Difference between revisions of "Timeline of WhatsApp"
From Timelines
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| − | The following is a '''timeline of [[WhatsApp]]''', a [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] [[cross-platform]], [[Encryption software|encrypted]], [[instant messaging]] client for [[smartphone]]s.<ref name="metz-wired">{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/04/forget-apple-vs-fbi-whatsapp-just-switched-encryption-billion-people/|title=Forget Apple vs. the FBI: WhatsApp Just Switched on Encryption for a Billion People|publisher = [[Condé Nast]]|work=[[Wired (magazine)]]|first=Cade|last=Metz|date=5 April 2016|accessdate=13 May 2016}}</ref> | + | The following is a '''timeline of [[wikipedia:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]]''', a [[wikipedia:Proprietary software|proprietary]] [[wikipedia:cross-platform|cross-platform]], [[wikipedia:Encryption software|encrypted]], [[wikipedia:instant messaging|instant messaging]] client for [[wikipedia:smartphone|smartphone]]s.<ref name="metz-wired">{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/04/forget-apple-vs-fbi-whatsapp-just-switched-encryption-billion-people/|title=Forget Apple vs. the FBI: WhatsApp Just Switched on Encryption for a Billion People|publisher = [[wikipedia:Condé Nast|Condé Nast]]|work=[[wikipedia:Wired (magazine)|Wired (magazine)]]|first=Cade|last=Metz|date=5 April 2016|accessdate=13 May 2016}}</ref> |
==Big picture== | ==Big picture== | ||
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! Time period !! class="unsortable" | Key developments at WhatsApp | ! Time period !! class="unsortable" | Key developments at WhatsApp | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2009–2014 || WhatsApp begins, adds support for iOS and Android, and reaches the top 20 of all apps in Apple's U.S. App Store by early 2011. By 2012, it becomes the dominant messaging app in Europe and Brazil.<ref name="TCEurope">{{cite web |url=http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/04/global-messaging-market/ |title=The Reality Of The Global Messaging App Market: It's Really Freaking Fragmented |newspaper=Techcrunch.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 6, 2016}}</ref> WhatsApp acquires both [[Series A]] and [[Series B]] funding from [[Sequoia Capital]]. WhatsApp reaches 200 million active users by February 2013, and 400 million active users by December 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=400 Million Stories|url=http://blog.whatsapp.com/index.php/2013/12/400-million-stories/?lang=de|work=WhatsApp Blog|publisher=WhatsApp|accessdate=January 17, 2014|author=Jan Koum|date=December 19, 2013}}</ref> | + | | 2009–2014 || WhatsApp begins, adds support for iOS and Android, and reaches the top 20 of all apps in Apple's U.S. App Store by early 2011. By 2012, it becomes the dominant messaging app in Europe and Brazil.<ref name="TCEurope">{{cite web |url=http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/04/global-messaging-market/ |title=The Reality Of The Global Messaging App Market: It's Really Freaking Fragmented |newspaper=Techcrunch.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 6, 2016}}</ref> WhatsApp acquires both [[wikipedia:Series A|Series A]] and [[wikipedia:Series B|Series B]] funding from [[wikipedia:Sequoia Capital|Sequoia Capital]]. WhatsApp reaches 200 million active users by February 2013, and 400 million active users by December 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=400 Million Stories|url=http://blog.whatsapp.com/index.php/2013/12/400-million-stories/?lang=de|work=WhatsApp Blog|publisher=WhatsApp|accessdate=January 17, 2014|author=Jan Koum|date=December 19, 2013}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| 2014–2016 || WhatsApp is acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion, with only 55 employees. It continues to grow, reaching 600 million active users by January 2015 and over 1 billion active users by February 2016.<ref name="Statt-2016-02-01">{{cite web|last1=Statt|first1=Nick|title=WhatsApp has grown to 1 billion users|url=http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/1/10889534/whats-app-1-billion-users-facebook-mark-zuckerberg|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=April 6, 2016|date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> | | 2014–2016 || WhatsApp is acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion, with only 55 employees. It continues to grow, reaching 600 million active users by January 2015 and over 1 billion active users by February 2016.<ref name="Statt-2016-02-01">{{cite web|last1=Statt|first1=Nick|title=WhatsApp has grown to 1 billion users|url=http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/1/10889534/whats-app-1-billion-users-facebook-mark-zuckerberg|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=April 6, 2016|date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> | ||
