Mind-Blowing Viber Statistics for 2019
Viber is one of the most popular instant messaging app in the world, available on all major mobile devices and operating systems. According to Viber statistics, the app is one of the rare services with more than one billion users worldwide. Have you ever wondered how and when it was born? Or who owns it?
Below we present the essential Viber data for 2019 and beyond.
Numerous startups around the world are doing their best to find a way into the mobile market and discover a new niche on time before it explodes and becomes popular among smartphone users.
A few years ago, that niche was free instant messaging. As companies strived to create the most popular messaging app in the USA and worldwide, dozens of applications for both Android and iOS were launched basically at the same time, flooding the market with various options. We got the Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Slack, Google Alo, and the focus of this article — Viber.
Viber has been offering free call and messaging service to mobile users for nearly a decade now, and the company’s business model has not changed. All you need to make a call or send a text, image, or a video, is access to the internet.
By going through the extensive catalog of statistics listed below, you’ll be able to better understand the company as well as its journey to the fame.
Top Viber Statistics for 2019 (Editor's Choice)
- 30% of Viber users send stickers through the platform on a daily basis.
- Viber has been used in 193 countries.
- More than 500 million downloads come from Google Play Store.
- Average Viber user launches the app 12 times every day.
- Viber had over 11 million downloads when Rakuten acquired it.
- 1 in 4 customers taps the buy button.
- Viber is offering group chat with up to 250 people.
- Viber is available in more than 32 languages.
- Viber CEO generated $5 million in revenue.
- Viber users are spending about 20 minutes daily on GAMEE chat extension.
Viber Usage Stats and Facts
1. Viber has more than one billion users.
No tech company is considered a serious one unless it has achieved the important milestone of reaching a billion users. This applies to the tech industry mostly, especially to applications aimed at social interaction, regardless if that interaction is messaging, dating, or posting photos. In March of 2018, Viber finally reached the one billion user mark. By the time September came, the messaging app had gained another 50 million users.
2. The top county in Viber usage is Ukraine.
Some Viber statistics by country are as follows.
Viber is not so popular in the US. The majority of the western world prefers other messaging apps such as WhatsApp.
However, Ukrainians happen to love Viber, with 24.24% of the app’s traffic originating from this country. Russia is the second most common home to Viber users, with 18.59% of traffic coming from Putin’s homeland. Vietnam and Belarus take the third and the fourth place on the list, while Bulgaria is the fifth, with 3.49% of Viber’s total traffic.
3. Viber has 14,000 employees.
If you take a look at internal Viber statistics, 2018 was the year when more than 14,000 employees took care of the one billion users that Viber has. In May 2013, the company had only 130 employees, mostly in the programming department.
4. 30% of Viber users send stickers through the platform on a daily basis.
Back in 2012, Viber decided to introduce stickers, a colorful way for users to express themselves in chats. There are numerous free stickers, but users can also create their own and get paid. Nearly a third (30%) of Viber users send stickers through the network on a daily basis.
5. Viber statistics for 2019 show that 50% of Viber users share photos and videos through the platform on a daily basis.
As with most other messaging apps, users have the option to share photos and videos among themselves. Half of all Viber users use the platform to send photos and videos to their friends every day.
6. Viber has been used in 193 countries.
So far, Viber has been in use in 193 countries across the globe. Some have decided to ban the app, but most of the bans have been revoked. The app is available in dozens of languages to accommodate the global audience.
7. There are 260 million monthly active users as of January 2019.
Have you ever wondered how many people are using Viber? If you have, here’s the answer. Even though Viber has 1.05 billion users at the moment, only 260 million use the network actively. In order for users to be considered active, they need to access the application at least once a month.
8. There are 45 million Viber active users monthly in Russia.
It has already been mentioned that Russia is the second most prominent market for Viber. For those wondering how many Viber users there are in this country, the answer is 45 million. This data is from June of 2018.
