Messaging apps installed on smartphones in France 2016, by type
Penetration of messaging apps
The results of the 2019 Statista Global Consumer Survey recorded that 79 percent of respondents in France said that they use Facebook Messenger regularly, a larger share compared to WhatsApp. In a European comparison, WhatsApp was less used in France than in other countries: while only a third of the French population used WhatsApp, more than 70 percent of German did according to a study from 2018.
Messenger apps usage by age
The yearly study Observatoire du Numérique indicates that among French aged between 18 and 24 years old, more than 80 percent used instant messaging apps to send text messages, and 66 percent made calls via these apps in 2018. This proportion is also very high among people aged 25 to 39 years old.