Whatsapp breaches 900 million monthly user mark

WhatsApp creator Jan Koum today announced that the messaging service now has 900 million monthly active users.

First to offer his congratulations was the head of Facebook, which acquired the instant messaging platform WhatsApp last year in a $16 billion deal. “Congrats! Here’s an action shot of you writing this update,” wrote Mark Zuckerberg.

The app reached 800 million actives back in April, which means it has gained 100 million new ones in less than five months since. It went from 700 million to 800 million in three months, and 600 million to 700 million in just under three months.

In comparison, Facebook’s Messenger has reached 700 million active users in June.

One of the reasons Facebook purchased WhatsApp was its growing user base. “WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people,” Zuckerberg said last year. “The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable.”