Carrying the momentum from 2020 was always going to be difficult for apps like Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, which noticed rapid growth in 2020 as millions of businesses, schools and people adapted their workspace to a virtual environment.
However, while countries re-opened their offices, pubs and borders, the effects of the pandemic and the return of Covid through delta and omicron has led to continued use of these applications and the changes to how we work are likely to be the new normal.
Outside of the workplace, TikTok remained the most popular app worldwide for the second year in a row. It managed to divert a potential sale to Oracle and Walmart, with the Biden Administration reverting a previous order to sell the app authorized by President Trump.
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Its ban in India has led to a new segment of TikTok-like apps, vying to take the short-video crown in the country. Several of these apps have added over 50 million users this year alone, with TikTok reportedly missing out on a potential 250 million active users because of the ban.
Facebook still dominated total download charts, with four of the top 10 most downloaded apps published by the social network.
In a year when several app sectors saw five years growth in a few months, it is impressive that most managed to keep pace with 2020 downloads. Total downloads were down, with top apps like TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat losing over 100 million downloads in 2021.
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Some newer categories, like cryptocurrency, saw much higher downloads and usage in 2021 than in the previous year. Others, such as travel, transport and dating, benefited from the opening up of tourism and hospitality.
We have collected data and statistics on the most popular apps by country and by category. Read on below to find out more.
Most Popular Apps Key Statistics
- TikTok was the most downloaded app globally in 2021, with 656 million downloads
- Among Us was the most downloaded globally in 2020, with 285 million downloads
- Four of the ten most downloaded apps of 2021 were published by Facebook
Want to learn all about the app industry? With our App Data report, we cover revenues, downloads, and number of apps across iOS and Google Play, alongside the top grossing and most popular individual apps.
Most Popular Apps by Country
In this section, we take a look at the most popular apps in each country. We cover global, Brazil, China, India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Most Popular Apps 2021 (Global)
TikTok retained its spot as the most downloaded app in 2021, although total downloads decreased by 194 million in 2021. Facebook had three apps in the top five.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 656 |
| 545 | |
| 416 | |
| 395 | |
| Telegram | 329 |
| Snapchat | 327 |
| Zoom | 300 |
| Messenger | 268 |
| CapCut | 255 |
| Spotify | 203 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Apps 2021 (United States)
TikTok remained the most popular app in the US as well, increasing its total downloads for the year by two million. Cash App is another 2021 success story, with more users and downloads than 2020, possibly due to the influx of new cryptocurrency buyers.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 94 |
| 64 | |
| Snapchat | 56 |
| Cash App | 56 |
| Zoom | 52 |
| Messenger | 51 |
| 47 | |
| 47 | |
| YouTube | 47 |
| HBO Max | 45 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Apps 2021 (United Kingdom)
Millions of Brits downloaded the NHS App in 2021 to access their Covid pass, which let them attend festivals, large events and go on holiday. TikTok dipped in popularity, and Microsoft Teams surpassed Zoom in total downloads.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| NHS App | 22 |
| 20 | |
| Microsoft Teams | 19 |
| TikTok | 18 |
| Zoom | 16 |
| NHS Covid-19 | 14 |
| 12 | |
| YouTube | 12 |
| Uber Eats | 10 |
| Disney+ | 10 |
Source: AppMagic
Most Popular Apps 2021 (China)
WeChat is the most popular app in China, which acts as a home screen for Chinese phone users, with thousands of mini-programs loaded inside the app. Pinduoduo has seen the most growth from 2020 to 2021.
| App | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| 1005 | |
| AliPay | 845 |
| Taobao | 750 |
| Pinduoduo | 740 |
| Douyin | 686 |
| 638 | |
| iQiyi | 605 |
| Tencent Video | 605 |
| Baidu | 494 |
| Sogou Pinyin | 468 |
Source: Statista
Most Popular Apps 2021 (India)
TikTok’s ban in India made way for several clones built by Indian developers, with MX TakaTak, Moj and Josh all competing for the short-video crown. Instagram is also competing with Reels, which it has marketed heavily in the country.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| MX TakaTak | 181 |
| 178 | |
| 176 | |
| Snapchat | 166 |
| Meesho | 158 |
| Moj | 139 |
| Flipkart | 133 |
| Ludo King | 129 |
| Josh | 127 |
| PhonePe | 120 |
Source: AppMagic
Most Popular Apps 2021 (Brazil)
Brazil had three primary apps in 2021: TikTok, Shopee and Kwai, which each had 70 million downloads. NuBank and PicPay fought for the title of #1 neobank in the country.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 79 |
| Shopee | 76 |
| Kwai | 74 |
| NuBank | 38 |
| 35 | |
| PicPay | 35 |
| Shein | 34 |
| 34 | |
| 33 | |
| Resso | 33 |
Source: AppMagic
Most Popular App by Platform
In this section, we will cover the most popular apps on the two most popular mobile app stores: iOS and Google Play.
