Android mobile owners are 2.4 times more likely than iPhone owners to use mobile IM/chat applications such as Whatsapp and Kik Messenger, but iPhone owners are heavier users of the apps, per data released by Experian Simmons. According to the report – which notes that users of these apps are 30% more likely than the average smartphone owner to be receptive to mobile ads – half of iPhone messaging app users spend at least 15 minutes a week using them, compared to about one-third of Android users.
On average, an IM/chat user opens the apps a total of 20 times per week, for 12 minutes and 42 seconds total. While most users open the apps 1-7 times, a small minority open them more than 50 times.
Previous research from Experian indicates that early adopter Millennials are 32% more likely than the average Millennial to use these apps. According to the latest data, 23% of adult smartphone users access IM and chat apps.
Other Findings:
- Use of mobile IM/chat apps is highest between 5PM and 10PM on weekdays, peaking on Thursdays between 8PM and 9PM.
- That peak time is TV prime time, and indeed, while watching TV, 72% of IM/chat users say they are often texting or chatting on their phone.
About the Data: The Experian findings come from Simmons Connect, an industry-first media planning and consumer profiling tool links more than 60,000 consumer elements to detailed insights on consumers’ use of 11 traditional and digital media platforms.
