See WhatsApp, SMS and phone use, country by country
Last updated: November 2026. Next update: November 2027.
Key figures
Get the main figures first
- 82% of people aged 16 to 74 in the EU used instant messaging in 2025, from 98% in the Netherlands to 70% in Belgium (Eurostat).
- 73% of Belgians aged 16 to 70 use WhatsApp daily (SMI Barometer 2026).
- In the EU, 83% of manual workers used instant messaging in 2025, against 92% of office workers (Eurostat).
- 86% of calls from unknown numbers go unanswered, across six countries (Hiya, 2026).
- Belgians sent 46 text messages a month in 2025, down from 114 in 2020 (BIPT).
- Candidates who had just applied answered Ringtime's outreach 69% of the time, against 14% to 22% for old databases (Ringtime, 2026).
01 · Messaging, calls and email
Compare messaging, calls and email across Europe
In 2025, 82% of people aged 16 to 74 in the EU used instant messaging, 76% made internet calls and 82% used email. The Netherlands leads on all three. Source: Eurostat, the same question in every EU country.
| Country | Instant messaging | Internet calls | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU average | 82% | 76% | 82% |
| Netherlands | 98% | 88% | 98% |
| Spain | 95% | 78% | 84% |
| Italy | 84% | 76% | 76% |
| Germany | 83% | 79% | 88% |
| France | 75% | 74% | 89% |
| Poland | 75% | 62% | 69% |
| Hungary | 75% | 67% | 73% |
| Romania | 72% | 78% | 46% |
| Belgium | 70% | 75% | 87% |
Belgian national surveys measure higher WhatsApp use than Eurostat's 70% for all messaging apps: 91% of Belgians aged 16 to 70 use WhatsApp monthly (SMI Barometer 2026). The surveys ask different questions.
United Kingdom
90% of online adults used WhatsApp in May 2025. 74% used it daily.
Ofcom, Online Nation 2025. Base: online adults 18+.
United States
33% of adults use WhatsApp. 91% own a smartphone.
Pew Research Center, 2026. Base: 5,511 adults.
Source: Eurostat, ICT usage in households and by individuals, 2025 (isoc_ci_ac_i).
02 · Which app
Find the app people use in each country
WhatsApp is the most used messaging app in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and France. In Hungary, 85% use Messenger and 38% use Viber. In the United States, a third of adults use WhatsApp. Each card uses its own national survey, so do not compare cards with each other.
Belgium
WhatsApp 73% daily, 91% monthly. Facebook 65% daily, Instagram 48%, Messenger 44%.
Flanders: phone calls 43% daily, WhatsApp 66%, text messages 36%.
SMI Barometer 2026, ages 16 to 70, 4,926 people. imec.digimeter 2024, Flemish adults, 2,845 people.
Netherlands
93% use WhatsApp: 13.7 million people. Signal 12%.
Newcom, July 2025. Ages 15 and over, 1,536 people.
United Kingdom
WhatsApp 90% monthly, Messenger 58%, Google Messages 42%, Telegram 9%, Signal 3%.
Ofcom, Online Nation 2025. Online adults, May 2025.
France
WhatsApp 73%, Messenger 63%, Instagram 50%, Snapchat 39%, Telegram 18%, Signal 15%.
Daily: WhatsApp 38%, Messenger 24%.
CREDOC for Arcep, Baromètre du numérique 2026. Ages 12 and over, 4,145 people.
Germany
87% use messaging apps privately.
Bitkom, 2026. Ages 16 and over, 1,006 people.
Hungary
Messenger 85%, Viber 38%.
NMHH, Internet Usage by Individuals 2025. NMHH does not state the base.
United States
WhatsApp 33% of adults, Snapchat 26%.
Pew Research Center, 2026. 5,511 adults.