9. Viber’s penetration rate is 15% in the US and 22% in Western Europe.
Viber’s market penetration rate is 15% when it comes to the US. In Western Europe, the number is higher, with the market penetration rate reaching 22%. Viber market share in the US has never been that impressive.
10. 63% of the Russian users lack connection, 32% have problems with message delivery, and 3% have troubles with statuses.
Viber’s users from Russia have common complaints about the app, but most of them can be contributed to the poor internet infrastructure in the country. More precisely, 63% of Russian users can barely connect to the app, 32% report issues with the message delivery system, and 3% of them notice that their status isn’t displayed correctly.
11. Rakuten paid $900 million to purchase Viber on February 13, 2014.
Rakuten, the famous Japanese e-commerce and internet service company, decided to spend $900 million and buy Viber. The acquisition went public on February 13, 2014. Rakuten is the largest e-commerce website in Asia, and one of the biggest ones in the world when it comes to the sales numbers.
12. More than 500 million downloads come from Google Play Store.
Viber stats show that the Android version of Viber has been downloaded more than 500 million times from Google Play Store. This app has held a number two spot in the Top Free category for years, never being able to catch up with Facebook.
Image Source: KikPCOnline
13. 7 million interactions happen every minute on Viber.
Viber’s data storage centers are under constant supervision, as there are over 7 million interactions happening every minute on the network. The users are continually sending messages, photos, and videos, and the company has to manage the insane traffic with ease.
14. Average Viber user launches the app 12 times every day.
The average Viber user opens the app to check for new messages 12 times during a single day. This number seems to be consistent across the similar apps. Facebook Messenger, for example, is opened an equal amount of times on average.
15. 668 million sticker packs were downloaded in 2017.
Statistics from 2017 show that nearly 670 million sticker packs were downloaded during the year. Even though most packs are free, some users want a little more customization options and are willing to pay for the privilege. Close to a third of all downloaded sticker packs were paid for, according to Viber usage statistics for 2018.
16. In 2013, Viber posted a net loss of $29.5 million while earning $1.5 million.
During 2013, Viber reported revenue of $1.5 million and a loss of nearly $30 million. The year before was a bit less devastating, with the reported loss of $15 million. The losses from 2012 and 2013 were mostly due to the company’s strict policy of denying to run ads, which significantly reduced its potential for earning and turning a profit.
The History of Viber
17. Viber was founded by four Israeli partners: Talmon Marco, Igor Megzinik, Sani Maroli, and Ofer Smocha.
Viber Media was founded in Tel-Aviv, in 1998. The company’s founders were Talmon Marco and Igor Megzinik who met each other during their mandatory military service. They ran the company from Israel, but the development workforce was remotely hired from Belarus due to cheaper labor prices. Sani Maroli and Ofer Smocha joined the company soon after, and it took nearly 15 years for the four partners to get the app noticed and big.
18. Viber’s founder, Talmon Marco, was a key technologist in the Israeli army.
Born in Israel, the founder of Viber, Talmon Marco, spent his mandatory military service as a Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Israeli Defence Forces. After serving in the military, he graduated from Tel-Aviv University and moved to the US where he lives today.
19. Back in 2013, Bkav (an Antivirus company) announced that it found a way to gain complete access to Android phones through Viber.
In 2013, more than 50 million smartphone users across the world were exposed to a potential threat due to the critical fault in the Viber app, mobile messaging apps statistics show. Apparently, all it took for the information to become compromised were two phones running Viber and a separate phone number. The flaw was discovered during testing, and the process of hacking the phones was explained in this video.
20. Viber had reached over 750 million users globally by 2015.
Just two years after the company was launched and a year after Rakuten acquired it, Viber managed to reach 750 million users across the world.
21. Viber had over 11 million downloads when Rakuten acquired it.
According to Viber statistics, when Rakuten purchased Viber in 2014, the messaging application had just over 11 million registered downloads on Google Play Store.
