WhatsApp vs YouTube:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, YouTube had more branded searches than WhatsApp among social media platforms worldwide. YouTube had about 1380 million branded searches, while WhatsApp had 277 million. YouTube made up 42.7% of all social media platform searches we track, and WhatsApp accounted for 8.6%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is WhatsApp or YouTube more popular in search?
Compare the social media platforms teams use. 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 searches by month for YouTube, WhatsApp. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | YouTube | TikTok | Snapchat | Threads | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 48.7% | 17.9% | 14.7% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.3% | 0.72% | 0.12% |
| Nov 2025 | 44.1% | 19.7% | 16.2% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 4% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.65% | 0.13% |
| Dec 2025 | 49.6% | 18.2% | 14.9% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.6% | 0.12% |
| Jan 2026 | 44.3% | 19.9% | 16.3% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 4% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 0.66% | 0.16% |
| Feb 2026 | 44.5% | 19.9% | 16.3% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.66% | 0.13% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.6% | 17.9% | 14.6% | 6.5% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.6% | 0.59% | 0.14% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.6% | 19.5% | 16% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.64% | 0.16% |
| May 2026 | 43.6% | 19.5% | 16% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.64% | 0.16% |
| Jun 2026 | 43.5% | 19.5% | 16% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.64% | 0.19% |
| Jul 2026 | 43.5% | 19.5% | 16% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.64% | 0.19% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.4% | 19.4% | 15.9% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 0.64% | 0.19% |
| Sep 2026 | 42.7% | 19.1% | 15.7% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.63% | 0.19% |
How has the WhatsApp and YouTube comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- YouTube was ahead of WhatsApp in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, WhatsApp’s share of searches among social media platforms worldwide moved from 6.6% to 8.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 226M to 277M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, YouTube’s share of searches among social media platforms worldwide moved from 48.7% to 42.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1680M to 1380M.
How did search popularity change for social media platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, WhatsApp gained share of searches among social media platforms worldwide, from 7.1% to 8.6%.
In September 2026, YouTube lost share of searches among social media platforms worldwide, from 43.4% to 42.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using WhatsApp’s and YouTube’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among social media platforms
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