What happens on the internet in a single day? The mind-blowing 2025 breakdown
It's 2025, and the internet remains the busiest ever. Billions of people continue to flood the space daily.
A data report from Exploding Topics and Sandvine offers an eye-opening and surprising glimpse into the sheer scale of daily digital activity.
Let's take a look:
1. Emails Sent: 333 Billion
Email is still king of the internet, with an astonishing 333 billion emails sent every day. Despite the growth of instant messaging and social apps, email remains the backbone of business communication, digital marketing, and transactional messages (like receipts and notifications). However, Sandvine reports that over 45% of global email traffic is spam, totalling 152 billion junk emails daily. While AI is improving spam filters, this staggering figure still reflects the heavy reliance on email for both productivity and scams.
2. SMS Sent: 24 Billion
Though less flashy than social media, SMS is far from obsolete. With 24 billion text messages sent daily, it’s still widely used for two-factor authentication, appointment reminders, and messaging in areas with poor internet connectivity. SMS also sees strong usage in regions where smartphones are widespread but app-based communication hasn't fully taken over.
3. Google Searches: 8.5 Billion
Google processes 8.5 billion searches per day, making it the most visited website in the world. Why? It’s the default knowledge engine for billions, whether they’re looking up recipes, reviews, health symptoms, or academic research. Exploding Topics notes that the rise of voice search and AI-assisted queries (like Google Bard or Gemini) is only making these numbers soar.
4. Snapchat Snaps: 8.5 Billion
Snapchat remains a top player in the ephemeral content space with 8.5 billion snaps sent daily. The platform’s visual-first, short-form style resonates strongly with Gen Z, and its expansion into AR (Augmented Reality) features has only boosted engagement. According to Exploding Topics, its user base has stabilised after a dip, thanks to its growing role in personal communication and storytelling.
5. Facebook Posts: 2.5 Billion
Even with competition from newer platforms, Facebook users post 2.5 billion times a day. While it’s no longer the "cool" app for teens, it's still massively popular among older demographics, small businesses, and community groups. Facebook’s deep integration into social and commercial ecosystems, particularly in developing countries, keeps it highly relevant.
6. Tinder Swipes: 1.6 Billion
Swiping for love (or curiosity) continues at full force with 1.6 billion swipes per day on Tinder. Dating apps have normalised casual digital matchmaking, and post-pandemic isolation has only increased usage. Sandvine notes that dating apps now consume more bandwidth than ever due to video calls and real-time messaging features.
7. X (formerly Twitter) Posts: 500 Million
While usage has fluctuated post-rebrand, X still sees 500 million posts daily. Elon Musk’s platform remains a global real-time conversation hub, especially for politics, sports, and breaking news. The rollout of long-form content and creator monetisation tools in 2024 helped keep engagement afloat, according to Exploding Topics.
8. Zoom Meeting Hours: 151 Million
Work-from-anywhere is here to stay. 151 million hours of Zoom meetings are logged daily as remote work, global teams, and hybrid education continue to thrive. Sandvine classifies video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet among the top drivers of upstream internet traffic globally.