Image Source: SmallBizTrends
22. In 2014, NH Cyber Forensics Research & Education Group found that Viber was storing user data in an unencrypted cloud environment.
A new instance of Viber’s negligence was reported less than a year later when NH Cyber Forensics Research & Education Group broke the news that Viber is storing its data unsafely. According to the report, Viber used unencrypted cloud environment to store users’ data, putting the privacy of more than 150 million users at risk.
23. Viber first appeared on the Android platform in 2012, followed by BlackBerry and Windows phone.
The beta version of Viber was available for download for the first time in 2012. The first ever marketplace to offer the free app was Google Play Store. Later, it made its way to the BlackBerry and Windows phone stores. BlackBerry World, the app store for BlackBerry phones and tablets, is somehow still alive and kicking, while the Windows phone store is slowly being suffocated and shut down.
24. The number of unique user IDs has risen from 11 million in June 2011 to 858 million in December 2016.
From June of 2011 until December of 2016, Viber managed to increase the number of unique user IDs more than eightfold. From 11 million users to nearly 860 million in just 5 years, the company has managed to reach the top of all popularity charts.
25. Viber with voice call option was officially released for Windows Phone 8 devices on April 2, 2013.
Windows Phones used to be considered the next big thing in the tech world. With the US government switching to them due to the levels of safety they offered, everyone wanted to purchase one. Viber released the Windows version of the app early and added the voice call function on April 2, 2013. Unfortunately, not many developers found it profitable to maintain support for Windows apps, and so Windows phones slowly wilted.
26. Viber’s support system was defaced by Syrian Electronic Army on July 24, 2013.
On July 24, 2013, Viber’s support system was defaced by the Syrian Electronic Army. According to the official statement that Viber released after the incident, no sensitive user information was accessed, and the users’ privacy remained unharmed.
27. When Viber was sold, Israel’s Shabtai family earned $500 million from their 55.2% stake in the company.
The question “how much is Viber worth?” can be answered with an anecdote. According to Viber’s founders, the company was funded by family and friends. Luckily for Viber, the family and friends in question were wealthy and invested $20 million. When the 2014 acquisition happened, the Shabtai family, Viber’s largest investor, sold its 55.2% stake for nearly $500 million.
28. Viber had 13 million users between 2010 and 2013.
According to Viber users list data, Viber had only 13 million users between 2010 and 2013. During 2014, that number nearly tripled, with the company reaching the 35 million user mark. The significant incline in user numbers was mostly due to decent marketing, as well as the company’s policy of not allowing ads, which contributed to higher user retention numbers.
29. Viber officially launched Viber Out in December 2013.
In December 2013, Viber introduced Viber Out, a service that allows users to call their phone contacts who don’t have the app installed. The service enabled both calls to mobile and landline numbers, using the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. Today, Viber Out offers different plans, ranging from $0.99 for 5 minutes of calls inside the country, to $9.99 unlimited plans for global calls.
30. Viber has seen 15% of an increase in overall messaging for its one billion global users since partnering with Mixpanel in 2015.
Ever since Viber partnered up with Mixpanel in 2015, the company was able to use the insight that the product and user analytics company provided in the partnership. According to Viber stats, the interaction among its users improved by 15%.
Viber Facts You Didn’t Know
31. Customers browse and engage with brands and products on the regular basis.
Viber users regularly interact with products and brands on the network. According to official Viber statistics, the average user views 28 products in a month.
Image Source: Engadget
32. 1 in 4 customers tap the buy button.
Every fourth Viber user that sees a product advertised on the platform actually proceeds to purchase it. The 25% buy rate is insanely high, and it is unmatched by any other social or messaging app that employs this type of advertising.
33. 13 different product “Likes” per month per customer
We already mentioned that the average number of products views per user is 28. Out of that number, 13 products are generally liked by customers, letting the advertiser know that the ad achieved its purpose.