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! Year !! Month and date !! Event type !! Details | ! Year !! Month and date !! Event type !! Details | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2009 || February 4 || Company || [[Jan Koum]] incorporates [[WhatsApp]] in California.<ref name="History">{{cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/02/19/exclusive-inside-story-how-jan-koum-built-whatsapp-into-facebooks-new-19-billion-baby/|title=Exclusive: The Rags-To-Riches Tale Of How Jan Koum Built WhatsApp Into Facebook's New $19 Billion Baby|author=Parmy Olsen|publisher=''[[Forbes]]''|date=February 2, 2014|accessdate=January 14, 2015}}</ref> | + | | 2009 || February 4 || Company || [[wikipedia:Jan Koum|Jan Koum]] incorporates [[wikipedia:WhatsApp|WhatsApp]] in California.<ref name="History">{{cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/02/19/exclusive-inside-story-how-jan-koum-built-whatsapp-into-facebooks-new-19-billion-baby/|title=Exclusive: The Rags-To-Riches Tale Of How Jan Koum Built WhatsApp Into Facebook's New $19 Billion Baby|author=Parmy Olsen|publisher=''[[wikipedia:Forbes|Forbes]]''|date=February 2, 2014|accessdate=January 14, 2015}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2009 || October || Funding || [[Brian Acton]] persuades five ex-Yahoo! friends to invest $250,000 in seed funding, and is granted co-founder status.<ref name="History"/> | + | | 2009 || October || Funding || [[wikipedia:Brian Acton|Brian Acton]] persuades five ex-Yahoo! friends to invest $250,000 in seed funding, and is granted co-founder status.<ref name="History"/> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2009 || August || Product || WhatsApp 2.0 is released on the [[App Store (iOS)|App Store for the iPhone]].<ref name="iPhone">{{cite web |url=https://blog.whatsapp.com/72/WhatsApp-2.0-is-submitted |title=WhatsApp 2.0 is submitted - WhatsApp Blog |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= June 5, 2016}}</ref> | + | | 2009 || August || Product || WhatsApp 2.0 is released on the [[wikipedia:App Store (iOS)|App Store for the iPhone]].<ref name="iPhone">{{cite web |url=https://blog.whatsapp.com/72/WhatsApp-2.0-is-submitted |title=WhatsApp 2.0 is submitted - WhatsApp Blog |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= June 5, 2016}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| 2009 || December || Product || WhatsApp for the iPhone is updated to send photos.<ref name="History"/> | | 2009 || December || Product || WhatsApp for the iPhone is updated to send photos.<ref name="History"/> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2010 || August || Product || WhatsApp support for [[Android OS]] is added.<ref name="MyUser_Venturebeat.com_June_5_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/27/three-quarters-of-whatsapp-users-are-on-android-study-finds/ |title=Three-quarters of WhatsApp users are on Android, 22% on iOS (study) |newspaper=Venturebeat.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 5, 2016}}</ref> | + | | 2010 || August || Product || WhatsApp support for [[wikipedia:Android OS|Android OS]] is added.<ref name="MyUser_Venturebeat.com_June_5_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/27/three-quarters-of-whatsapp-users-are-on-android-study-finds/ |title=Three-quarters of WhatsApp users are on Android, 22% on iOS (study) |newspaper=Venturebeat.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 5, 2016}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2011 || January 21 || Competition || [[WeChat]], a messenger app, is founded.<ref name="MyUser_Https:_June_5_2016c">{{cite web |url=https://www.techinasia.com/5-years-of-wechat |title=5 years of WeChat |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= June 5, 2016}}</ref> It eventually becomes very popular in China. | + | | 2011 || January 21 || Competition || [[wikipedia:WeChat|WeChat]], a messenger app, is founded.<ref name="MyUser_Https:_June_5_2016c">{{cite web |url=https://www.techinasia.com/5-years-of-wechat |title=5 years of WeChat |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= June 5, 2016}}</ref> It eventually becomes very popular in China. |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2011 || April || Funding || In [[Series A]] round, WhatsApp founders agree to take $7 million from Sequoia Capital on top of their $250,000 seed funding, after months of negotiation with Sequoia partner Jim Goetz.<ref name="History"/> | + | | 2011 || April || Funding || In [[wikipedia:Series A|Series A]] round, WhatsApp founders agree to take $7 million from Sequoia Capital on top of their $250,000 seed funding, after months of negotiation with Sequoia partner Jim Goetz.<ref name="History"/> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2011 || May || Competition || [[SnapChat]], a competing photo messaging app, is founded.<ref name="SnapchatCB">{{cite web |url=https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/snapchat#/entity |title=Snapchat |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= June 5, 2016}}</ref> | + | | 2011 || May || Competition || [[wikipedia:SnapChat|SnapChat]], a competing photo messaging app, is founded.