03 · Age
See how channel use changes with age
In the EU, 93% of people aged 16 to 24 used instant messaging in 2025, against 68% of people aged 55 to 74. Among young adults in Flanders, 29% make a phone call daily and 60% use WhatsApp daily.
| Country | 16 to 24 | 25 to 54 | 55 to 74 |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | 93% | 89% | 68% |
| Belgium | 78% | 77% | 56% |
| Netherlands | 99.7% | 99% | 95% |
| France | 91% | 83% | 58% |
| Germany | 91% | 90% | 70% |
| Poland | 96% | 86% | 48% |
| Channel | 18 to 24 | 25 to 34 |
|---|---|---|
| 60% | 73% | |
| Text messages | 45% | 31% |
| Phone calls | 29% | 34% |
| 83% | 60% | |
| Snapchat | 43% | 7% |
- Snapchat, Belgium, daily: 66% of 16 to 24, 24% of 25 to 34 (SMI Barometer 2026).
- Snapchat, France, daily: 61% of 18 to 24 (CREDOC for Arcep 2026).
- Snapchat, Germany, weekly: 53% of 14 to 29, 9% of 30 to 49, 1% of 50 to 69 (ARD/ZDF-Medienstudie 2025).
- Snapchat, United States: 56% of 18 to 29, 4% of 65 and over (Pew Research Center 2026).
04 · Job and education
Compare manual and office workers
Manual workers use messaging apps and email less than office workers. In the EU, 83% of manual workers used instant messaging in 2025, against 92% of non-manual workers. Email shows a larger gap: 75% against 94%. Manual work covers jobs such as production, construction, transport, cleaning and warehouse work (ISCO 6 to 9). Shop staff count as non-manual, so retail has its own row.
| Country | Manual | Non-manual |
|---|---|---|
| EU | 83% | 92% |
| Belgium | 65% | 83% |
| Netherlands | 97% | 99% |
| Germany | 82% | 90% |
| Poland | 76% | 90% |
| Romania | 76% | 84% |
| Spain | 96% | 99% |
| Country | Manual | Non-manual |
|---|---|---|
| EU | 75% | 94% |
| Belgium | 86% | 97% |
| Netherlands | 97% | 99% |
| Germany | 84% | 96% |
| Poland | 68% | 91% |
| Romania | 43% | 73% |
| Spain | 82% | 95% |
| Works in | Instant messaging | |
|---|---|---|
| Retail and wholesale | 90% | 88% |
| Transport and storage | 88% | 85% |
| Hotels and restaurants | 89% | 84% |
| Manufacturing | 87% | 85% |
- Education, EU, 2025: email is used by 96% of people with higher education and 63% of people with low formal education. In Romania: 89% and 23% (Eurostat).
- United States: WhatsApp is used by 26% of adults with high school or less and 43% of college graduates (Pew Research Center 2026).
Source: Eurostat 2025 (isoc_ci_ac_i, breakdowns ISCO0_5, ISCO6_9, EMP_*, I0_2, I5_8).
05 · Phone calls
See how many people answer an unknown number
Most calls from unknown numbers go unanswered. In a 2026 survey of six countries, the share was 86%.
| Figure | Base | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 86% of calls from unknown numbers go unanswered | 12,000+ consumers in the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany and Spain, 2026 | Hiya, State of the Call 2026. Hiya sells caller identification |
| 80% do not generally answer a mobile call from an unknown number | 10,211 US adults, July 2020 | Pew Research Center |
| 32% never answer an unknown number | Great Britain, December 2021 | YouGov |
| 41% never answer an unknown number | United States, December 2021 | YouGov |
| 148 voice minutes per active SIM per month, up from 126 in 2019 | Belgium, 2024 | BIPT |
No survey with this figure exists for Belgium or the Netherlands.
06 · Text messages
Track how text message volumes change
Belgians and Germans send far fewer text messages than five years ago. In Belgium, the number fell from 114 a month in 2020 to 46 in 2025.
| Country | Text messages per month | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 114 per consumer in 2020, 46 in 2025 | BIPT |
| France | 250 per customer at the 2016 peak, 50 in Q2 2026 | Arcep |
| Germany | About 2 per active SIM in 2025, against about 384 messenger messages per user | Bundesnetzagentur |
Job seekers in the United States: 47% say text is their preferred way to hear from employers. 1,000 US job seekers, 2023. Source: iCIMS, Talent Experience Report. iCIMS sells recruiting software with texting.
