WhatsApp installs fall over 40% as users download rival apps

The Facebook-owned company announced a contentious privacy policy update in January, triggering a mass exodus of users to rival apps Signal and Telegram.

WhatsApp has deferred its May 15 deadline as it battles regulatory inquiries in India.

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WhatsApp’s app installs worldwide declined nearly 43% between January and April this year as several users considered downloaded Telegram and Signal apps, according to data by app analytics firm Sensor Tower.

Telegram’s installs grew 98% in the January-April period, compared to last year, on both Android and iOS devices. Privacy-focused app Signal’s first-time app downloads surged nearly 1,200% in the same period, compared to last year.

The Facebook-owned company announced

a contentious privacy policy update in January , triggering a mass exodus of users to rival apps Signal and Telegram .

WhatsApp’s mobile app saw a decline in first-time installs even before the January update, with 55.2 million installs globally in April last year, down nearly 30% from the previous month. This could be due to several users moving to WhatsApp’s desktop or web version, Sensor Tower noted.

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However, WhatsApp continues to outpace its competitors with downloads crossing 172 million in the first four months of 2021, according to Sensor Tower. Both Signal and Telegram witnessed spike in adoption in January, but the surge slowed in the subsequent months.

WhatsApp has deferred its May 15 deadline as it battles regulatory inquiries in India . Last week, Germany’s regulator in Hamburg banned Facebook from using personal data of users from WhatsApp .