← StoriesIN BRIEF
SOCIAL MEDIA · MCMC · SMARTPHONE
Where did social networking sit among Malaysian smartphone activities in 2021?
MCMC's Hand Phone Users Survey places social networking among the most common smartphone Internet activities.
SHOW ME THE DATA2021 · share of smartphone users reporting the activity
VIEW DATA ASSame source · different visual lens
2021
1Text messaging82.8share of smartphone users reporting the activity
2Social networking78.9share of smartphone users reporting the activity
3Voice calls78.6share of smartphone users reporting the activity
4Taking photos/videos74.8share of smartphone users reporting the activity
5Search/browse Internet73.6share of smartphone users reporting the activity
6Video calls71share of smartphone users reporting the activity
7Watch videos/movies62.9share of smartphone users reporting the activity
8Listen to music54.6share of smartphone users reporting the activity
9Get directions48.4share of smartphone users reporting the activity
10Email47share of smartphone users reporting the activity
11Play games46.3share of smartphone users reporting the activity
12Shopping41.1share of smartphone users reporting the activity
13BANKINGBanking38.9share of smartphone users reporting the activity
14Reading32.9share of smartphone users reporting the activity
15Security camera5.6share of smartphone users reporting the activity
MCMCMalaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)share of smartphone users reporting the activity
SourceMalaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) ↗Survey year 2021HIGH CONFIDENCE
Method & notes
The survey provides behavioural context, but it should not be mistaken for current Facebook, TikTok or Instagram audience counts.
METHOD & LIMITATIONSHow the numbers were calculated
PulseKita transcribes Figure 9 from MCMC's Hand Phone Users Survey 2021. All bars use the same activity-usage denominator. Frequency percentages are stored separately because their denominator is users of the activity rather than all smartphone users.
- Social networking was reported by 78.9% of smartphone users in the survey.
- Among social-networking users, 94.4% reported doing it at least once a day; this frequency figure is not plotted on the same denominator.
- This is a 2021 survey snapshot, not a current 2026 platform-user count.
- The survey measures activity categories rather than named-platform market share.
Evidence trail
EVIDENCE CHAINtransformation inherited from methodology
- 1Declared sourceHand Phone Users Survey 2021
- 2TransformationPulseKita transcribes Figure 9 from MCMC's Hand Phone Users Survey 2021. All bars use the same activity-usage denominator. Frequency percentages are stored separately because their denominator is users of the activity rather than all smartphone users.
- 3Published visualRanked snapshot
Source
HIGH CONFIDENCEofficial primary
COVERAGE2021
UNITshare of smartphone users reporting the activity
SOURCEofficial publication
UPDATEDSurvey year 2021