Are Messaging Apps and Emoji-Driven M&E a Game-Changing Innovation?

This article discusses the use of smartphones for M&E. As the cost of smartphones drops, and as the growth of messaging apps like WhatsApp continues to increase worldwide, the range of possibilities for phone-based M&E is becoming both more diverse and more complex.

The advantages of messaging aps for M&E are:

• Messaging apps are cheaper
• Messaging apps offer a wider range of M&E options, bundled together
• Messaging apps are already the main communication platform in many countries

Disadvantages are:

• They exclude non-smartphone owners
• They need mobile broadband coverage
• They use up more battery life

Last modified: January 9, 2021

Language: English