<ref name="SnapchatCB">{{cite web |url=https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/snapchat#/entity |title=Snapchat |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= June 5, 2016}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| 2012 || January 6 || Security || An unknown hacker publishes a website that makes it possible to change the status of an arbitrary WhatsApp user, as long as the phone number was known.<ref name ="Whatsapp-status-issue-news-item">{{cite web | last = Schellevis | first = Joost | title = What’s app status: van Anderen os nog steeds te wijzigen | language = Dutch | publisher = Tweakers | url = http://tweakers.net/nieuws/79321/whatsapp-status-van-anderen-is-nog-steeds-te-wijzigen.html | date = January 12, 2012 | accessdate = January 12, 2012}}</ref><ref name="How whatsappstatus.net works">{{cite web | author = rvdm | title = How What’s app net works | url = http://www.wiretrip.org/2012/01/12/how-whatsappstatus-net-works/ | date = January 12, 2012 | publisher = Wire trip | accessdate = April 7, 2013}}</ref> | | 2012 || January 6 || Security || An unknown hacker publishes a website that makes it possible to change the status of an arbitrary WhatsApp user, as long as the phone number was known.<ref name ="Whatsapp-status-issue-news-item">{{cite web | last = Schellevis | first = Joost | title = What’s app status: van Anderen os nog steeds te wijzigen | language = Dutch | publisher = Tweakers | url = http://tweakers.net/nieuws/79321/whatsapp-status-van-anderen-is-nog-steeds-te-wijzigen.html | date = January 12, 2012 | accessdate = January 12, 2012}}</ref><ref name="How whatsappstatus.net works">{{cite web | author = rvdm | title = How What’s app net works | url = http://www.wiretrip.org/2012/01/12/how-whatsappstatus-net-works/ | date = January 12, 2012 | publisher = Wire trip | accessdate = April 7, 2013}}</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2012 || August || Security || The WhatsApp support staff announce that messages were encrypted in the "latest version" of the WhatsApp software for iOS and Android (but not BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and Symbian), without specifying the cryptographic method.<ref>{{cite web | type = FAQ | title = Are my messages secure?| url = https://whatsapp.zendesk.com/entries/21864047-are-my-messages-secure | publisher = [[Zendesk.com|Zendesk]] | work = WhatsApp | date = August 15, 2012 | accessdate = January 29, 2013}}</ref> | + | | 2012 || August || Security || The WhatsApp support staff announce that messages were encrypted in the "latest version" of the WhatsApp software for iOS and Android (but not BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and Symbian), without specifying the cryptographic method.<ref>{{cite web | type = FAQ | title = Are my messages secure?| url = https://whatsapp.zendesk.com/entries/21864047-are-my-messages-secure | publisher = [[wikipedia:Zendesk.com|Zendesk]] | work = WhatsApp | date = August 15, 2012 | accessdate = January 29, 2013}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| 2013 || February || Userbase || WhatsApp's user base swells to about 200 million active users and its staff to 50.<ref name="History"/> | | 2013 || February || Userbase || WhatsApp's user base swells to about 200 million active users and its staff to 50.<ref name="History"/> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2013 || July || Funding || Sequoia invests another $50 million in [[Series B]] round, valuing WhatsApp at $1.5 billion.<ref name="MyUser_Privco.com_May_30_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://www.privco.com/private-company/whatsapp-inc/funding/whatsapp-inc-receives-venture-capital-investment-from-sequoia-capital-july-2013 |title=PrivCo |newspaper=Privco.com |date= |author= |accessdate= May 30, 2016}}</ref> | + | | 2013 || July || Funding || Sequoia invests another $50 million in [[wikipedia:Series B|Series B]] round, valuing WhatsApp at $1.5 billion.<ref name="MyUser_Privco.com_May_30_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://www.privco.com/private-company/whatsapp-inc/funding/whatsapp-inc-receives-venture-capital-investment-from-sequoia-capital-july-2013 |title=PrivCo |newspaper=Privco.com |date= |author= |accessdate= May 30, 2016}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| 2013 || July 16 || Product || WhatsApp goes free, with an annual subscription fee of $1 after the first year.<ref name="MyUser_Techcrunch.com_June_8_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/16/whatsapp-free/ |title=The Granddaddy Of Messaging Apps, WhatsApp, Finally Goes For A Subscription Model on iOS |newspaper=Techcrunch.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="nyt-free">{{cite web |url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/18/whatsapp-the-internet-messenger-to-become-free/?