WhatsApp System Design

System Design of WhatsApp Service

Designing a highly scalable and reliable messaging service like WhatsApp involves understanding and implementing several key components. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the system design of WhatsApp, covering aspects such as architecture, message flow, data storage, user management, security, and scaling strategies.

Overview of WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a widely used instant messaging service that allows users to send text messages, multimedia (images, videos, voice notes), and make voice and video calls. The key requirements for such a service include low latency, high availability, end-to-end encryption, and the ability to handle millions of concurrent users.

High-Level Architecture

The architecture of WhatsApp can be divided into several major components:

• Client Applications: Mobile apps (iOS, Android), desktop clients, and web clients.
• Load Balancers: Distribute incoming requests to various servers to handle load.
• Application Servers: Handle user connections, message routing, and business logic.
• Message Servers: Ensure delivery of messages to the correct recipients.