Founder: Telegram hits major milestone over one billion active users

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has announced that the number of active users exceeded one billion.

"Currently, Telegram is used by over one billion active users each month," Durov revealed, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

He further noted that the platform has become the second most popular messaging service globally, trailing only WhatsApp, excluding China’s WeChat. Durov highlighted that Telegram users are highly engaged, with the average user opening the app 21 times a day and spending a total of 41 minutes daily on the platform. 

Amid this surge in users, Telegram's revenue has also seen a substantial increase. Durov shared that the service generated a profit of $547 million in 2024, further cementing Telegram's growth trajectory. 

Durov sharply criticised WhatsApp, the world’s most popular messaging app owned by Meta (which has been designated as an extremist organisation banned in Russia), calling it a cheap imitation of Telegram. He further emphasised that Telegram has maintained its independence. 

In September 2024, Durov warned that Telegram had updated its terms of service and privacy policy, and may now provide authorities in various countries with phone numbers and IP addresses of users in response to legitimate legal requests. In October, Durov clarified that Telegram had previously disclosed data about dangerous criminals at the request of authorities.

By Naila Huseynova