_r=0 |title=WhatsApp, the Internet Messenger, to Become Free |newspaper=The New York Times |date= |author= |accessdate= August 28, 2016}}</ref> | | 2013 || July 16 || Product || WhatsApp goes free, with an annual subscription fee of $1 after the first year.<ref name="MyUser_Techcrunch.com_June_8_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/16/whatsapp-free/ |title=The Granddaddy Of Messaging Apps, WhatsApp, Finally Goes For A Subscription Model on iOS |newspaper=Techcrunch.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="nyt-free">{{cite web |url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/18/whatsapp-the-internet-messenger-to-become-free/?_r=0 |title=WhatsApp, the Internet Messenger, to Become Free |newspaper=The New York Times |date= |author= |accessdate= August 28, 2016}}</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2013 || August || Competition || [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]], a cloud-based instant messaging service, launches.<ref name="MyUser_Reuters.com_June_5_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS74722569420130830 |title=Russia's Zuckerberg launches Telegram, a new instant messenger service |newspaper=Reuters.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 5, 2016}}</ref> | + | | 2013 || August || Competition || [[wikipedia:Telegram (software)|Telegram]], a cloud-based instant messaging service, launches.<ref name="MyUser_Reuters.com_June_5_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS74722569420130830 |title=Russia's Zuckerberg launches Telegram, a new instant messenger service |newspaper=Reuters.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 5, 2016}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| 2013 || August || Product || WhatsApp introduces voice messaging.<ref name="voicemsng">{{cite web |url=http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/07/voice-messaging-comes-to-whatsapp/ |title=Voice Messaging Comes To Whatsapp |newspaper=Techcrunch.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 6, 2016}}</ref> | | 2013 || August || Product || WhatsApp introduces voice messaging.<ref name="voicemsng">{{cite web |url=http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/07/voice-messaging-comes-to-whatsapp/ |title=Voice Messaging Comes To Whatsapp |newspaper=Techcrunch.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 6, 2016}}</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2014 || February 19 || Company || Facebook announces its acquisition of WhatsApp for US$19 billion, its largest acquisition to date.<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/21/whatsapp/|title=WhatsApp Was Valued At ~$1.5B In Final Round Before Sale|publisher=Techcrunch|accessdate=February 22, 2014}}</ref> Facebook pays $4 billion in cash, $12 billion in Facebook shares, and an additional $3 billion in [[restricted stock]] units granted to WhatsApp's founders.<ref name="MyUser_The_Wall_Street_Journal_August_28_2016c">{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304914204579393452029288302 |title=Facebook to Buy WhatsApp for $19 Billion |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date= |author= |accessdate= August 28, 2016}}</ref> | + | | 2014 || February 19 || Company || Facebook announces its acquisition of WhatsApp for US$19 billion, its largest acquisition to date.<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/21/whatsapp/|title=WhatsApp Was Valued At ~$1.5B In Final Round Before Sale|publisher=Techcrunch|accessdate=February 22, 2014}}</ref> Facebook pays $4 billion in cash, $12 billion in Facebook shares, and an additional $3 billion in [[wikipedia:restricted stock|restricted stock]] units granted to WhatsApp's founders.<ref name="MyUser_The_Wall_Street_Journal_August_28_2016c">{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304914204579393452029288302 |title=Facebook to Buy WhatsApp for $19 Billion |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date= |author= |accessdate= August 28, 2016}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| 2014 || March || Security || Someone discovers a vulnerability in WhatsApp encryption on the Android application that allows another app to access and read all of a user’s chat conversations within it.<ref name="TC_Encryption">{{cite web |url=http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/12/hole-in-whatsapp-for-android-lets-hackers-steal-your-conversations/ |title=Hole In WhatsApp For Android Lets Hackers Steal Your Conversations |newspaper=Techcrunch.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 6, 2016}}</ref> | | 2014 || March || Security || Someone discovers a vulnerability in WhatsApp encryption on the Android application that allows another app to access and read all of a user’s chat conversations within it.<ref name="TC_Encryption">{{cite web |url=http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/12/hole-in-whatsapp-for-android-lets-hackers-steal-your-conversations/ |title=Hole In WhatsApp For Android Lets Hackers Steal Your Conversations |newspaper=Techcrunch.com |date= |author= |accessdate= June 6, 2016}}</ref> | ||