07 · Filters
Know what filters a call or a message
Phones, operators and Meta filter calls and messages before a person sees them. Since 2024, Belgium blocks calls from abroad that show a Belgian number. Since iOS 26, iPhones can ask unknown callers why they call.
Phone calls
iPhone: Screen Unknown Callers
The user picks one option for unknown numbers: ring as normal, ask the caller why they call before the phone rings or silence the call.
Since iOS 26, 2025. Asking the reason works in English, French, German, Spanish and other languages. Dutch is not on Apple's launch list. Source: Apple.
iPhone: Filter Unknown Callers
Missed calls and voicemails from unknown numbers move to a separate list.
Since iOS 26, 2025. All countries. Source: Apple.
Google Pixel: Call Screen
The phone answers an unknown call, asks who is calling and shows a transcript.
Automatic in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Ireland. Manual also in France, Germany, Spain and Italy. Not in Belgium or the Netherlands. Source: Google.
Belgium: calls from abroad with a Belgian number
Blocked, except for roaming.
Since 1 September 2024 (landline numbers) and 1 December 2024 (mobile numbers). Source: BIPT, Royal Decree of 12 May 2024.
Germany: calls from abroad with a German number
The number is not shown.
Since 1 December 2022. Source: Bundesnetzagentur, TKG §120.
France: caller number check
Operators check every caller number and cut calls that fail the check. Unchecked French mobile numbers on calls from abroad are hidden.
Since October 2024 and 1 January 2026. Source: Arcep.
United States: STIR/SHAKEN
Carriers sign the caller number so the receiving network can check it.
Since 30 June 2021. Source: FCC.
Text messages
iPhone: Screen Unknown Senders
Messages from unknown senders go to a separate list and stay silent until the user accepts them. Off by default.
Since iOS 26, 2025. All countries. Source: Apple.
Google Messages: spam protection
On by default. Detects spam patterns on the phone.
Countries not stated by Google. Source: Google.
RCS on iPhone
Richer text messages (photos, group chats, typing dots) between iPhone and Android when the operator supports it.
Since iOS 18, 2024. Belgium: all four operators. Netherlands: KPN, Odido and Vodafone not yet. Source: Apple.
UK sender ID registry
Brands register their sender names. Lookalike names are blocked.
Since 2019, voluntary. Source: MEF.
Opt-in
A business needs the person's permission before it sends the first message.
Source: Meta.
Templates
The first message from a business uses a template that Meta reviews, within 24 hours.
Source: Meta.
24-hour window
After the person replies, the business may send free-form messages for 24 hours.
Source: Meta.
Marketing limit per person
Meta caps how many marketing messages one person gets from all businesses. Meta does not publish the number.
Source: Meta.
User controls
People can block or report a business and switch offers off.
Source: Meta.
08 · Phone plans and data
Check who has a data plan
WhatsApp needs mobile data or Wi-Fi. Calls and text messages do not. In Flanders, 27% of people on a low income do not have the mobile data plan they need.
| Figure | Base | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 11.8% of active SIM cards are prepaid | Belgium, end of 2024 | BIPT |
| 8% of SIM cards are prepaid | Metropolitan France, 30 September 2026 | Arcep |
| 18% do not have the mobile data plan they need, for budget reasons. Low income: 27% | Flanders, 2024 | imec.digimeter 2024 |
| 7% go online only through a mobile phone | France, ages 12 and over, 2025 | CREDOC for Arcep |
| 11.9 GB mobile data per consumer per month, against 3.9 GB five years earlier | Belgium, 2025 | BIPT |
| 79% of temporary agency workers carry a personal and a work phone | France, 2025 | CREDOC for Arcep |
09 · Ringtime data
See Ringtime's reach data
Candidates who had just applied answered 69% of the time. On the same applicants, phone and WhatsApp reached the same share.
