not send them a video.

To do this you just drag the relevant element onto the workspace and link or upload the media you are sharing.

Step 5 – Time to say goodbye

The final step in the build process is to configure a seamless exit path from the chat.

Once you have confirmed that the person has got what they came for you can sign off the chat or loop them back to the menu of options.

To close and reset the chatbot interaction add a final Close session attribute. This can also optionally delete any saved data – or it can be copied to your customer database to enrich future interactions with the person.

Step 6 – Testing

It is always a good idea to make use of the Simulation option to thoroughly test your chatbot before you deploy it. Ask colleagues or friends to try it out too as fresh eyes often find issues or inconsistencies that the creator didn’t see.

When it is time to deploy your chatbot, just click Activate and it will be live!

This is basic example of a rule-based chatbot. Using the same methodology, you can go on to create highly sophisticated Viber chatbots that use natural language processing to understand customer intent to facilitate more conversational chat interactions.

Check out the following video which shows how to incorporate elements of gamification into your Viber bot to boost engagement with your customers.

Viber chatbot integration options

For businesses to get the most value from the Viber channel it makes sense to integrate it into their existing communication stack so that it can work alongside other channels like SMS and email. With Infobip there are a number of integration options:

1. Add Viber chatbots to your cloud contact center

With a cloud contact center, you can ensure a connected and consistent experience
and provide the same level of service no matter how customers get in touch, including via your Viber chatbot. Backed with a customer data platform both agents and chatbots always have access to the customer history and context they need to resolve issues quickly.

2. Create a unified messaging platform

Our Messages API is the ideal solution for businesses that want to use Viber chatbots and Viber Business Messages, and other messaging channels with a single unified API. Since Viber Business Messages is based on the recipient’s phone number and Viber Bots is ID based, both audiences can be covered with a single integration.

3. Add Viber chatbots to your own communication stack

The Viber chatbot API enables businesses to integrate Viber Bots as a messaging channel into their own systems. With Infobip, they can continue to use the channel after the free message limit has been exceeded.

Viber chatbot pricing

We strongly recommend that you use the calculator on our Viber pricing page to work out precise costs for your region, volumes, and use cases.

The following are general guidelines and do not constitute a formal quote.

• There is no charge from Viber for building and deploying a chatbot, but there is a monthly maintenance fee of about €100 under the new commercial terms.
• Welcome Messages that you can automate when a person first initiates a chat with your app are.
• After a person initiates a chat, subsequent session messages are free within a 24-hour window.
• Chats that are initiated by a chatbot are paid when sent outside an active session.
• Businesses get 10,000 free outbound messages per month, then pay per message based on the recipient’s country.

FAQ

WhatsApp has established itself as the world’s dominant messaging platform. As of May 2025, WhatsApp has 3 billion monthly users and handles over 150 billion messages every day. 

In this blog, we bring you the latest statistics and trends, including 2025 WhatsApp Business adoption insights that reveal how massive WhatsApp’s impact has become. 

Global user base & growth 

• Current global users: WhatsApp has more than 3 billion monthly active users worldwide as of March 2025 (Source: Statista) 
• Projected users 2025: WhatsApp is expected to reach 3.14-3.2 billion users by the end of 2025 (Source: Sociallyin) 
• Daily active users: Approximately 2.3 billion daily active WhatsApp users, representing roughly 83% of monthly active users (Source: Resourcera) 

Usage & engagement metrics 

Messaging volume

• Messages sent daily: Over 150 billion messages are exchanged daily on WhatsApp as of June 2024, representing a 150% increase from 100 billion messages in 2020 (Source: SQ Magazine)
• Message content: Users send over 7 billion voice messages daily, plus 19 billion daily media transfers including 6.5 billion videos (Source: TechCrunch) 

Historical message growth: 

(Source: Statista)