Most Popular iOS Apps 2021
TikTok was the most downloaded iOS app in 2021, with 276 million downloads. This was almost double second place Instagram.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 276 |
| 148 | |
| YouTube | 146 |
| 126 | |
| 113 | |
| National Anti-Fraud Center | 102 |
| Google Maps | 102 |
| 100 | |
| Messenger | 95 |
| Gmail | 89 |
Most Popular Google Play Apps 2021
Instagram was the most downloaded Google Play app in 2021, surpassing TikTok by 13 million downloads.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| 366 | |
| TikTok | 353 |
| 281 | |
| Telegram | 266 |
| Snapchat | 250 |
| Zoom | 222 |
| CapCut | 214 |
| 176 | |
| Google Meet | 162 |
| Meesho | 161 |
Most Popular App by Category
In this section, we take a look at the ten most popular apps of the year by app category. All values are global unless stated otherwise and do not include downloads from third-party Chinese Android app stores.
Most Popular Games 2021
Subway Surfers reclaimed the title of most downloaded game in 2021, it has been a top five downloaded game every year since 2014. Roblox had more downloads than last year, while Among Us was downloaded about half as many times as in 2020.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Subway Surfers | 191 |
| Roblox | 182 |
| Bridge Race | 169 |
| Garena Free Fire | 154 |
| Among Us | 152 |
| Hair Challenge | 138 |
| Join Clash | 136 |
| 8Ball Pool | 130 |
| Ludo King | 125 |
| Candy Crush Saga | 119 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Social Apps 2021
While the launch of Instagram Reels hasn’t slowed down TikTok, it made Instagram more popular, as one of the few social apps to see more downloads in 2021 than 2020.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 656 |
| 545 | |
| 416 | |
| 395 | |
| Snapchat | 327 |
| 171 | |
| MX TakaTak | 128 |
| Discord | 121 |
| Josh | 111 |
| 104 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Communication Apps 2021
WhatsApp was the most downloaded communications app for the second year in a row. Telegram, considered the alternative WhatsApp for people fearful of tracking, gained a lot of new users after WhatsApp’s privacy change.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| 480 | |
| Telegram | 429 |
| Snapchat | 383 |
| Messenger | 363 |
| Zoom | 353 |
| Google Meet | 225 |
| WhatsApp Business | 223 |
| Microsoft Teams | 170 |
| Discord | 134 |
| 104 |
Source: AppMagic
Most Popular Entertainment Apps 2021
Netflix has also retained its position as most downloaded entertainment app, although it had 60 million less downloads than in 2020. Disney+ surpassed Amazon Prime Video in downloads, and HBO Max entered the top 10.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Netflix | 173 |
| YouTube | 166 |
| Google Play Games | 131 |
| Disney+ | 126 |
| Amazon Prime Video | 120 |
| YouTube Kids | 91 |
| HBO Max | 73 |
| Twitch | 69 |
| Hotstar | 56 |
| Pluto TV | 54 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Music & Audio Apps 2021
Spotify has new competition, in the form of TikTok-owned Resso, which is making waves in Latin America and India. It has already surpassed the downloads of YouTube Music, Amazon Music and SoundCloud.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Spotify | 203 |
| Resso | 85 |
| YouTube Music | 79 |
| StarMaker | 76 |
| Shazam | 75 |
| SoundCloud | 52 |
| Amazon Music | 44 |
| Wynk Music | 38 |
| Music Player | 38 |
| JioSaavn | 35 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Shopping Apps 2021
Southeast Asian shopping apps dominated 2021, with Shein even breaking into US and European markets. These apps quickly produce items based on trends and sell at heavily discounted prices through flash sales and coupons, similar to Wish.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Shopee | 203 |
| Shein | 190 |
| Meesho | 153 |
| Amazon | 148 |
| Flipkart | 93 |
| AliExpress | 84 |
| Wish | 72 |
| Pinduoduo | 67 |
| Lazada | 67 |
| Alibaba | 62 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Food & Drink Apps 2021
McDonalds surpassed Uber Eats to be the most downloaded food & drink app of 2021. The fast-food chain added more functionality to its app, in partnership with Uber and Just Eat Takeaway, to run delivery through it.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| McDonalds | 116 |
| Uber Eats | 72 |
| DoorDash | 43 |
| Starbucks | 30 |
| foodpanda | 28 |
| Zomato | 27 |
| Meituan | 26 |
| Domino's | 24 |
| Grab | 23 |
| TooGoodToGo | 21 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Travel Apps 2021