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| 2016 || January 18 || Product || Jan Koum announces that WhatsApp will no longer charge its users a $1 annual subscription fee.<ref name="Fried-18-January-2016">{{cite web|author1=Ina Fried|title=Facebook's Whatsapp is Now Free|url=http://recode.net/2016/01/18/facebook-owned-whatsapp-to-drop-subscription-fees-for-its-popular-messaging-service/|website=Re Code|publisher=Vox Media, Inc.|accessdate=January 18, 2016|date=January 18, 2016}}</ref><ref name="wsj-18-January-2016">{{cite web|title=Whatsapp to Drop Subscription Fee|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/whatsapp-to-drop-subscription-fee-1453115467|website=Wall Street Journal|publisher=Dow Jones & Company, Inc|accessdate=January 18, 2016|date=January 18, 2016}}</ref> There is still no clear plan for monetizing WhatsApp.<ref name="MyUser_Forbes_May_30_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2016/01/21/no-subscription-charges-for-whatsapp-does-facebook-have-a-monetization-strategy-in-place/#5f8b4bf813d9 |title=No Subscription Charges For WhatsApp: Does Facebook Have A Monetization Strategy In Place? |newspaper=Forbes |date= |author= |accessdate= May 30, 2016}}</ref> | | 2016 || January 18 || Product || Jan Koum announces that WhatsApp will no longer charge its users a $1 annual subscription fee.<ref name="Fried-18-January-2016">{{cite web|author1=Ina Fried|title=Facebook's Whatsapp is Now Free|url=http://recode.net/2016/01/18/facebook-owned-whatsapp-to-drop-subscription-fees-for-its-popular-messaging-service/|website=Re Code|publisher=Vox Media, Inc.|accessdate=January 18, 2016|date=January 18, 2016}}</ref><ref name="wsj-18-January-2016">{{cite web|title=Whatsapp to Drop Subscription Fee|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/whatsapp-to-drop-subscription-fee-1453115467|website=Wall Street Journal|publisher=Dow Jones & Company, Inc|accessdate=January 18, 2016|date=January 18, 2016}}</ref> There is still no clear plan for monetizing WhatsApp.<ref name="MyUser_Forbes_May_30_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2016/01/21/no-subscription-charges-for-whatsapp-does-facebook-have-a-monetization-strategy-in-place/#5f8b4bf813d9 |title=No Subscription Charges For WhatsApp: Does Facebook Have A Monetization Strategy In Place? |newspaper=Forbes |date= |author= |accessdate= May 30, 2016}}</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2016 || March || Legal || [[Diego Dzodan]], a Facebook executive, is arrested by Brazilian federal police after Facebook fails to turn over information from his WhatsApp messaging account into a judge's request for a drug trafficking investigation.<ref name="nyt-arrest">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/technology/brazil-arrests-facebook-executive-in-data-access-case.html |title=Brazil Arrests Facebook Executive in WhatsApp Data Access Case |newspaper=The New York Times |date= March 1, 2016 |author= |accessdate= August 28, 2016}}</ref> | + | | 2016 || March || Legal || [[wikipedia:Diego Dzodan|Diego Dzodan]], a Facebook executive, is arrested by Brazilian federal police after Facebook fails to turn over information from his WhatsApp messaging account into a judge's request for a drug trafficking investigation.<ref name="nyt-arrest">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/technology/brazil-arrests-facebook-executive-in-data-access-case.html |title=Brazil Arrests Facebook Executive in WhatsApp Data Access Case |newspaper=The New York Times |date= March 1, 2016 |author= |accessdate= August 28, 2016}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| 2016 || March 2 || Product || WhatsApp introduces its document-sharing feature, initially allowing users to share PDF files with their contacts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/02/whatsapp-adds-support-for-document-sharing-but-only-pdfs-at-launch/|title=WhatsApp adds support for document sharing, but only PDFs at launch|publisher=TechCrunch|date=March 2, 2016|accessdate=March 2, 2016}}</ref> | | 2016 || March 2 || Product || WhatsApp introduces its document-sharing feature, initially allowing users to share PDF files with their contacts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/02/whatsapp-adds-support-for-document-sharing-but-only-pdfs-at-launch/|title=WhatsApp adds support for document sharing, but only PDFs at launch|publisher=TechCrunch|date=March 2, 2016|accessdate=March 2, 2016}}</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2016 || April 5 || Product, Security || WhatsApp and [[Open Whisper Systems]] announce that they finish adding [[end-to-end encryption]] <ref name="WhatsApp Security">{{cite web |url=https://amprandom.blogspot.in/2016/08/whatsapp-encryption.html |title=Wassup WhatsApp? Is everything confidential? | + | | 2016 || April 5 || Product, Security || WhatsApp and [[wikipedia:Open Whisper Systems|Open Whisper Systems]] announce that they finish adding [[wikipedia:end-to-end encryption|end-to-end encryption]] <ref name="WhatsApp Security">{{cite web |url=https://amprandom.blogspot.in/2016/08/whatsapp-encryption.html |title=Wassup WhatsApp? Is everything confidential? |
