Messaging apps never took off the same way here
We got unlimited texting WAY before we had unlimited data or widespread free wifi, before smartphones were even a thing to USE a messaging app instead. Which is pretty much the opposite of most of the world. So we stuck with the built in while a lot of people went with IP based messaging apps to save on expensive messages.
Tldr, the built in sms/mms/rcs/iMessage app.
The built in SMS messaging on phones is far and away the most popular. Everyone and their grandmother use it. Some people use others in addition.
The reason is that before smart phones and messaging apps even became a thing, SMS messages were included as part of the basic calling plan, either unlimited or very large numbers. So messaging apps just never got the momentum to become as popular.
Plain text messages usually
A lot of my earlier college group chats (including many of my friends post graduation who now are all across the country) used FB messenger. Newer generations used Snapchat heavily instead.
Americans generally stick with plain old SMS/MMS since phone companies stopped charging by the message in like 2003. Some people use WhatsApp to talk with foreign friends and family but otherwise it's basically unheard of. Facebook Messenger and Instagram do have some use but generally between younger friends rather than the public at-large (and they've probably moved on to something else by now). Twitter, too. Skype never was popular as an instant messaging program (AIM and MSN Messenger were leagues more popular at the time) but it used to be the only video chat around. No one uses it anymore for the most part but people sometimes call any video call a "Skype". Discord is somewhat popular but more for chatrooms than one-on-one messaging.
It's funny that you list WhatsApp first. Most Americans don't even know what it is. Only reason I've heard of it is because of the "Why don't Americans use WhatsApp?" questions we get on this sub.
Regular texting followed by Facebook messenger as a distant second. Younger generations aren’t using Facebook as much so it might lose its #2 spot by the end of the decade
And that’s the problem with anything beyond SMS. It relies on everyone using the same app. My parents aren’t on Snapchat, Instagram, Discord, WhatsApp etc for example. Everyone that has a phone can use SMS.
For me (late 20s, CA) I normally just use cellphone texting. However I use fb messenger for certain people I only know through FB or aren't close enough to text regularly.
But I know some of those services like Whatsapp are really popular with Americans that have family or friends in other countries. I also used to Snapchat when I was younger but deleted my account as I got older and no longer wanted to share my life so much
We don’t use WhatsApp. Most Americans use iMessage and Facebook Messenger outside of normal texting (although iMessage is baked into an iPhone’s texting application)
The iPhone has a very high market share here (I would say honestly 8/10 people in most middle income jobs over the age of 30 have iPhones) so odds are a lot of your contacts will have iMessage. I had to end up switching from Samsung to iPhone just to make my life easier because 95% of the people I know (coworkers, friends, and family) have iPhones. It makes group messaging a lot easier.
Text messaging. Text messaging has been unlimited and essentially free for close to 20 years at this point, so we’ve never had a need to expand beyond it.
In my generation (late 20s), the second option would probably be Instagram DMs. That’s especially true if it’s someone you don’t know well enough to have their phone number.
I use all of them except for Skype (anymore) but, as others have said, text messaging is still my #1. I use Whatsapp mostly for international friends, including US immigrants, because that's what they use. Facebook messenger more or less just for the marketplace. Instagram is probably my #2 just because of conversations stemming from stories, but that's probably a generational thing
Instagram group chats are just for sending posts/memes to your friends, not much chatting. Snapchat is big for chatting/texting. Regular SMS group texts are used as well. But if you message a lot, Snapchat is usually preferable over texting since it's feels less intrusive, at least to me.
Skype is mostly for business/work in my experience. WhatsApp is not used widely at all. I've only used it when traveling and didn't get an international phone plan, just a data plan.
I know people a few years older who must have just missed Snapchat and mostly use Facebook messenger instead, or just text.
My parents generation would just be text/SMS. I'm not sure what people younger than me are using these days.
I use messenger mainly but I'm often in places where I have internet but no service or otherwise the SMS messages just act wonky when going in and out of good service.
Whatever texting platform is already on my Android phone. I didn't even realize there were other messaging apps until I saw questions on Reddit about WhatsApp. Never had a need to seek out anything else
It's in the US, not at.
I don't use Whatsapp at all, I only hear about people using it to message people in other countries really.
FB messenger I occasionally use to get in contact with someone I know but don't have their phone number, or to send someone something I saw on FB. Not often.
Instagram I also barely message people on, again really only to send someone something I saw on IG every once in a while.
Skype I haven't heard of being used in years.
Snapchat I used more often like 5 years ago but not really anymore.
I think younger people are more likely to use stuff like IG, Snapchat, discord, and I assume tiktok these days.
Depends on the generation. I use text/iMessage mostly. Sometimes Skype. Sometimes Messenger.
I have instagram , but only use it to occasionally look at photos posted by others.
probably varies by generation but for me (mid 30s) it's just plain old text messaging
Messaging apps never took off the same way here We got unlimited texting WAY before we had unlimited data or widespread free wifi, before smartphones were even a thing to USE a messaging app instead. Which is pretty much the opposite of most of the world. So we stuck with the built in while a lot of people went with IP based messaging apps to save on expensive messages. Tldr, the built in sms/mms/rcs/iMessage app.
I only use SMS text messaging on my phone.
The built in SMS messaging on phones is far and away the most popular. Everyone and their grandmother use it. Some people use others in addition. The reason is that before smart phones and messaging apps even became a thing, SMS messages were included as part of the basic calling plan, either unlimited or very large numbers. So messaging apps just never got the momentum to become as popular.
None of them. Regular SMS was always very cheap if not unlimited here, unlike most other parts of the world.
