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When it comes to talking, sending messages, and taking video calls, everyone has their personal preference as to which platform is their favorite. Whether it’s an establishment looking for a more reliable business communication system or the average person looking for a simple change, finding out which one is best or more favored to use can be challenging. Some people hate the green bubble; others don’t mind it. Some like an easier email-to-video call integration, and others might prefer a more complex version.
This led us to wonder which video and messaging platforms are the most preferred worldwide.
So we dug into the most popular video and messaging platforms in each country across major players like iMessage, WhatsApp, Google Messages, Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, based on search demand data for each platform across 100 countries, to find out which one across video and messaging is heavily favored around the world.
The Most Popular Messaging Platforms by Country
Of the 100 countries listed, WhatsApp emerged as the #1 most preferred messaging platform globally.
While Apple and iMessage have won over in a few key areas, 72% of the countries listed prefer WhatsApp, as the platform is actively changing many people’s minds about their go-to SMS platform for personal use.
Over 3 billion people worldwide love WhatsApp and use it often, because it’s easy to add features users really want. The platform allows people to communicate easily with anybody on any operating system with minimal issues.
Features like the recent Group Message History allow new group chat members to see up to 100 previous messages when they join—solving the “What did I miss?” feeling that iMessage and Android users occasionally experience when joining a group chat.
The Most Popular Video Platforms by Country
When it comes to meeting face-to-face virtually, Google Meet ranks as the most preferred platform worldwide.
Nearly half of the 100 countries listed prefer to use Google Meet over heavy hitters like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, with a combined search demand of over 11 million queries for the platform. Millions of people globally use Google products for a multitude of tasks, whether it’s to search the internet, receive emails, send messages, or even take video calls, so it’s no surprise that Meet is many people’s go-to.
The Most Popular Messaging Platforms by State
Google Messages leads the pack as the #1 most preferred communication platform in the U.S.
We studied the top conferencing platforms used in the United States. Most Americans know that the U.S. has been heavily dominated by Apple and iOS, but we’ve seen a recent shift in the platforms that people are leaning towards, with Google Messages taking top spot in the U.S.
With 60% of the country showing recent online interest in the platform, it seems that, in an iPhone- and iMessage-dominant country like the U.S., there’s decent demand for Android- and Google-based communication tools as users look for better ways to bridge the “green bubble” gap.
Around 61% of U.S. phone users have an iPhone, but Android cell phone adoption in the U.S. has been creeping up as of late—at around 39%. This signals that there’s a massive demand for Android- and Google-based communication tools amongst users looking for better ways to keep the green bubble alive.
The Most Popular Video Platforms by State
When it comes to meeting face-to-face virtually, Google Meet is the most preferred platform nationwide.
Of the 50 states, 31 prefer Google Meet over players like Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
It looks as if many Americans like the simplicity and easy integration Google Meet provides, and it makes sense. Something that may be misunderstood and lost in translation between emails can be solved easily by a simple click—switching from Gmail to Google Meet through a calendar invite in a matter of seconds, which the other platforms can’t do.
Methodology
To uncover the communication preferences of every country and U.S. state, we’ve analyzed search demand data for platforms—including WhatsApp, iMessage, Google Messages, Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams—and ranked these metrics to identify the primary virtual meeting and messaging tool favored in each country and U.S. state.
