Truecaller Reaches Major Milestone in MEA Region
Truecaller, the popular global platform for verifying contacts and blocking unwanted calls, has announced it has reached 100 million monthly active users in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) as of August 2025.
The milestone, which includes both Android and iOS users, marks a 19% year-on-year growth for the app in the region.
Nigeria Among Truecaller’s Largest MEA Markets
Nigeria is listed among Truecaller’s largest markets in MEA, alongside Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Algeria, Ghana, and Jordan. In these countries, the app is installed on 20% to 45% of connected smartphones.
According to Nairametrics, Truecaller surpassed 450 million global users earlier in April 2025, adding 50 million new users in the last ten months, with 15.5 million of them joining in 2025 alone.
Growth Driven by Smartphone Adoption
Truecaller CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala attributed the strong performance to rising smartphone penetration and mobile data access across the MEA region.
“MEA, like India and many other markets, are mobile-first markets with your mobile number being the primary identifier, and Truecaller has always grown organically in such markets,” Jhunjhunwala said.
He also noted that the company is scaling operations and partnerships to strengthen its position in the region.
Truecaller’s Global Impact
Since its launch in 2009, Truecaller has been downloaded over one billion times globally. The platform now serves more than 450 million active users worldwide and blocked nearly 56 billion unwanted calls in 2024 alone.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission Investigates Truecaller
Earlier in 2025, the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) launched an investigation into Truecaller over alleged violations of the Nigerian Data Protection Act.
The probe is focused on whether the platform complies with national privacy laws. The NDPC has adopted a remediation-first approach, requiring non-compliant companies to:
- Document their data processing practices
- Address violations within a given timeline
- Undergo compliance monitoring for 6 to 12 months
New Data Privacy Directive Coming in September 2025
The investigation coincides with the rollout of the Nigeria Data Protection Act-General Application and Implementation Directive (NDP Act-GAID), aimed at clarifying:
- Lawful data processing
- Cross-border data transfers
- Grievance resolution procedures
The directive also introduces the Standard Notice to Address Grievance (SNAG), allowing individuals to seek remedies directly from companies before escalating complaints to the commission.
Full implementation of the directive begins in September 2025, with fee-related provisions effective January 2026.