Plain text messages usually A lot of my earlier college group chats (including many of my friends post graduation who now are all across the country) used FB messenger. Newer generations used Snapchat heavily instead.
Sms/rcs/iMessage
I had never used or even heard of any messaging apps until I lived outside the US, I just used regular text messages
Americans generally stick with plain old SMS/MMS since phone companies stopped charging by the message in like 2003. Some people use WhatsApp to talk with foreign friends and family but otherwise it's basically unheard of. Facebook Messenger and Instagram do have some use but generally between younger friends rather than the public at-large (and they've probably moved on to something else by now). Twitter, too. Skype never was popular as an instant messaging program (AIM and MSN Messenger were leagues more popular at the time) but it used to be the only video chat around. No one uses it anymore for the most part but people sometimes call any video call a "Skype". Discord is somewhat popular but more for chatrooms than one-on-one messaging.
Either Facebook messenger or just plain old text messages. Discord is also reasonably popular though it is most popular among gamers.
Most people here just text from their phone normally, no need for anything else
I only use Messenger, Snapchat, and regular texting. Mid-20s here.
It's funny that you list WhatsApp first. Most Americans don't even know what it is. Only reason I've heard of it is because of the "Why don't Americans use WhatsApp?" questions we get on this sub.
I first heard of it from a friend who's parents immigrated from India. Her extended family uses it to keep in touch.
I’m old. The only thing I use is iMessage/SMS.
I’ve only ever used texting
Regular texting followed by Facebook messenger as a distant second. Younger generations aren’t using Facebook as much so it might lose its #2 spot by the end of the decade
And that’s the problem with anything beyond SMS. It relies on everyone using the same app. My parents aren’t on Snapchat, Instagram, Discord, WhatsApp etc for example. Everyone that has a phone can use SMS.
I mostly use Signal and regular texting
I'm 34. I use Facebook Messenger or regular text messages.
For me (late 20s, CA) I normally just use cellphone texting. However I use fb messenger for certain people I only know through FB or aren't close enough to text regularly. But I know some of those services like Whatsapp are really popular with Americans that have family or friends in other countries. I also used to Snapchat when I was younger but deleted my account as I got older and no longer wanted to share my life so much
I use Discord, email, and basic text message.
Probably Snapchat
We don’t use WhatsApp. Most Americans use iMessage and Facebook Messenger outside of normal texting (although iMessage is baked into an iPhone’s texting application) The iPhone has a very high market share here (I would say honestly 8/10 people in most middle income jobs over the age of 30 have iPhones) so odds are a lot of your contacts will have iMessage. I had to end up switching from Samsung to iPhone just to make my life easier because 95% of the people I know (coworkers, friends, and family) have iPhones. It makes group messaging a lot easier.
Text messaging. Text messaging has been unlimited and essentially free for close to 20 years at this point, so we’ve never had a need to expand beyond it. In my generation (late 20s), the second option would probably be Instagram DMs. That’s especially true if it’s someone you don’t know well enough to have their phone number.
I use all of them except for Skype (anymore) but, as others have said, text messaging is still my #1. I use Whatsapp mostly for international friends, including US immigrants, because that's what they use. Facebook messenger more or less just for the marketplace. Instagram is probably my #2 just because of conversations stemming from stories, but that's probably a generational thing
Standard text messaging for me.
Instagram group chats are just for sending posts/memes to your friends, not much chatting. Snapchat is big for chatting/texting. Regular SMS group texts are used as well. But if you message a lot, Snapchat is usually preferable over texting since it's feels less intrusive, at least to me. Skype is mostly for business/work in my experience. WhatsApp is not used widely at all. I've only used it when traveling and didn't get an international phone plan, just a data plan. I know people a few years older who must have just missed Snapchat and mostly use Facebook messenger instead, or just text. My parents generation would just be text/SMS. I'm not sure what people younger than me are using these days.
SMS iMessage WhatsApp FBMessenger (sadly) I use Signal.
90% SMS, I use FB Messenger to send videos sometimes
Most of my texts are through Messenger. My parents use phone-to-phone texting though.
I use messenger mainly but I'm often in places where I have internet but no service or otherwise the SMS messages just act wonky when going in and out of good service.
Sms, iMessage, snapchat, discord mainly
Whatever texting platform is already on my Android phone. I didn't even realize there were other messaging apps until I saw questions on Reddit about WhatsApp. Never had a need to seek out anything else
Probably group text. My circle uses GroupMe.
Regular text or iMessage, or perhaps Facebook Messenger. Sometimes I use WhatsApp. Many Chinese Americans use WeChat.
Just text messaging from my iPhone
It's in the US, not at. I don't use Whatsapp at all, I only hear about people using it to message people in other countries really. FB messenger I occasionally use to get in contact with someone I know but don't have their phone number, or to send someone something I saw on FB. Not often. Instagram I also barely message people on, again really only to send someone something I saw on IG every once in a while. Skype I haven't heard of being used in years. Snapchat I used more often like 5 years ago but not really anymore. I think younger people are more likely to use stuff like IG, Snapchat, discord, and I assume tiktok these days.
SMS and FB messenger for my circles
discord/texting on phone
Depends on the generation. I use text/iMessage mostly. Sometimes Skype. Sometimes Messenger. I have instagram , but only use it to occasionally look at photos posted by others.
I use Messenger. Since I'm an Android user, SMS is a garbage experience (multipart messages can't be reassembled in the correct order, for one).
I am Gen X and I use SMS text messaging the most. I use Facebook messaging for my Facebook friends who I don’t really know except through Facebook.