How popular isWhatsApp in search?
In August 2026, there were an estimated 194K branded searches for WhatsApp in New Zealand which is up 11.5% over the last 11 months. WhatsApp holds 58% estimated Share of Search among New Zealand messaging apps and is ranked 1st of 6 competitors for search popularity.
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Which messaging apps compete with WhatsApp?
Share of Search by month for WhatsApp, Discord, WeChat. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Discord | Messenger | Viber | Signal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 51.3% | 42.2% | 2.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.69% |
| Nov 2025 | 49.8% | 44.1% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.54% |
| Dec 2025 | 49% | 43.7% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 0.79% |
| Jan 2026 | 53.1% | 39.6% | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 0.88% |
| Feb 2026 | 53.8% | 39.8% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 0.78% |
| Mar 2026 | 53.7% | 40.3% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.67% |
| Apr 2026 | 51.4% | 42.5% | 2.4% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 0.7% |
| May 2026 | 54% | 40.4% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.79% |
| Jun 2026 | 58% | 35.7% | 2.4% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.76% |
| Jul 2026 | 55.4% | 38.1% | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.81% |
| Aug 2026 | 58% | 35.9% | 2.4% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.73% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 58% | 194K | +11.2% | +2.6 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 35.9% | 120K | +0.08% | -2.2 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 2.4% | 8K | +0.76% | -0.1 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 1.8% | 5.9K | -2.5% | -0.2 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 1.2% | 4.2K | +4.3% | 0 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 0.73% | 2.4K | -5.1% | -0.1 points |
1.
WhatsApp58%
held 1st · 194K estimated branded searches · +11.2% vs prior month · +2.6 points
2.
Discord
35.9%
held 2nd · 120K estimated branded searches · +0.08% vs prior month · -2.2 points
3.
WeChat
2.4%
held 3rd · 8K estimated branded searches · +0.76% vs prior month · -0.1 points
1.8%
held 4th · 5.9K estimated branded searches · -2.5% vs prior month · -0.2 points
5.
Viber1.2%
held 5th · 4.2K estimated branded searches · +4.3% vs prior month · 0 points
6.
Signal0.73%
held 6th · 2.4K estimated branded searches · -5.1% vs prior month · -0.1 points
Compare search popularity between WhatsApp and its closest rivals
How has branded search demand for WhatsApp changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for WhatsApp in New Zealand rose from 174K to 194K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, WhatsApp’s estimated Share of Search among messaging apps in New Zealand increased from 51.3% to 58%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, WhatsApp’s estimated Share of Search among messaging apps in New Zealand peaked at 58% in August 2026 and was lowest at 49% in December 2025.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand messaging apps in August 2026?
4 changes
In August 2026, WhatsApp gained estimated Share of Search among messaging apps in New Zealand, from 55.4% to 58%.
In August 2026, Discord lost estimated Share of Search among messaging apps in New Zealand, from 38.1% to 35.9%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for WeChat in New Zealand fell 13.1% over 11 measured months, from 9.2K to 8K in August 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Viber in New Zealand fell 11.5% over 11 measured months, from 4.7K to 4.2K in August 2026.
How is WhatsApp measured?
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using WhatsApp’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.
22 branded search terms
- download whatsapp for windows
- jibi whatsapp
- my whatsapp
- whatsapp app
- whatsapp chat
- whatsapp com
- whatsapp com web
- whatsapp download whatsapp download whatsapp
- whatsapp messages
- whatsapp near me
- whatsapp new zealand
- whatsapp nz
- whatsapp online
- whatsapp web
- whatsapp web app
- whatsapp web download
- whatsapp web online
- whatsapp windows
- ww whatsapp web
- www whatsapp app com
- www whatsapp com web
Who owns WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is owned by 
Meta. Brandwave also tracks 
Facebook, 
Instagram, 
Meta Ads, 
Meta Quest, 
Threads and 
Do you work for WhatsApp? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.
Is WhatsApp your brand?
Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.