34. Viber has 9.5 million fans on Facebook and around 514,400 followers on Twitter.
Many people wonder, “is Viber owned by Facebook?” The answer is no, but the company does advertise on Facebook. The official Facebook page of Rakuten Viber has 9.5 million fans, while the company’s official Twitter account has close to 515,000 followers. The data presented is fairly fresh, dating from July 2018.
35. Viber is offering group chat with up to 250 people.
Due to popular demands, the amount of people that can participate and be added to a chat group has been increased. Users have the ability to start a group chat with up to 250 participants. Who could ever keep up with the number of messages sent by so many people is another question, but the option to add that many people is readily available nevertheless.
36. Viber public chat for FC Barcelona has 4.5 million followers.
Viber and FC Barcelona’s official partnership is crowned with a public chat room that has more than 4.5 million followers. The club publishes relevant news and data on the channel, and sometimes even the players show up. It’s one of the best ways for the fans to interact with their favorite football club.
37. Viber Out prices can save you up to 50% when calling Vietnam and Australia.
For those still unclear on what is Viber and how does it work, as well as whether it can be used to call regular phone lines, here’s the answer. Due to its feature to connect to the users’ phonebook, Viber can enable you to make calls not only to other Viber users but to mobile phones and landlines as well. Viber Out is the name of this service, and in some instances, such as calling Vietnam and Australia, for example, it can save your mobile carrier expenses by up to 50%, compared to standard fees.
38. Viber Out India has a plan which gives users up to 200 extra calling minutes compared to Skype’s plan.
Viber Out has an excellent plan for the Indian market. It offers the Indian users up to 200 more calling minutes compared to the similarly priced Skype plan, which is why this service is considered to be one of the most popular Viber trends.
39. 59% of Southeast Asia’s smartphone users have Viber installed.
Just like many other free messaging apps, Viber is quite popular in Asia. The Asian mobile carriers are notorious for ripping their customers off, especially when it comes to international calls and messages. This is the reason why 59% of smartphones located in Southeast Asia have Viber installed on them.
40. Viber is available in more than 32 languages
Due to its popularity across the planet and the general ineffectiveness of having an app in just one or a couple of languages, Viber is currently available in 32 languages. More are being added constantly, as the demand for the free messaging platform increases. Viber stats and data show that the number of languages still needs to increase exponentially.
41. Companies using Viber’s messaging technology can send rich content with images, buttons, and up to 1,000 text characters in any language.
Viber has decided to improve its B2B service by offering companies who use the platform to interact with their users the ability to send messages with up to 1,000 characters, with all other amenities that standard users experience, such as images, stickers, and buttons.
42. Viber desktop version uses specific TCP and UDP ports and the standard HTTP/HTTPS ports 80 and 443.
For tech-savvy users, here’s an important piece of Viber data. In order for the users to access and fully utilize the desktop version of the app, the following ports need to be open for all addresses for both TCP and UDP:
- 5242
- 4244
- 5243
- 9785
- 80
- 443
For detailed instructions on how to open the ports on your desktop, you should check Viber’s support page.
43. Viber saw a world-class ROI with a CPI at less than $10, and an 11% increase in app downloads among targeted demographics.
After being available for only one month on the market, Viber managed to obtain an incredible ROI with a CPI at less than $10. During the same period, Viber messenger statistics show that the ROI wasn’t the only thing growing. The app managed to maintain a steady increase of 11% in app downloads from the targeted demographics.
44. Coca-Cola was able to drive more than 680,000 users to chatbot interactions on Viber, 29,000 “under-the-cap” code redemptions, and a 30% conversion rate.
In just three months, Coca-Cola managed to improve its mobile footprint as a brand by launching a new Viber account, stickers, and numerous product codes, as well as a new chatbot service. The company brought over 680,000 users to its Viber chat room, with 30% of the number regularly interacting with its chatbot.
