Infobip's 20-year analysis reveals surge in mobile messaging app, Viber adoption in PH

Infobip, an AI-first global cloud communications platform, said Filipino consumers are rapidly embracing richer, more conversational digital channels, creating new opportunities for businesses to deepen engagement and build long-term customer loyalty.

The company has released its Messaging Trends Report 2026, drawing on 628 billion mobile interactions in 2025 and a 20-year historical review of 3.8 trillion messages. Across the Infobip platform in the Philippines, total interactions grew by 19% year-on-year. 

The data also revealed that Mobile Messaging App interactions in the Philippines surged 139%, with Viber growing 47% to remain the country’s dominant messaging platform. WhatsApp recorded an exceptional 1,416% growth, signaling its rapidly expanding role in business communications. SMS continued to be a stable and trusted channel, growing 14%, while MMS and email increased by 15% and 5%, respectively. Other chat apps saw a 1,014% increase, underscoring the diversification of channels used by brands to reach Filipino consumers.

"The Philippines has always been a mobile-first market, and what we're seeing now is the next evolution of that. Filipino consumers want to have conversations with brands. The data shows that businesses here are beginning to recognize this shift and are investing in AI-powered omnichannel engagement strategies that go well beyond traditional channels like SMS and Email," said Guray Ozturk, Head of Customer Growth APAC at Infobip.

"Viber's growth is particularly significant. It remains the dominant messaging platform in the Philippines, and the brands that are leveraging it intelligently through personalized, timely, and relevant messages are seeing real results in customer loyalty and engagement,” he added. 

The other key findings of the report point to a broader transformation in how businesses communicate with customers. Single-channel communication is now obsolete for global brands, while Rich Communication Services (RCS) is also gaining significant ground. At the heart of this shift is the rise of agentic AI, with AI agents now capable of autonomous, goal-driven interactions that orchestrate complex customer journeys across channels, paving the way for platforms like Infobip's AgentOS to redefine what intelligent customer engagement looks like.

With the launch of Infobip AgentOS platform, it creates an opportunity for Philippine enterprises to scale personalized customer engagement in ways that were previously impossible. Infobip AgentOS is a fully managed AI native platform where AI agents, data, channels and customer intent come together to decide what happens next in every interaction. It leverages Infobip omnichannel foundation to enable AI agents to operate autonomously across SMS, RCS, email, WhatsApp, voice, and more, adapting in real-time to optimize content, channel and timing based on customer context.

The businesses that would lead in 2026 are not the ones that adopted AI first, but the ones that have integrated it across the full customer lifecycle rather than limiting it to isolated use cases. For more insights, see the Messaging Trends Report 2026 here: https://www.infobip.com/messaging-trends-report