The app industry is bigger than ever. What kinds of apps are being downloaded the most? Read this guide to find out.
The app industry is booming. Development teams and businesses around the world are looking to get in on the action and are vying to create the next app sensation. It’s a multi-billion-dollar sector that only looks set to grow in the future.
As a developer, choosing to buy app installs or reviews can be an effective way of securing some early success for your app. However, if you want to see true long-term success it’s vital that you analyze the market to identify potential gaps and opportunities. What kind of apps are being downloaded the most? Find out here.
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Social Media Apps
Social media is a modern phenomenon that has forever changed how we interact and socialize. Originally purely desktop-based platforms, these social channels now have mobile app counterparts which now account for the largest portion of their user bases.
Social media apps offer us a way to keep in constant contact with our friends, family, and loved ones, an unprecedented level of communication and interconnectivity. This is reflected in their numbers, as social media apps are the most downloaded type of app in the world.
Video-sharing social platform TikTok reigns supreme, generating 672 million downloads in 2022. At number two is Instagram at 548 million downloads in 2022, followed by WhatsApp which saw 424 million downloads last year.
Game Apps
Mobile gaming is a massive industry that is only getting bigger every year. After social media apps, games are among the most downloaded kind of apps. Many people can’t afford modern video game consoles or simply don’t have the time to play them. With mobile games, players don’t have to purchase any additional equipment and can play on the go as and when they please.
In 2022, the running game Subway Surfers was the most popular mobile gaming title, generating 191 million downloads. In second place was Roblox at 182 million, followed by Bridge Race, Garena Free Fire, and Among Us, at 169 million, 154 million, and 152 million downloads respectively.
Business Apps
Mobile devices have changed the way we socialize and consume media, but they have also revolutionized the way we work and conduct business as well.
This can be seen reflected in the popularity of business apps. People use them to maintain professional relationships on the go and broker business deals and agreements remotely.
WhatsApp’s professional version, WhatsApp Business, was the most popular business app in 2022 with 198 million downloads. Zoom and Microsoft Teams, perfect for hosting and attending remote work meetings, came in second and third with 163 million and 111 million downloads respectively.
Indeed, a job-searching app saw over 44 million downloads last year. This demonstrates the modernisation of the job searching process and is indicative of future trends as a generation raised with mobile technology matures.
Conclusion
Analyzing the market and evaluating the health of the industry is key to assessing the potential success of your app. Use this guide to learn about what the most downloaded apps are and where the industry could be heading in the future.