45. Viber is partially banned in Tajikistan.
Sorting Viber users by country, we can see that some governments aren’t particularly fond of the app. Viber was partially blocked in the Republic of Tajikistan back in January 2018, and the ban has yet to be lifted. The users from this country cannot send or receive video calls but can communicate only in text format. Viber was previously the most popular communication app in Tajikistan, and since the ban was introduced, its popularity dropped slightly.
46. Viber allows easy integration with the user’s contacts list, and people can look forward to the best-quality calls using 3G or Wi-Fi.
One of the most appealing aspects of Viber is the user-friendliness that the app offers. Users just need to download the app and it automatically syncs with their contact list, allowing them to easily message or call anyone who has the app installed for free, provided they are currently connected to Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G network.
47. Viber’s CEO, Djamel Agaoua, currently has a CEO score of 70.
Owler publishes and keeps track of multiple statistics related to tech companies, one on the list being CEO scores. Viber has one the highest CEO scores among the competition, with the company’s CEO Djamel Agaoua reaching the 70/100 mark. The criteria for the score are unknown, but we know that factors such as yearly income, the number of employees, and the total amount of funding received under the CEO are all included into the final score calculation.
48. Viber CEO generated $5 million in revenue.
Even though Viber revenue still hasn’t reached its peak, its CEO, Djamel Agaoua, managed to bring a beam of sunshine onto the company’s gloom revenue number. We mentioned previously that the company was losing millions of dollars every year. Under the new leadership, the company operates with a slight gain of $5 million which is looking to increase significantly in the years to come.
49. Viber users can top-up their Viber Out account by paying in cash.
Viber users who don’t have credit cards or avoid using them because of frauds can pay for the Viber Out service in cash. Greece, for example, has over 4,000 Netlink locations that can be used to top-up Viber Out accounts.
50. Viber users are accessing the GAMEE Chat Extension an average of 34 gameplays per day, which is 30% higher than on other platforms.
In March 2018, GAMEE, a platform dedicated to adjusting popular games for use and sharing on social media, publicly announced its partnership with Viber. GAMEE chat extension enabled Viber users to incorporate GAMEE games into their Viber conversations, increasing the popularity of both companies significantly. Viber users loved the new option to play games with friends, which led to an average user engaging in 34 gameplays per day; 30% more than on any other platform.
Image Source: Viber Support
51. Viber users are spending about 20 minutes daily on GAMEE chat extension.
GAMEE chat extension’s popularity among the Viber population is rapidly increasing. According to Viber marketing statistics, 2018 shows that an average Viber user now spends 20 minutes of her day playing games on GAMEE chat extension.
52. Swelly, Viber Chatbot, enables users to create crowdsource tests or “Swells”.
We have all noticed the recent trend of websites and apps adding polls to their interfaces. Facebook has done it years ago, YouTube just got into it, and Viber had to follow the trend too. Swelly, the bot that helps users create and vote on polls with two options, has been introduced in 2017 and it managed to become an instant hit with the Viber crowd.
53. Viber has a plan to launch Cryptocurrency in Russia in 2019.
Another trend that Viber is planning to follow is the popularity of cryptocurrencies. Rakuten is planning to start its own cryptocurrency through Viber, probably during 2019. The coin that the company plans to launch should serve as a payment method for various services based around e-commerce that this company offers. Russia should be the first country to see the new cryptocurrency.
54. During its first two years of existence, Viber did not generate revenue.
Viber was not able to generate any revenue during the first two years of its existence. It was struggling even in 2016, and has only managed to gain some slight traction when it comes to making money just last year.
55. The corporate name of Viber Media was changed to Rakuten Viber in July 2017.
As a final touch to this extensive list of Viber statistics and facts, it should be mentioned that the company refused to change its name for a long time, even after being acquired by Rakuten. Even though the acquisition happened in 2014, Viber changed its name to Rakuten Viber in 2017, waiting more than three years to do so.
