Worldwide app downloads by Android and iOS in the first quarter of 2022
Apple’s mobile operating system is responsible for almost three quarters of consumer in-app spending in non-gaming apps, according to a new report from Data.ai, the former App Annie. One key driver: the massive rise of streaming video subscriptions to entertainment companies like Netflix, HBO, Disney+, and more.
Astonishingly in 2022, mobile is still growing, more than a decade after the era of the smartphone began.
Collectively we installed 37 billion apps in the first quarter of 2022, an 11% increase from 2021. Most of those are on Android devices: about 28 billion. Only about eight billion were on iOS. But in terms of revenue, the percentages are reversed, with iOS accounting for almost $2 for each dollar spent on Android: $1.80 to be precise. (Android is growing very slightly faster than iOS.)
But there’s a lot of revenue to go around.
2022’s first quarter saw the highest consumer spend in mobile apps in history, the report says, with global spend hitting $33 billion. That’s up 40% in two years, even as the pandemic-related bump is becoming less of a driver of mobile growth. (Note: this is spending for virtual items and subscriptions for digital goods. It does not include mobile spend on retail items or shippable products, which is probably a significant multiple of $33 billion.)
Top apps by downloads globally in Q1 2022
The top apps by downloads in Q1 is a who’s who of mobile, with a few non-obvious additions. Instagram won the battle of the titans with TikTok, at least for this quarter. Telegram continues to be hot as it forms the basis for a significant percentage of private group and individual messaging for people and groups concerned about censorship on other platforms.
And Zoom is hanging on to some of its work-from-home pandemic vibe.
Top global apps by downloads, Q1 2022
- TikTok
- WhatsApp Messenger
- Snapchat
- Telegram
- Shopee
- Facebook Messenger
- Spotify
- Zoom Cloud Meetings
TikTok does win, however, on consumer spend. TikTok has rolled out in-app badges and gifts that people can buy to support their favorite creators, which has proved tremendously successful. Other top apps by spend include dating apps like Tinder and the streaming video apps that take up six of the top 10 apps by spend, including Japan’s Piccoma, a manga and webtoons apps.
Top global apps by consumer spend, Q1 2022
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Tinder
- Disney+
- HBO Max
- Tencent Video
- Google One
- Piccoma
- iQiYi
- QQ Music
Facebook still leads the world in monthly active users, with all four of the top four apps, followed by TikTok, Amazon, Twitter, and others.
Top global apps by monthly active users, Q1 2022
- WhatsApp Messenger
- Facebook Messenger
- TikTok
- Amazon
- Telegram
- Spotify
- Netflix
Data.ai called out Snapchat and Shoppee as major movers.
Snapchat’s social entertainment app for young people had seemed to stagnate somewhat over the past few years, but investment in augmented reality for innovative face swap and other features with brands like Coke, Amazon, and Under Armour have led to a resurgence that saw Snapchat jump from seventh to fifth in the global download charts.
Shoppee jumped from tenth to seventh, and the Singapore-based e-commerce app, which does business in 13 countries across Asia, South-America, and Europe, is hitting record numbers in users and revenue.
One other interesting note: we seem to increasingly care about health and wellness.
Medical apps are growing 23% quarter-over-quarter, Data.ai says, while health and fitness apps are growing at about a 20% rate, quarter-over-quarter. One of the biggest winners is the meditation and sleep app Calm.
The full report is available here.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2022/03/23/top-apps-of-2022-by-installs-spend-and-active-users-report/