WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular instant messaging app and its users continue to increase exponentially. For those who have been using this mobile app, the question many arent asking or maybe have been asking is Who founded WhatsApp?
If you are here, then we will take it that you are looking for more information an how WhatsApp came to be what it is today. Here, we will be telling you all you need to know about this amazing instant messaging app and the masterminds behind it.
What is WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is a messaging and voice call application that is available on smartphones and computers. It allows users to send text messages, make voice and video calls, share photos, videos, and documents with individuals or groups. It uses an internet connection instead of cellular network services to send and receive messages, which makes it a cost-effective option for communication. WhatsApp is currently owned by Meta platforms Inc and has become one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide, with over two billion active users as of 2021.
Initially created as a substitute for SMS, WhatsApp has evolved to enable users to share various media formats such as text, photos, videos, documents, and location information, and make voice calls. As WhatsApp is often used for sharing personal moments, the app now incorporates end-to-end encryption for better privacy.
WhatsApp Web
WhatsApp was officially made available for PCs through a web client, under the name WhatsApp Web, in late January 2015 through an announcement made by Koum on his Facebook page: “Our web client is simply an extension of your phone: the web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device—this means all of your messages still live on your phone”. As of January 21, 2015, the desktop version was only available to Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone users.
Later on, it also added support for iOS, Nokia Series 40, and Nokia S60 (Symbian). Previously the WhatsApp user’s handset had to be connected to the Internet for the browser application to function but as of an update in October 2021 that is no longer the case. All major desktop browsers are supported except for Internet Explorer. WhatsApp Web’s user interface is based on the default Android one and can be accessed through web.whatsapp.com. Access is granted after the users scan their personal QR code through their mobile WhatsApp application.
Supported OS
Android, iOS, KaiOS, macOS, Windows (The latter two require one-time verification from the mobile app client.) |
Who founded WhatsApp?
WhatsApp was founded by two former Yahoo employees, Brian Acton ↗ and Jan Koum, in 2009. WhatsApp joined Facebook (now Meta platforms Inc) in 2014, but continues to operate as a separate app with a laser focus on building a messaging service that works fast and reliably anywhere in the world.
Who owns WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is currently owned by Facebook, Inc. (now Meta Platforms Inc.) Facebook acquired WhatsApp in February 2014 for a reported $19 billion.
The History of WhatsApp
As earlier said, WhatsApp was founded in February 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, former Yahoo employees. The app started as a simple idea to display statuses in a phone’s Contacts menu but quickly evolved into a messaging app.
WhatsApp 2.0 was released in August 2009 with a purpose-designed messaging component, and the app’s number of active users suddenly increased to 250,000. And in 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for US$19 billion, its largest acquisition to date. Koum and Acton became wealthy as a result of the acquisition, with Sequoia Capital, one of the company’s early investors, receiving an approximate 5,000% return on its initial investment. WhatsApp continued to grow and become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world.
WhatsApp announced on January 18, 2016 that it would no longer charge users a $1 annual subscription fee and would not display any third-party ads. That same year in June 2016, the company reported more than 100 million voice calls per day. In November 2016, WhatsApp launched a beta version of two-factor authentication for Android users and stopped collecting WhatsApp data for advertising in Europe.
In February 2017, WhatsApp launched a new Status feature similar to Snapchat and Facebook stories. In May 2017, Facebook was fined €110 million by the European Commission for providing misleading information about WhatsApp’s takeover in 2014.
In September 2017, WhatsApp’s co-founder Brian Acton left the company to start a nonprofit group and WhatsApp announced a forthcoming business platform. In January 2018, WhatsApp launched WhatsApp Business for small business use. In April 2018, WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum announced he would be leaving the company.
WhatsApp introduced group audio and video call features in September 2018 and on October 25, 2018, WhatsApp announced support for Stickers.
In November 25, 2019, WhatsApp announced an investment of $250,000 to provide 500 startups with Facebook ad credits of $500 each.
WhatsApp made an announcement in December 2019 that a new update would lock out Apple users who hadn’t updated to iOS 9 or higher and Samsung, Huawei, Sony and Google users who hadn’t updated to version 4.0 by February 1, 2020. Windows Phone operating systems were also no longer supported after December 31, 2019.
The “dark mode” feature for iPhone and Android devices was then introduced in early 2020, and WhatsApp partnered with the World Health Organization and UNICEF in March to provide messaging hotlines for people to get information on the 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic.
The company behind the app also began testing a feature to help users combat misinformation. WhatsApp rolled out a feature allowing users to mute individuals and group chats forever in October 2020, and in January 2021, announced a new Privacy Policy that faced criticism for allowing data sharing with Facebook.
In March 2021, support for third-party animated stickers was launched, and in July 2021, end-to-end encryption for backups stored in Facebook’s cloud was announced. In December 2021, the default setting for hiding users’ online status was changed to only people in the user’s contacts or who have been conversed with.
Still during the year 2021, in April, plans were announced to roll out a Communities feature, reactions, and voice calls up to 32 participants. In May 2022, the file upload limit was raised to 2 GB, and the maximum group size increased to 512 members.
In August 2022, WhatsApp launched an integration with JioMart in India, allowing users to order groceries.
In April 2023, the app rolled out a feature allowing account access across multiple phones while still maintaining end-to-end encryption for messages.
Currently, the app keeps getting better and better everydays as we get to experience new features added by the development team.
