Brandwave

Messaging apps:Which are searched most?

In September 2026, WhatsApp was the most searched among messaging apps worldwide, with an estimated 277M branded searches and 85.5% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, September 2026
  1. WhatsApp85.5%
  2. Discord9.4%
  3. Messenger4.2%
  4. Signal0.31%
  5. Viber0.31%
  6. WeChat0.25%

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Share of SearchLeaderboard

Compare the messaging apps people chat on. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for WhatsApp, Discord, Messenger. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthWhatsAppDiscordMessengerSignalViberWeChat
Oct 202579.7%13.1%5.9%0.43%0.53%0.35%
Nov 202580.7%13.3%4.9%0.44%0.44%0.29%
Dec 202577.4%15.6%5.7%0.51%0.51%0.34%
Jan 202677.4%15.6%5.7%0.51%0.51%0.34%
Feb 202679.7%13.1%5.9%0.53%0.53%0.29%
Mar 202680.7%13.3%4.9%0.44%0.44%0.29%
Apr 202682.8%11.1%5%0.37%0.45%0.3%
May 202680.8%13.3%4.9%0.36%0.44%0.29%
Jun 202682.8%11.1%5%0.37%0.45%0.3%
Jul 202682.9%11.1%5%0.3%0.37%0.3%
Aug 202680.8%13.3%4.9%0.36%0.36%0.29%
Sep 202685.5%9.4%4.2%0.31%0.31%0.25%

This month’s ranking, September 2026

  1. 1.WhatsApp

    85.5%

    Held 1st. 277M estimated branded searches, +22.6% vs prior month. Share +4.7 points.

  2. 2.Discord

    9.4%

    Held 2nd. 30.4M estimated branded searches, -18.3% vs prior month. Share -3.9 points.

  3. 3.Messenger

    4.2%

    Held 3rd. 13.6M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.

  4. 4.Signal

    0.31%

    Held 4th. 1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.Viber

    0.31%

    Held 5th. 1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  6. 6.WeChat

    0.25%

    Held 6th. 823K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare search popularity between leading brands

Which brand is most popular in search among messaging apps worldwide?

In September 2026, WhatsApp was the most searched among messaging apps worldwide, with an estimated 277M branded searches and 85.5% estimated Share of Search within this set. Discord is in 2nd place, 76.2 percentage points behind at 9.4% Share of Search.

Global messaging apps, last 12 months ending September 2026
BrandShare of SearchPeakLowRank
WhatsApp79.7% → 85.5%85.5%Sep 202677.4%Dec 20251st
Discord13.1% → 9.4%15.6%Dec 20259.4%Sep 20262nd
Messenger5.9% → 4.2%5.9%Feb 20264.2%Sep 20263rd
Signal0.43% → 0.31%0.53%Feb 20260.3%Jul 20265th → 4th
Viber0.53% → 0.31%0.53%Oct 20250.31%Sep 20264th → 5th
WeChat0.35% → 0.25%0.35%Oct 20250.25%Sep 20266th

Each finding as a sentence

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, WhatsApp’s estimated Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide increased from 79.7% to 85.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Discord’s estimated Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide decreased from 13.1% to 9.4%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Messenger’s estimated Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide decreased from 5.9% to 4.2%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, WhatsApp’s estimated Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide peaked at 85.5% in September 2026 and was lowest at 77.4% in December 2025.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Discord’s estimated Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide peaked at 15.6% in December 2025 and was lowest at 9.4% in September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Messenger’s estimated Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide peaked at 5.9% in February 2026 and was lowest at 4.2% in September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Signal rose from 5th to 4th among messaging apps worldwide.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Viber fell from 4th to 5th among messaging apps worldwide.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, WeChat held steady: its estimated Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

How did search popularity change for messaging apps worldwide in September 2026?

  1. In September 2026, WhatsApp gained estimated Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide, from 80.8% to 85.5%.

  2. In September 2026, Discord lost estimated Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide, from 13.3% to 9.4%.

  3. In September 2026, Messenger lost estimated Share of Search among messaging apps worldwide, from 4.9% to 4.2%.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Viber worldwide fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 1.5M to 1M in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Signal worldwide fell 18% over 12 measured months, from 1.2M to 1M in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for WeChat worldwide fell 17.7% over 12 measured months, from 1M to 823K in September 2026.

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