WhatsApp Hits 3 Billion Users, Meta Eyes AI Growth in U.S.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has revealed that WhatsApp has crossed the 3 billion user mark, placing it among a select group of platforms — including Facebook — to reach such a scale. The announcement came during Meta’s first-quarter earnings call, where the company laid out its strategy for expanding AI adoption globally.

Zuckerberg acknowledged that while WhatsApp plays a central role in delivering Meta’s AI tools around the world, its dominance in the U.S. remains limited due to entrenched preferences for built-in messaging apps. “We hope to become the leader over time [in the U.S. messaging market], but we’re in a different position there than we are in most of the rest of the world on WhatsApp,” he said.

To address this, Meta is leaning on its standalone Meta AI app to establish a foothold in the U.S. AI space. Zuckerberg described the app as essential for becoming the go-to personal AI assistant for American users, though he stressed that Meta will continue enhancing AI experiences across all its platforms.

WhatsApp, which reached 2 billion users in 2020, has grown without introducing ads or charging for access. The app remains one of Meta’s key channels for distributing AI-powered features.

Meta CFO Susan Li confirmed that WhatsApp continues to lead in AI engagement across the company’s suite of applications. “We see people engage with Meta AI from several different entry points. WhatsApp continues to see the strongest Meta AI usage across our family of apps,” she noted.