Google Maps was the most downloaded travel app in 2021, which is perhaps a slight indication that we’re not fully out of lockdown, but are eagerly planning it out. Bolt and Grab both saw increases in downloads this year.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Google Maps | 106 |
| Uber | 94 |
| Booking.com | 63 |
| Google Earth | 57 |
| Airbnb | 44 |
| DiDi | 27 |
| Bolt | 25 |
| Lyft | 23 |
| Where is my Train | 23 |
| Grab | 23 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Education Apps 2021
Education apps have been downloaded fewer times in 2021 than 2020, as many schools transition back to face-to-face learning. Google Classroom is still the most popular app, but had 53 million less downloads in 2021.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Google Classroom | 75 |
| Toca Life World | 68 |
| Duolingo | 65 |
| Brainly | 64 |
| Photomath | 46 |
| Picture This | 37 |
| Kahoot! | 25 |
| Cake | 23 |
| BYJU's | 22 |
| Qanda | 21 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Dating Apps 2021
Tinder is still the most popular dating app globally, with almost double the downloads of Badoo. CuteU, a real-time video matching app, saw the most growth in downloads in 2021.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Tinder | 67 |
| Badoo | 35 |
| Bumble | 22 |
| Tantan | 20 |
| CuteU | 18 |
| Grindr | 12 |
| Plenty of Fish | 11 |
| Lamour | 11 |
| Hinge | 10 |
| Happn | 9 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Health & Fitness Apps 2021
Once again, Leap Fitness has multiple fitness apps in the top ten, with Home Workout, Six Pack in 30 Days and Lose Weight for Women all gaining more than 20 million downloads. Flo, a period tracking app for women, reached number one for the first time.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Flo | 35 |
| MiFit | 35 |
| Home Workout | 33 |
| Six Pack in 30 Days | 28 |
| Lose Weight for Women | 27 |
| Calm | 24 |
| Muscle Booster | 22 |
| e-Nabiz | 22 |
| Strava | 22 |
| MyFitnessPal | 22 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Money Transfer Apps 2021
PayPal remained the most popular money transfer app, with 106 million downloads. India’s mobile payment market is a three horse race, with Google Play slightly ahead of PhonePe in downloads and both far ahead of Paytm, considered by some to be the PayPal of India.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| PayPal | 106 |
| Google Pay | 82 |
| PhonePe | 79 |
| AliPay | 68 |
| Cash App | 57 |
| Paytm | 37 |
| Venmo | 31 |
| Zelle | 17 |
| Western Union | 12 |
| Remitly | 5 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Cryptocurrency Apps 2021
Binance remains the most popular cryptocurrency exchange by downloads, usage and volume. Crypto.com surpassed Coinbase in total downloads, although Coinbase still has more users.
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Binance | 64 |
| Crypto.com | 41 |
| Coinbase | 40 |
| Trust | 16 |
| eToro | 8 |
| Coinbase Wallet | 7 |
| CoinMarketCap | 7 |
| CoinSwitch | 7 |
| Voyager | 6 |
| BtcTurk | 4 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Apps of Previous Years
We have collected statistics of the most downloaded apps and games of previous years as well.
Most Popular Apps (2020)
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 850 |
| 600 | |
| 540 | |
| 503 | |
| Zoom | 477 |
| Messenger | 404 |
| Snapchat | 281 |
| Telegram | 256 |
| Google Meet | 254 |
| Netflix | 223 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Games (2020)
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Among Us | 264 |
| Subway Surfers | 227 |
| Garena Free Fire | 218 |
| PUBG Mobile | 175 |
| Among Us | 171 |
| Hair Challenge | 158 |
| Join Clash | 155 |
| 8Ball Pool | 151 |
| Ludo King | 149 |
| Candy Crush Saga | 138 |
Source: Apptopia
Most Popular Apps (2019)
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| 769 | |
| TikTok | 727 |
| Messenger | 723 |
| 682 | |
| 438 | |
| Likee | 327 |
| SHAREit | 321 |
| Snapchat | 275 |
| Spotify | 226 |
| Netflix | 225 |
Source: AppMagic
Most Popular Games (2019)
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Garena Free Fire | 327 |
| PUBG Mobile | 268 |
| Subway Surfers | 227 |
| Fun Race 3D | 210 |
| Color Bump 3D | 205 |
| My Talking Tom 2 | 162 |
| Run Race 3D | 158 |
| Sand Balls | 154 |
| Homescapes | 153 |
| Stack Ball | 152 |
Source: AppMagic
FAQs
What is the most popular app right now 2022? ›
Facebook still leads the world in monthly active users, with all four of the top four apps, followed by TikTok, Amazon, Twitter, and others.
