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Facebook Messenger Hits 1.2 Billion User Milestone

It's a huge milestone for an app that many were initially hesitant to download.
Image: Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger now has a whopping 1.2 billion users.Dominic Lipinski / PA Wire - PA Images via AP

Facebook Messenger now has a whopping 1.2 billion users, putting it on par with the social network's other messaging app, WhatsApp.

It's a huge milestone for an app that many were hesitant to download when it was released in 2014, citing concerns that they could be spied on through the app at any time. (Facebook's permissions, of course, don't allow for this.)

Thankfully, for Facebook, that all blew over and now a sizable chunk of the world's 7 billion people are now on board and actively using Messenger.

Image: Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger now has a whopping 1.2 billion users.Dominic Lipinski / PA Wire - PA Images via AP

Related: Facebook Just Rolled Out Its Fake News Tool

"I keep on hearing powerful stories about how our product is becoming a more important part of your daily lives," David Marcus, head of messaging at Facebook, said in a post. "So from all of us here at Messenger, a heartfelt thank you to all of you for giving us a chance to build something good and more meaningful for you."

And if you need one more reminder of just how big of a deal this is for Facebook, Messenger now has twice as many users as Instagram.