Google Messages and Phone by Google Reach Major Download Milestones
Google Messages and Phone by Google have achieved significant milestones in downloads on the Google Play Store, signaling widespread adoption of these communication tools.
Google Messages Surpasses 10 Billion Downloads
Google Messages exceeded 1 billion downloads in May 2020, reached 5 billion in September 2023, and has now surpassed 10 billion downloads as of March 26, 2026. This growth is attributed, in part, to Samsung pushing Galaxy users to adopt Google Messages over its own messaging app, and Verizon’s transition to the platform.
The increasing adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS) has also played a role. In September 2024, Apple began supporting RCS for iPhones, with end-to-end encryption planned for implementation. At Google I/O 2025, Google reported that over 1 billion RCS messages were being sent daily in the United States.
Phone by Google Reaches 5 Billion Downloads
The Phone by Google app has also reached a significant milestone, surpassing 5 billion downloads. Whereas many new features are initially rolled out to Pixel devices, features like Calling Cards and the Material 3 Expressive redesign benefit all users.
Other Google Apps with High Download Numbers
Several other first-party Google apps have also surpassed 5 billion downloads, including: Google (Search), YouTube, Google Photos, Google Chrome, Gmail, Gboard, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Meet, Google TV, Android Auto, Speech Recognition & Synthesis, Android Accessibility Suite, and Android Switch.
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