WhatsApp, Viber emerge as Vietnam’s two most downloaded applications

App Store data on Dec. 30 showed WhatsApp and Viber occupying the top two download spots, a rare development, while Telegram ranked fifth.

Meanwhile, familiar messaging platforms such as Zalo, Messenger, Signal and Lotus fell outside the top 30, despite Zalo having long been a top-10 download in Vietnam.

On Android, however, Zalo remains very popular though apps like Viber and Discord are constantly competing and shifting ranks.

Top downloaded apps on iOS in Vietnam, morning of Dec 30, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/ Luu Quy

However, Zalo was the most popular messaging tool in Vietnam, according to the 2025 year-end report by internet infrastructure platform Cloudflare,

It also made a mark on the global internet map by entering the top 10 most-used messaging services, statistically tracked by the 1.1.1.1 VPN service.

There are no explanations for the sudden popularity of Viber and WhatsApp, but one expert with long experience in online advertising thought it was possible that Vietnamese users want to diversify their messaging tools. Meanwhile, Zalo did make some moves that have left users dissatisfied.

Since Dec. 26 many users have been receiving notifications regarding new terms of service that appear suddenly while they try to message, causing many to feel their arms are being twisted.

The notifications warn that in cases of refusal the user's account and data would be deleted within 45 days.

A survey VnExpress did between Dec. 28-30 of over 17,000 readers found 83% opposing Zalo's method and only 12% considering this "normal" though with many correctly pointing out that other platforms make updates without even notifying users.

But its support website points out that updating terms "is a common activity for all technology applications and platforms worldwide to ensure compliance with legal regulations and provide clear information to users about changes in the service provision process."

Another possible reason for the sudden popularity of foreign apps is their active effort to attract users. Viber recently rolled out Viber Dating and Viber Plus, helping users befriend and chat with new people, which it says have "high security."

Apps like Viber and WhatsApp are also highly rated for security with end-to-end encryption and self-destructing messages, and can sync across multiple devices.

Zalo has nearly 80 million regular monthly users with nearly two billion messages sent daily, according to reports from the platform. Vietnam has a population of over 100 million.

The top 10 messaging services in Vietnam, according to Cloudflare, are Zalo, WhatsApp, QQ, Telegram, Viber, Messenger, WeChat, Line, Signal, and KakaoTalk, respectively.