I’ve written about this stuff before, but I continue to be interested in it.
I actively use the following messaging apps on my phone:
Kik – my primary channel for The Gotham Gal, my daughter Jessica, and USV people
Snapchat – my primary channel for my son Josh
SMS – my primary channel for my daughter Emily and a lot of my friends
Hangouts – secondary channel for my daughter Jessica and USV people
Twitter DM – primary channel for people who don’t have my cell number
Though I don’t use them, I realize the following apps are quite popular in the US as well
Facebook Messenger
Skype
Viber
Tango
Line
So how is it possible that we can all have and use four, five, six or more messenger apps on our phones?
It’s because the notifications channel is the primary UI on mobile, replacing the home screen, and its easy to communicate with people using a variety of applications on your phone.
What I’m wondering is if we will see even more fragmentation in our messaging behavior on mobile in the coming years, or if five to six apps per person is status quo, or might we see some consolidation?
I personally don’t see any reason for consolidation and if I had to make a bet, it would be on further fragmentation. Each of the apps I use offers something slightly different than the others. And so for certain people, and certain kinds of conversations, one messaging app is preferable to another. It’s very possible that entrepreneurs will continue to come up with unique and differentiated experiences and that will drive further fragmentation.