User engagement patterns 

• Average time spent: Users spend approximately 38 minutes daily on WhatsApp, totaling 17-20 hours per month per user 
• Daily active usage: 80%+ of users check WhatsApp daily, making it one of the most frequently accessed applications 
• Message read rate: 88% of messages are read within 5 minutes, and 98-99% open rate for all messages, significantly exceeding email’s 20-21% open rate 
• Group chat dominance: 41-57.5% of total message volume originates from group chats, with the average group containing 27 members 

(Source: SQ Magazine)

• WhatsApp Channels record growth: WhatsApp Channels achieved 500 million monthly active users by June 2024, just one year after launch (Source: Ayo News) 

Regional analysis 

We compiled data from multiple sources to create what we believe is the most accurate list of the top messaging apps across 30 countries and here is where WhatsApp is the leading platform:

• Brazil: One of the markets where WhatsApp dominates with an 85% penetration rate 
• Indonesia: WhatsApp leads messaging apps with 65% penetration among phone users globally 
• India: 70% of the population uses the app 
• United Kingdom: WhatsApp penetration in the UK is about 65% of the population 
• Argentina: WhatsApp reaches 80% penetration across the population
• Colombia: Usage of WhatsApp stands at 75% nationwide 
• Italy: WhatsApp adoption is strong, with a 75% penetration rate
• Mexico: Around 75% of people in the country use WhatsApp
• Spain: WhatsApp has one of its highest adoption levels here, at 85%
• Ireland: WhatsApp is widely used, reaching 75% penetration
• Israel: The app sees exceptionally high usage, with a 90% penetration rate
• Kuwait: WhatsApp is used by 90% of the population
• Malaysia: Adoption of WhatsApp is high, reaching 90%
• Singapore: About 90% of residents use WhatsApp 
• South Africa: WhatsApp usage reaches 70% penetration
• Switzerland: The app is popular, with 85% penetration 
• UAE: WhatsApp sees very high adoption, reaching 90% 
• Hong Kong: WhatsApp is the clear leader with 90% penetration

Engagement by age group (Global) 

• Most active age group: Users aged 26-35 represent the most active demographic globally, followed by those aged 36-45 
• Gen Z adoption: 50% of Generation Z globally cite WhatsApp as their favorite messaging app, though Snapchat and Instagram DMs compete for preference in the US market 
• Older adults: Users aged 50 and above show significant engagement, particularly for family group chats and community organizing 

(Source: Thunderbit)

Voice & video communication 

• Voice and video calls: WhatsApp enables over 5.5 billion voice calls and 2.4 billion video calls per month as of Q2 2025, totaling over 2 billion minutes of calls daily 
• Daily engagement: 100 million+ voice calls are made daily, with an average call duration of 9.7 minutes 
• Video call growth: Video calling usage increased 20% year-over-year, driven by remote work adoption and virtual family gatherings 
• Global adoption: In the United States alone, 34% of users mention WhatsApp as their primary video calling platform 

(Source: SQ Magazine)

WhatsApp business statistics 

Business adoption 

• Business account users: Over 50 million businesses worldwide use WhatsApp to connect with customers (Source: Electroiq) 
• Business API adoption: 5 million businesses use the WhatsApp Business API for enterprise-level messaging 
• eCommerce customer journey: 53% of retailers automate messaging over WhatsApp Business Platform (Source: Infobip CX Maturity in retail report) 

• Daily business interactions: 175 million people message a business account daily, demonstrating significant B2C engagement 
• Catalog views: Over 40 million customers view business catalogs on WhatsApp monthly 

Business engagement metrics 

• Message open rate: 98% open rate for WhatsApp Business messages, vastly exceeding email’s ~20% open rate (Source: WhatsApp) 
• Click-through rates: 45-60% CTR for promotional content (Source: Thunderbit) 

• Customer satisfaction: 70% of businesses report improved customer satisfaction after WhatsApp adoption (Source: Thunderbit) 

• Conversion rates: 40-45% of businesses use WhatsApp for customer support, with businesses experiencing 120-127% improvement in conversation and conversion rates (Source: Business Dasher) 

WhatsApp milestone moments