What type of apps are in high demand in 2022? ›- Rise of 5G. The 5G technology has been around for a while. ...
- Apps for Foldable Devices. ...
- AR & VR. ...
- Wearable App Integration. ...
- Food & Grocery Delivery Apps. ...
- Mobile Entertainment & Gaming. ...
- AI & Machine Learning. ...
- There Will be More Focus on Mobile App Security.
#1) TikTok
It is at the top of the list of most popular apps. By now, it has been downloaded over 2 billion times overall globally.
- Tiktok as The Top Trending App.
- Instagram.
- Facebook.
- WhatsApp.
- Telegram.
- Uber.
- Zoom.
- Netflix.
Here are the top 10 globally most-download apps of 2021: TikTok: 656 million. Instagram: 545 million. Facebook: 416 million.
Which app is mostly use in USA? ›According to the latest data, WhatsApp Messenger is the most popular messaging app downloaded on the Google Play Store in the USA. This is no surprise, considering it's the most used messaging app globally, with two billion users. After WhatsApp, the second-most used chat app in the USA is Snapchat.
What app should I make to make money? ›- Ibotta. How it works: Ibotta lets you earn cash back on in-store and online purchases at over 2,000 supported retailers. ...
- Rakuten. ...
- Swagbucks. ...
- Fiverr. ...
- Upwork. ...
- OfferUp. ...
- Poshmark. ...
- 25 Ways to Make Money Online, Offline and at Home.
- Games.
- Social Apps.
- Entertainment Apps.
- Health & Fitness Apps.
- Dating Apps.
| Rank | App | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | = | WhatsApp Messenger by WhatsApp LLC |
| 2 | 1 | excoino | اکسکوینو by Ernyka Co |
| 3 | 1 | WhatsApp Business by WhatsApp LLC |
| 4 | 1 | VD Browser & Video Downloader by DS tools |
...
Leading countries based on mobile app releases in 2017.
What is the top 10 app? ›
- TikTok. It's no surprise that TikTok is one of the most downloaded apps of 2021. ...
- 2. Facebook. ...
- Instagram. ...
- WhatsApp. ...
- Telegram. ...
- Moj. ...
- Zoom. ...
- Snapchat.
...
12 essential apps for any Android phone
- Dropbox. Dropbox lets you access your files from anywhere. ...
- Plex. ...
- Pocket. ...
- Snapseed. ...
- VLC Player. ...
- SwiftKey. ...
- Google Podcasts. ...
- CamScanner.
- K Factors.
- Kafkai.
- Kagent.
- Kairn.
- Kaiten.
- Kajabi.
- Kaleyra.
- Kameleoon.
- Food delivery. Food delivery apps have increased significantly in the past few years. ...
- Retail. ...
- Grocery. ...
- Beauty. ...
- Healthcare. ...
- Taxi. ...
- Customer app feature. ...
- Service provider app feature.
1. Facebook — 2.9 billion MAUs. Facebook is the largest social media site, with more than two billion people using it every month. This means that roughly 36.9% of the world's population are Facebook users.
What social media is everyone using? ›Facebook—which is owned by Meta—is the most popular social media platform with 2.9 billion monthly active users (MAUs). Which refers to individual users who visit your site in a given month. In fact, the combined number of Meta product users (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp) in Q1 of 2022 was 3.64 billion.
What is the biggest messaging app? ›WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app worldwide, and is the most used app in over 150 countries.
How can I make $100 a day? ›- Take part in research (up to $150/hour) ...
- Get paid to take surveys. ...
- Get paid to watch videos online. ...
- Answer questions for money. ...
- Download this app and make money by going online. ...
- Get paid to play games online. ...
- 7. Make an extra $100 pet sitting. ...
- Become a shopper.
Over 18% of Android app developers earn more than $5,000 per month, while 25% of iOS app developers earn the same amount. Millions of dollars are made through video gaming applications.
Why do most apps fail? ›The performance of an app depends on many factors that can range from competition to marketing budgets to sheer luck. But beyond these factors, poor research and poor process execution are common reasons why apps fail when launched.
