TikTok Overtakes Facebook to Become 2020’s Most Downloaded App Globally: App Annie

TikTok overtook Facebook to become the most downloaded app globally in 2020, as per an industry report on mobile trends. TikTok jumped the list by three spots and is projected by analytical firm App Annie to break into the 1 billion monthly active user club next year. Facebook's apps, however, dominated the top five most downloaded apps list, with Facebook coming in second, WhatsApp Messenger third, and Instagram fifth. Zoom's mobile app saw a standout growth this year and stood fourth in the list of most downloaded apps of 2020.

As per the annual report on mobile trends by data analytics platform App Annie, the ongoing pandemic has accelerated our mobile usage by two to three years; one of the biggest areas of growth this year was time spent on mobile devices. The biggest categories of growth in time spent include business apps, that were up 200 percent, thanks to conferencing tools such as Zoom.

App Annie's annual report highlights the mobile trends of the year
Photo Credit: App Annie

The downloads and consumer spend data is based on combined results from iOS App Store and Google Play till November 2020, with the iOS results only reflecting for China. The findings of the monthly active users on iPhone and Android phones combined exclude China and are based on data from January to October 2020.

As per the report, one of the factors contributing to TikTok's growth are consumers who ‘flocked to the app to create, socialise, and stay entertained.' The report noted that TikTok was increasing its cross-app usage with video streaming players like Netflix, indicating that it was blurring the lines between social and streaming, and also becoming more relevant in the streaming world by itself. Rounding up the list of top 10 apps downloaded worldwide is Facebook Messenger, Google Meet, Snapchat, Telegram, and Like.

Facebook's apps, however, took the top four positions of monthly active users list, with Facebook coming in first, followed by WhatsApp, Faceboook Messenger, and Instagram. Amazon came in fifth.

Global spending across iOS and Google Play rose by 25 percent to hit $112 billion (roughly Rs. 8,26,100 crores) in 2020. Japan, the US, and the UK are the top markets driving growth for iOS, while South Korea, Germany, and the US top the list for Google Play. For every dollar, $0.71 (roughly Rs. 52) went to games across iOS and Google Play combined.

Among non-gaming categories of apps, in-app subscriptions drove the most growth. As per the research, the biggest categories of growth globally were games, business, and finance. Brazil, India, and Indonesia were the largest contributors of growth in downloads on Google Play. Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the US saw the greatest growth in downloads on iOS.

Tinder topped the list of the app with most consumer spend, followed by TikTok, that jumped 15 places up. YouTube, Disney+, and Tencent Video are next in the list. As per the report, Disney+ had a standout year for growth this year, following its rollout into European and Latin American markets.

Free Fire was the most downloaded game worldwide this year, followed by Subway Surfers, Among Us, PUBG Mobile, and Gardenscapes: New Acres. The report noted that Among Us had a standout year for growth this year in downloads as well as active users.

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