| − | |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= December 2, 2016}}</ref> to "every form of communication" on WhatsApp, and that users could now verify each other's [[Key (cryptography)|keys]].<ref name="Metz-2016-04-05">{{cite web|last1=Metz|first1=Cade|title=Forget Apple vs. the FBI: WhatsApp Just Switched on Encryption for a Billion People|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/04/forget-apple-vs-fbi-whatsapp-just-switched-encryption-billion-people/|website=Wired|publisher=Condé Nast|accessdate=April 5, 2016|date=April 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Lomas|first1=Natasha|title=WhatsApp completes end-to-end encryption rollout|url=http://techcrunch.com/2016/04/05/whatsapp-completes-end-to-end-encryption-rollout/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL Inc.|accessdate=April 5, 2016|date=April 5, 2016}}</ref><ref name="nyt-endtoend">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/technology/whatsapp-messaging-service-introduces-full-encryption.html |title=WhatsApp Introduces End-to-End Encryption |newspaper=The New York Times |date= April 5, 2016 |author= |accessdate= August 28, 2016}}</ref> | + | |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= December 2, 2016}}</ref> to "every form of communication" on WhatsApp, and that users could now verify each other's [[wikipedia:Key (cryptography)|keys]].<ref name="Metz-2016-04-05">{{cite web|last1=Metz|first1=Cade|title=Forget Apple vs. the FBI: WhatsApp Just Switched on Encryption for a Billion People|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/04/forget-apple-vs-fbi-whatsapp-just-switched-encryption-billion-people/|website=Wired|publisher=Condé Nast|accessdate=April 5, 2016|date=April 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Lomas|first1=Natasha|title=WhatsApp completes end-to-end encryption rollout|url=http://techcrunch.com/2016/04/05/whatsapp-completes-end-to-end-encryption-rollout/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL Inc.|accessdate=April 5, 2016|date=April 5, 2016}}</ref><ref name="nyt-endtoend">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/technology/whatsapp-messaging-service-introduces-full-encryption.html |title=WhatsApp Introduces End-to-End Encryption |newspaper=The New York Times |date= April 5, 2016 |author= |accessdate= August 28, 2016}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2016 || May 10 || Product || WhatsApp is introduced for both [[Windows]] and [[macOS|Mac]] operating systems.<ref name="WAWOS">{{citation |url=https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000621/Introducing-WhatsApps-desktop-app|last1=| first1=|last2=|first2=|date=10 May 2016| website=WhatsApp Blog| publisher=|access-date=11 May 2016|title=Introducing WhatsApp's desktop app}}</ref> | + | | 2016 || May 10 || Product || WhatsApp is introduced for both [[wikipedia:Windows|Windows]] and [[wikipedia:macOS|Mac]] operating systems.<ref name="WAWOS">{{citation |url=https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000621/Introducing-WhatsApps-desktop-app|last1=| first1=|last2=|first2=|date=10 May 2016| website=WhatsApp Blog| publisher=|access-date=11 May 2016|title=Introducing WhatsApp's desktop app}}</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| 2016 ||Lamzoo||Lamzoo|| WhatsApp renounces a privacy vow and announces that it will start sharing phone numbers and analytics data of its users to Facebook.<ref name="nyt-whatsapp">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/technology/relaxing-privacy-vow-whatsapp-to-share-some-data-with-facebook.html |title=Relaxing Privacy Vow, WhatsApp Will Share Some Data With Facebook |newspaper=The New York Times |date= August 25, 2016 |author= |accessdate= August 27, 2016}}</ref> | | 2016 ||Lamzoo||Lamzoo|| WhatsApp renounces a privacy vow and announces that it will start sharing phone numbers and analytics data of its users to Facebook.<ref name="nyt-whatsapp">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/technology/relaxing-privacy-vow-whatsapp-to-share-some-data-with-facebook.html |title=Relaxing Privacy Vow, WhatsApp Will Share Some Data With Facebook |newspaper=The New York Times |date= August 25, 2016 |author= |accessdate= August 27, 2016}}</ref> | ||
| Line 85: | Line 85: | ||
{{Technology company timelines}} | {{Technology company timelines}} | ||
| − | [[Category:Technology company timelines|WhatsApp]] | + | [[wikipedia:Category:Technology company timelines|WhatsApp]] |
| − | [[Category:WhatsApp]] | + | [[wikipedia:Category:WhatsApp|Category:WhatsApp]] |
Revision as of 23:11, 12 March 2017
The content on this page is forked from the English Wikipedia page entitled "Timeline of WhatsApp". The original page still exists at Timeline of WhatsApp. The original content was released under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License (CC-BY-SA), so this page inherits this license.
