Infobip’s 20-year analysis of 3.8 trillion messages reveals rise of omnichannel, RCS and AI-driven communication

Analysis of 628 billion interactions in 2025 highlights the shift to conversational experiences, with nearly 98% of traffic now sent by customers using multiple channels

AI-first cloud communication platform Infobip has released its Messaging Trends Report 2026, offering a comprehensive analysis of the current state of business communication. Drawing on data from 628 billion mobile interactions in 2025 and a historical review of 3.8 trillion messages over the past 20 years, the report charts the evolution from single-channel messaging to complex, AI-powered omnichannel experiences.

The data reveals a shift in how brands engage with customers. While SMS remains a critical pillar for reliability, accounting for 62% of traffic, the growth of rich, conversational channels is accelerating. RCS traffic grew 3x globally last year, with 70x increase in North America. Meanwhile, WhatsApp continues to dominate the conversational landscape, facilitating 91% of all conversational AI interactions on the platform, marking a 25% increase year over year.

Key findings:

• Agentic AI is enabling the next major steps in business messaging. Moving beyond simple chatbots, AI agents are now capable of autonomous, goal-driven interactions, orchestrating complex customer journeys across channels.
• Single-channel communication is now obsolete for global brands. Ten years ago, 73% of platform traffic was single-channel. By 2025, that figure has dropped to just 2.3%, as 98% of interactions now span multiple channels.
• RCS is now mainstream in many regions. Beyond the growth in North America, Latin America saw a 7x increase, and APAC grew by over five times.

Ante Pamuković, Chief Revenue Officer at Infobip, commented: “Our 20-year anniversary data set gives us a unique vantage point to see not just where we are, but where we are going. The story is clear, the era of the simple notification is over. We are shifting towards a diverse ecosystem where brands orchestrate conversations across WhatsApp, RCS, Email and Voice.

The future is omnichannel, conversational, and increasingly powered by Agentic AI. In this new world, Infobip provides the infrastructure enabling businesses to meet their customers on the right channel, at the right time, with the right message.”

As Infobip marks 20 years of innovation, the launch of the Messaging Trends Report 2026 sets the stage for the company’s next evolution, enabling autonomous, AI-driven customer experiences through its new AgentOS platform.