How do you start a successful app? ›
- Research the Market.
- Get To Know Your Buyer Persona(s)
- Initial Design and Development.
- Start Preparing Your Presence.
- Define Clear Goals and KPIs.
- Prototype Testing.
- Making Specific Plans.
- Beta Release.
- TikTok. TikTok has quickly become a major player with its detailed algorithms and unique content creation capabilities. ...
- Discord. ...
- Twitch. ...
- Instagram Reels. ...
- Patreon. ...
- Twitter Spaces. ...
- Spotify Greenroom. ...
- Supernova.
This begs the question: What are the fastest-growing social media platforms? The latest data shows that the fastest-growing social network is TikTok.
Which phone app is best? ›- Family Locator by Life360.
- Find My Device by Google.
- Cerberus.
- Google Maps.
- Adobe apps.
- AirDroid.
- CamScanner.
- Google Assistant / Google Search.
- IFTTT.
- Google Drive suite.
- Google Translate.
- LastPass Password Manager.
...
Android: top 50 games of 2022 so far.
| Rank | Game | Combined score for downloads & revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roblox | 169 |
| 2 | Candy Crush Saga | 143 |
| 3 | Coin Master | 130 |
| 4 | Evony | 96 |
Launching a successful app is highly difficult, and it certainly isn't for the easily shaken. Although many app ideas will fail on their journey to success, a few will survive. Yes, you can be a part of that few. The key is to know what it takes to build an app startup and prepare yourself for the journey.
What app does China use most? ›What makes WeChat so attractive to users? WeChat is a multi-functional app beyond messaging and social networking. From mobile payment and taxi-hailing to making appointments and holiday planning, it provides almost everything to every mobile user in China.
What apps are hot? ›- Weather Bomb. Weather Bomb helps me plan my outdoor activities according to the weather of my city. ...
- Google Skymap. I love having fun with this app. ...
- Llama Location Profiles. Oh! ...
- BetterBatteryStats. ...
- APP Lock. ...
- SwiftKey 3. ...
- Tasker. ...
- Friday.
In short, yes. But not every application you choose to install is a threat. Some apps can infect your smartphone with malware. You're more at risk when downloading an app from a third-party, rather than through an official app store.
What are the top 10 most popular apps in 2022? ›
Meta's four platforms on the list are Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger, while ByteDance owns TikTok and video-editing platform CapCut. Just outside the top 10 are Zoom and WhatsApp Business (yet another Meta-owned app).
What are the 5 most popular game apps 2022? ›Completely unsurprisingly given their positioning in both the iOS and Android top lists, Roblox and Candy Crush Saga are #1 and #2, respectively. Coin Master, Fishdom, and Evony round out the top 5 games of 2022 so far.
Is TikTok the number one app? ›According to the Store Intelligence Data for Q1 2022 report, TikTok was downloaded more than 175 million times from January 1 through March 31, 2022. TikTok surpassed Instagram as the most downloaded app. Since 2018, no app has more downloads than TikTok, which now has more than 3.5 billion all-time downloads.
What app do I use the most? ›First, swipe down once from the top of the screen and tap the gear icon. Scroll down and select “Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls.” Now, tap the graph icon in the top-right corner. Here's where you can see a weekly breakdown of the apps that you've used the most.
How popular is TikTok? ›TikTok Statistics – Updated Oct 2022. TikTok is available in over 150 countries, has over 1 billion users, and has been downloaded over 200 million times in the United States alone. If your brand's target audience includes anyone between the age 13 and 60, you should be on TikTok right now.
What is the future of apps? ›Artificial Intelligence (AI) is by no means a new technology in mobile app development, but as AI and machine learning become more sophisticated, so will app capabilities. For example, algorithms can learn from past user behavior with advanced machine learning and then pull data to predict what may happen next.
What kind of mobile apps are in demand? ›- Social Media.
- Food Delivery.
- Transportation.
- Healthcare.
- Gaming.
Key Mobile App Statistics for 2022
There are 2.87 million apps available for download on the Google Play Store.
- PUBG. There is a huge fan following of PUBG in the world. ...
- Minecraft. ...
- Apex Legends. ...
- Fortnite. ...
- Call of Duty Mobile. ...
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. ...
- League of Legends (LOL)
| Game title | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | ROBLOX | Roblox Corporation |
| 2. | Minecraft | Mojang Studios |
| 3. | Fortnite | Epic Games |
| 4. | The Sims 4 | Electronic Arts |