The following is a timeline of WhatsApp, a proprietary cross-platform, encrypted, instant messaging client for smartphones.[1]
Big picture
| Time period | Key developments at WhatsApp |
|---|---|
| 2009–2014 | WhatsApp begins, adds support for iOS and Android, and reaches the top 20 of all apps in Apple's U.S. App Store by early 2011. By 2012, it becomes the dominant messaging app in Europe and Brazil.[2] WhatsApp acquires both Series A and Series B funding from Sequoia Capital. WhatsApp reaches 200 million active users by February 2013, and 400 million active users by December 2013.[3] |
| 2014–2016 | WhatsApp is acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion, with only 55 employees. It continues to grow, reaching 600 million active users by January 2015 and over 1 billion active users by February 2016.[4] |
Full timeline
| Year | Month and date | Event type | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | February 4 | Company | Jan Koum incorporates WhatsApp in California.[5] |
| 2009 | October | Funding | Brian Acton persuades five ex-Yahoo! friends to invest $250,000 in seed funding, and is granted co-founder status.[5] |
| 2009 | August | Product | WhatsApp 2.0 is released on the App Store for the iPhone.[6] |
| 2009 | December | Product | WhatsApp for the iPhone is updated to send photos.[5] |
| 2010 | August | Product | WhatsApp support for Android OS is added.[7] |
| 2011 | January 21 | Competition | WeChat, a messenger app, is founded.[8] It eventually becomes very popular in China. |
| 2011 | April | Funding | In Series A round, WhatsApp founders agree to take $7 million from Sequoia Capital on top of their $250,000 seed funding, after months of negotiation with Sequoia partner Jim Goetz.[5] |
| 2011 | May | Competition | SnapChat, a competing photo messaging app, is founded.[9] |
| 2012 | January 6 | Security | An unknown hacker publishes a website that makes it possible to change the status of an arbitrary WhatsApp user, as long as the phone number was known.[10][11] |
| 2012 | August | Security | The WhatsApp support staff announce that messages were encrypted in the "latest version" of the WhatsApp software for iOS and Android (but not BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and Symbian), without specifying the cryptographic method.[12] |
| 2013 | February | Userbase | WhatsApp's user base swells to about 200 million active users and its staff to 50.[5] |
| 2013 | July | Funding | Sequoia invests another $50 million in Series B round, valuing WhatsApp at $1.5 billion.[13] |
| 2013 | July 16 | Product | WhatsApp goes free, with an annual subscription fee of $1 after the first year.[14][15] |
| 2013 | August | Competition | Telegram, a cloud-based instant messaging service, launches.[16] |
| 2013 | August | Product | WhatsApp introduces voice messaging.[17] |
| 2014 | February 19 | Company | Facebook announces its acquisition of WhatsApp for US$19 billion, its largest acquisition to date.[18] Facebook pays $4 billion in cash, $12 billion in Facebook shares, and an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units granted to WhatsApp's founders.[19] |
| 2014 | March | Security | Someone discovers a vulnerability in WhatsApp encryption on the Android application that allows another app to access and read all of a user’s chat conversations within it.[20] |
| 2014 | November | Product | WhatsApp introduces a feature named Read Receipts, which alerts senders when their messages are read by recipients. Within a week, WhatsApp introduces an update allowing users to disable this feature so that message recipients do not send acknowledgements.[21] |
| 2015 | January 21 | Product | WhatsApp launches WhatsApp Web, a web client which can be used through a web browser by syncing with the mobile device's connection.[22] |
| 2015 | January 21 | Product | WhatsApp announces its policy on cracking down on 3rd-party clients, including WhatsApp+.[23] Users would not be able to use WhatsApp’s services at all until the third-party apps are uninstalled.[24] |
| 2015 | December | Legal | WhatsApp is briefly shut down in Brazil after it refuses to place wiretaps on certain WhatsApp accounts.[25] It is shut down in Brazil again on May 2016 and in July 2016.[26] |
| 2016 | January 18 | Product | Jan Koum announces that WhatsApp will no longer charge its users a $1 annual subscription fee.[27][28] There is still no clear plan for monetizing WhatsApp.[29] |
| 2016 | March | Legal | Diego Dzodan, a Facebook executive, is arrested by Brazilian federal police after Facebook fails to turn over information from his WhatsApp messaging account into a judge's request for a drug trafficking investigation.[30] |
| 2016 | March 2 | Product | WhatsApp introduces its document-sharing feature, initially allowing users to share PDF files with their contacts.[31] |
| 2016 | April 5 | Product, Security | WhatsApp and Open Whisper Systems announce that they finish adding end-to-end encryption [32] to "every form of communication" on WhatsApp, and that users could now verify each other's keys.[33][34][35] |
