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Patrick Sison/AP

WhatsApp CEO vows to keep things simple after hitting 500 million users mark

The app now sees more than 700 million photos and 100 million videos shared through it every day as it aims to reach one billion users.

WHATSAPP IS WELL on its way to reaching its target of one billion users after it announced it now has 500 million monthly active users.

The app now sees more than 700 million photos and 100 million videos shared through it every day, and has added 70 million new users since it was bought by Facebook in February for $19 billion.

In a blog post announcing the news, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said it’s experiencing the fastest growth in India, which has 48 million users, Brazil, Mexico, and Russia.

While it’s another achievement for the company, the team is focused on keeping things simple. In an interview with ReCode, he said that one of the biggest barriers to its growth would be making the app complicated and bloated.

Since a large number of new WhatsApp users are people who either own their first smartphone or are coming online for the first time, the focus is to keep things simple.

“I worry about how to offer a competitive set of features without making the UI [user interface] difficult, the user experience worse, the application bloated… These screens are small. There’s a limited amount of memory and bandwidth. It’s just all about focus.”

At Mobile World Congress in February, Koum said that the app would be adding voice calls to the service. When he was asked by Re/Code when this would happen, he answered in “the next few months.”

The news comes ahead of Facebook’s Q1 2014 earnings call, which will happen later this evening.

Read: Whatsapp experiences busiest day as it handled 64 billion messages in 24 hours >

Read: The knock-on effect: WhatsApp rival adds 8m users in 4 days >

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8 Comments
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    Mute Del Haven
    Favourite Del Haven
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    Dec 27th 2015, 8:36 AM

    To the crew “Don’t worry, you’ll still get paid” To the instigator “I’ll shoot you!”

    95
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    Mute Martin Critten
    Favourite Martin Critten
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    Dec 27th 2015, 9:58 AM

    Yes the ultimate tool in the HR manual, somethings NEVER change, no matter how you can spin a training seminar out of it.

    48
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    Mute Hypernova
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    Dec 27th 2015, 11:14 PM

    It is debated that an Irishman discovered Antarctica.How many people knew that.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bransfield

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    Mute Hypernova
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    Dec 27th 2015, 11:15 PM
    5
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    Mute Jon Rodgers
    Favourite Jon Rodgers
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    Dec 27th 2015, 3:48 PM

    It’s a disgrace that Tom Crean doesn’t get the recognition in Ireland today that he deserves. A true Irish hero.
    The media is too busy hero-worshippng some guy in a dress.

    72
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    Mute Nigel Tuffnel
    Favourite Nigel Tuffnel
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    Dec 27th 2015, 10:22 PM

    True Jon, Crean was a true Irishman and a real adventurer.

    38
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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Dec 28th 2015, 3:33 AM

    Leave the pope out of this.

    17
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    Mute Deirdre Gosson
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    Dec 27th 2015, 9:24 AM

    A wonderful story never tire of hearing about these amazing men… And he had an Irish man in his crew..!

    47
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    Mute Sean @114
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    Dec 27th 2015, 9:56 AM

    A great story. Another great is the story of George De Long and his attempt in 1879 to reach the north pole in the USS Jeanette. He had two Irish on board, Cole and Collins. That story is brilliantly told in a book called In the Kingdom of Ice. Like Shackleton’s crew, they were hardy men.

    26
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    Mute Brian Leddin
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    Dec 27th 2015, 12:29 PM

    He had two Irish men in his crew. Tim Mccarthy from West Cork was the other one. He rarely gets a mention even though he was one of the six who made the 800 mile open boat journey to South Georgia. That’s considered one of the most remarkable parts of one of the most remarkable survival stories of all time, and three if the six crew were Irish.

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    Mute Mary Cull
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    Dec 27th 2015, 3:37 PM

    Ernest Shackleton came from Kildare. So I read. Wonderful clear video footage of them trying to free the ship endurance from the North Atlantic Ice. Tom Crean unforgotten Kerry Man.

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    Mute Nigel Tuffnel
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    Dec 27th 2015, 10:28 PM

    It’s very sad they’re mostly forgotten about. Brave men, the real spirit of adventure. They don’t make them like those guys anymore.

    16
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    Mute Brian MacCarthaigh
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    Dec 27th 2015, 9:57 AM

    Enda Kenny is our Shakelton, fearlessly pulling Ireland out of the worst recession in decades despite attempts within the ranks to topple him. Actually, he’s not, I’m just winding you up.

    34
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    Mute Conor Graham
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    Dec 27th 2015, 5:34 PM

    Give it a rest, you bore.

    11
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    Mute Fergal Dmouse
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    Dec 27th 2015, 8:48 AM

    “After thier ship sank in november 2015″ try proof reading before ye post

    29
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    Mute Del Haven
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    Dec 27th 2015, 8:51 AM

    And Roald Amundsen reaching the south pole in 2011

    33
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    Mute Darragh Ó Tuathail
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    Dec 27th 2015, 9:14 AM

    ‘Chilean steamer Yelcho returns to Elephant Island to pick up Shackleton’s remaining crew – in August 2016′

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    Mute Gene Parmesan
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    Dec 27th 2015, 8:54 AM

    So 2011 when the south pole was reached by Amudsen, 4 years before Shackleton’s boat sank in November of this year? I believe Shackleton was a stickler for the fine details…I am not sure you would have made his crew Darragh.

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    Mute Martin Flood
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    Dec 27th 2015, 10:46 AM

    @Fergal
    If he were born in England and moved to Ireland at the age of 10, we’d still call him Irish.

    18
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    Mute Phil O' Meara
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    Dec 27th 2015, 10:23 AM

    Elephant Island is an island, not a rocky outcrop. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_Island

    17
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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Dec 27th 2015, 11:15 AM

    Some relation of his was a suspect in the robbing of the Dublin Crown Jewels , that would make him irish ,do you think

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Dec 27th 2015, 8:57 AM

    Was Shackelton irish ?

    14
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    Mute Fergal Dmouse
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    Dec 27th 2015, 9:13 AM

    Born in kildare lived there until he was ten his father was english and his mother anglo irish

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    Mute Philip Dolan
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    Dec 27th 2015, 9:39 AM

    He was about as Irish as tuppence

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    Mute Martin Critten
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    Dec 27th 2015, 10:16 AM

    The quote of Bertolt Brecht springs to mind; ‘Unhappy the land that needs a hero’

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    Mute Barton Hill
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    Dec 27th 2015, 11:02 AM

    There’s more of it, Philip Dolan. You don’t have to be Roman Catholic, barefoot and living off spuds to be Irish. Just because the huge majority used to be Catholic Irish, it does not negate the Irishness of those who weren’t.

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    Mute Bridget O'Hanlon
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    Dec 27th 2015, 10:04 PM

    Brecht was wrong

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    Mute Leonie Higgins
    Favourite Leonie Higgins
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    Dec 27th 2015, 4:22 PM

    He was born in IRELAND. IRISH ALL THE WAY IN CO. KILDARE.

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    Mute Leonie Higgins
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    Dec 27th 2015, 4:21 PM

    According to the English….. .Shakleton was one of thiers! They try to claim everyone while the are winning or suceeding!!

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    Mute Conor Graham
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    Dec 27th 2015, 9:57 PM

    Just watched the Documentary about this on YouTube. Excellent!

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    Mute Neil Holland
    Favourite Neil Holland
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    Dec 27th 2015, 10:48 PM

    Yeah it’s very good.

    https://youtu.be/oyQRHHHXntc

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