Ringtime production data. Applied for this job: May to October 2026. Other rows: data up to 11 August 2026.
| Figure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium, phone first, reached | 59% of 2,906 candidates | May to October 2026 |
| Phone and WhatsApp on the same applicants | Same share reached | May to October 2026 |
| Median time to reach after applying | About 6 minutes | May to October 2026 |
Ringtime contacts candidates by phone, WhatsApp and text message. Ringtime does not contact candidates on Messenger, Viber or Snapchat. Read more about screening candidates by phone, WhatsApp and text, reaching old candidate databases and which channels recruiters use.
Check where every figure comes from
Every figure names its source, year and base.
One source per chart
Eurostat for Europe
National surveys for the app
Primary sources only
Ringtime data
Updated every November
Sources
Check every source
- Eurostat, ICT usage in households and by individuals, 2025 (isoc_ci_ac_i)
- Ofcom, Online Nation 2025
- Pew Research Center, social media fact sheet, 2026
- Pew Research Center, mobile fact sheet, 2026
- SMI Barometer 2026, Arteveldehogeschool and Comeos
- imec.digimeter 2024
- Newcom, Nationale Social Media Onderzoek, July 2025 update
- CREDOC for Arcep, Baromètre du numérique, édition 2026
- Bitkom, press release 20 October 2026
- ARD/ZDF-Medienstudie 2025, Media Perspektiven 31/2025
- NMHH, Internet Usage by Individuals 2025
- Hiya, State of the Call 2026
- Pew Research Center, unknown numbers, 2020
- YouGov, unknown numbers, 2022
- BIPT, Royal Decree on spoofing
- Arcep, market observatory and consumer protection, 2026
- Bundesnetzagentur, Jahresbericht Telekommunikation 2025
- iCIMS, Talent Experience Report 2023
- Apple support: Screen Unknown Callers
- Apple support: Screen Unknown Senders
- Apple support: RCS carriers
- Google support: Call Screen
- Google support: Messages spam protection
- FCC, STIR/SHAKEN
- MEF, SMS SenderID Protection Registry
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform documentation
- Meta newsroom, April 2025
- Ringtime production reporting, May to October 2026.
Cite as: Ringtime, Frontline channel map, November 2026, ringtime.ai/resources/frontline-channel-map.
Questions
Find answers to common questions
What share of Europeans use messaging apps?
82% of people aged 16 to 74 in the EU used instant messaging in 2025. The Netherlands is highest at 98%. Source: Eurostat.
What share of Belgians use WhatsApp?
73% of Belgians aged 16 to 70 use WhatsApp daily and 91% monthly. Source: SMI Barometer 2026.
Do manual workers use messaging apps less than office workers?
In the EU, 83% of manual workers used instant messaging in 2025, against 92% of non-manual workers. In Belgium the gap is larger: 65% against 83%. Source: Eurostat.
How many people answer calls from unknown numbers?
86% of calls from unknown numbers go unanswered, in a 2026 survey of 12,000+ consumers in six countries. Source: Hiya, State of the Call 2026.
Are text messages declining?
In Belgium, people sent 114 text messages a month in 2020 and 46 in 2025. Source: BIPT.
Which countries block calls from abroad that show a local number?
Belgium blocks them since 2024. Germany hides the number since 2022. France hides unchecked French mobile numbers on calls from abroad since 2026. Sources: BIPT, Bundesnetzagentur, Arcep.
Should recruiters contact candidates by WhatsApp or SMS?
It depends on the country. WhatsApp is used daily by 73% of Belgians and 74% of UK online adults. In the United States, 33% of adults use WhatsApp. 47% of US job seekers say text is their preferred channel (iCIMS 2023). Sources: SMI Barometer 2026, Ofcom 2025, Pew 2026.
What share of job candidates answer when a recruiter contacts them?
In Ringtime's data from 2026, 69% of candidates who had just applied were reached. For old databases and sourced lists it was 14% to 22%. Source: Ringtime.
How often is this page updated?
Every November.
