As of September 2023, Google Messages has surpassed a significant milestone, reaching over 10 billion downloads on the Play Store. This achievement follows its growth from 1 billion downloads in May 2020 and 5 billion just three years later. The app has benefited from strategic shifts by major players like Samsung and Verizon, who promoted the use of Google Messages among their users.
In addition to this, the Phone by Google app has also crossed the 5 billion download mark. The introduction of features such as group RCS mentions and real-time location sharing has enhanced user experience. Notably, at the upcoming I/O 2025 event, Google announced that over 1 billion RCS messages are sent daily in the United States.
Other popular applications from Google, including YouTube, Google Photos, and Gmail, have also achieved over 10 billion downloads. Meanwhile, the rollout of RCS support for iPhones by Apple is set to enhance messaging capabilities further, with end-to-end encryption expected soon.