| 2016 | May 10 | Product | WhatsApp is introduced for both Windows and Mac operating systems.[36] |
| 2016 | Lamzoo | Lamzoo | WhatsApp renounces a privacy vow and announces that it will start sharing phone numbers and analytics data of its users to Facebook.[37] |
| 2016 | September 20 | Lamzoo | L |
References
- ↑ Metz, Cade (5 April 2016). "Forget Apple vs. the FBI: WhatsApp Just Switched on Encryption for a Billion People". Wired (magazine). Condé Nast. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ↑ "The Reality Of The Global Messaging App Market: It's Really Freaking Fragmented". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ↑ Jan Koum (December 19, 2013). "400 Million Stories". WhatsApp Blog. WhatsApp. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ Statt, Nick (February 1, 2016). "WhatsApp has grown to 1 billion users". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Parmy Olsen (February 2, 2014). "Exclusive: The Rags-To-Riches Tale Of How Jan Koum Built WhatsApp Into Facebook's New $19 Billion Baby". Forbes. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ↑ "WhatsApp 2.0 is submitted - WhatsApp Blog". Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Three-quarters of WhatsApp users are on Android, 22% on iOS (study)". Venturebeat.com. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ↑ "5 years of WeChat". Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Snapchat". Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ↑ Schellevis, Joost (January 12, 2012). "What's app status: van Anderen os nog steeds te wijzigen" (in Dutch). Tweakers. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
- ↑ rvdm (January 12, 2012). "How What's app net works". Wire trip. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Are my messages secure?". WhatsApp (FAQ). Zendesk. August 15, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ↑ "PrivCo". Privco.com. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
- ↑ "The Granddaddy Of Messaging Apps, WhatsApp, Finally Goes For A Subscription Model on iOS". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
- ↑ "WhatsApp, the Internet Messenger, to Become Free". The New York Times. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Russia's Zuckerberg launches Telegram, a new instant messenger service". Reuters.com. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Voice Messaging Comes To Whatsapp". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ↑ "WhatsApp Was Valued At ~$1.5B In Final Round Before Sale". Techcrunch. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ↑ "Facebook to Buy WhatsApp for $19 Billion". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Hole In WhatsApp For Android Lets Hackers Steal Your Conversations". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Whatsapp now lets you disable Read notifications". November 15, 2014.
- ↑ "WhatsApp Web". January 21, 2015.
- ↑ "WhatsApp Says It's Not "Permanently" Banning Users From Its Service, Just Blocking Third-Party Clients". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Brazil Restores WhatsApp Service After Brief Blockade Over Wiretap Request". The New York Times. December 17, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ↑ "WhatsApp Is Briefly Shut Down in Brazil for a Third Time". The New York Times. July 19, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ↑ Ina Fried (January 18, 2016). "Facebook's Whatsapp is Now Free". Re Code. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
- ↑ "Whatsapp to Drop Subscription Fee". Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. January 18, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
- ↑ "No Subscription Charges For WhatsApp: Does Facebook Have A Monetization Strategy In Place?". Forbes. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Brazil Arrests Facebook Executive in WhatsApp Data Access Case". The New York Times. March 1, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ↑ "WhatsApp adds support for document sharing, but only PDFs at launch". TechCrunch. March 2, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- ↑ "Wassup WhatsApp? Is everything confidential?". Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- ↑ Metz, Cade (April 5, 2016). "Forget Apple vs. the FBI: WhatsApp Just Switched on Encryption for a Billion People". Wired. Condé Nast. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ↑ Lomas, Natasha (April 5, 2016). "WhatsApp completes end-to-end encryption rollout". TechCrunch. AOL Inc. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ↑ "WhatsApp Introduces End-to-End Encryption". The New York Times. April 5, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Introducing WhatsApp's desktop app", WhatsApp Blog, 10 May 2016, retrieved 11 May 2016
- ↑ "Relaxing Privacy Vow, WhatsApp Will Share Some Data With Facebook". The New York Times. August 25, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
