22 Captivating Apps Download Statistics for 2023 and Beyond

Have you ever heard of the phrase, “there’s an app for everything”? While this statement might not be entirely true, it’s not that far from reality. 

Apps download statistics reveal that the advancements of cellphone technology and computing have made a tremendous effect on our lives.

And to show just how influential these pieces of software are, here are some stats and facts about apps you might find interesting.

Top 10 App Usage Statistics

• Americans spend 88% of their mobile internet on apps.
• There were over 250,000 games on the iOS App Store in 2020.
• In 2019, mobile users downloaded approximately 204 billion apps.
• 69% of millennials use social networking apps the most.
• As of October 2020, WhatsApp has roughly 2 billion active users.
• The iOS Apple Store offers more than 1.76 million apps.
• Google Play Store sees over 100,000 new app releases each month.
• Mobile app revenue is projected to reach $935.2 billion by 2023.
• US citizens had about 20 apps installed on their phone in 2019.
• People downloaded around 573 million apps a day in 2019.

General App Usage Statistics

Just how tech-savvy are people on a global scale? Let’s look at the estimated number of total downloads, time spent on mobile apps, and future forecasts.

1. Americans spend 88% of their mobile internet on apps.

(eMarketer)

In early 2020, eMarketer predicted that tablet-users will spend around 83% of their time in apps, while for mobile users, this value will be 90%.

According to these experts, Americans spend a whopping 88% of their mobile internet time in applications.

2. TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2020.

(Cyberclick)

Current mobile app download statistics from Cyberclick show that, with a staggering 2 billion downloads back in April 2020, the most popular app among users is TikTok, the video-sharing social platform.

3.  As of October 2020, WhatsApp has roughly 2 billion active users.

(Statista)

Based on the number of monthly active users, mobile app usage statistics show that the second most popular messaging app with 1.3 billion users was Facebook Messenger.

WeChat took third place with 1.2 billion active monthly users.

4. The iOS Apple Store offers more than 1.76 million apps. 

(42Matters)

When looking at iPhone app usage stats, the iOS Apple Store is a force to be reckoned with.

One of the largest mobile app vendors on the planet, it offers roughly 35,000 new apps each month, which translates to around 1,051 apps every single day.

5. With nearly 250,000 different titles, in 2020, games were the most popular apps in the iOS App Store.

(42Matters)

Recent iPhone apps download stats also show that the second largest category of apps is business apps, with around 176,000 different options.

The third most popular category consists of educational apps (around 174,000).

6. Google Play Store sees over 100,000 new app releases each month.

(Statista)

App download statistics show that in August 2020 alone, the virtual store offered around 111,000 new apps.

7. In 2019, mobile users downloaded approximately 204 billion apps.

(PR Newswire)

Also, on average, consumers increased the total amount of time they spend on mobile by 35% from 2017 (an average of 220 minutes a day) — according to App Annie’s 2020 State of Mobile Report.

8. The annual number of mobile app downloads is forecasted to hit 258 billion in 2022.

(App Annie)

When talking about mobile apps download statistics show that in 2022, the number of app downloads will have increased by a rough 45% from 2017, when the annual total was 178.1 billion.

9. Tier 3+ cities in China are at the forefront of smartphone device growth and app downloads.

(App Annie)

App Annie’s 2017–2022 App Economy Forecast predicts that the most notable growth will happen in these cities.

Country-wise, aside from China, the fastest growth will occur in Vietnam, Egypt, Poland, Ukraine, Brazil, and Indonesia.

App Revenue Statistics

With downloads in the billions, just how big of a business is the application industry?

Below, you will find data on revenue, app spending, and some additional download-related forecasts.

10. Mobile app revenue is projected to reach $935.2 billion globally by 2023.

(Statista)

The Statista app revenue-forecast also projected revenue of $581.9 billion for 2020. In 2014, global app revenues amounted to “only” $97.7 billion.

11. China is the undisputed leader in app downloads, as app download data show.

(App Annie)

China was and is the ultimate leader when it comes to the number of app downloads.

According to App Annie’s report, in 2017, the country’s annual app download was 79.3 billion, while it was projected that this number would reach 119.5 by 2022.

12. India’s app-download rate is expected to grow by a whopping 208% from 2017 to 2023.

(App Annie)

App Annie’s forecast shows that when looking at app download statistics by country, India is clearly among the countries whose app-download rate is expected to grow significantly.

With 37.2 billion annual downloads by 2022, while in 2017, this number was “only” 12.1 billion.

13. China’s app spending will probably reach $62.4 billion in 2022.

(App Annie)

That’s a 107% growth from 2017’s $30.2 billion.

The next country in terms of spending is the United States, with $15 billion in 2017 and a projected $29.7 billion in 2022 as per smartphone app download statistics. 

The third on the spending list is Japan, with $13.7 billion in 2017 and a forecasted $20.9 by the end of the same period.

14. Apple App Store apps make almost double the revenue of Google Play Store apps.

(Sensor Tower)

iOS app usage statistics boast pretty impressive revenue numbers for the first half of 2020, according to Sensor Tower’s report.

More precisely, the Apple App Store generated an estimated $32.8 billion on a global scale from subscriptions, premium apps, in-app purchases, and games in the first six months of the year.

In comparison, Google Play generated $17.3 billion.

Users and App Usage Statistics

How many apps does the average person use? Which are the most popular apps? Which generation is the heaviest app-user? Let’s read a bit about usage data and demographics, shall we?

15. US citizens had about 20 apps installed on their phone in 2019.

(Statista)

Apps download statistics from a 2019 US mobile-usage survey shared that 21% of the surveyed people have one to ten apps they have installed on their mobile devices. 

Most of them are handy tools that make our lives more entertaining, like one of the most famous discussion apps, Reddit, which is used by 47.87 million mobile US users.

16. Mobile app usage data suggests that 69% of millennials use social networking apps the most.

(MindSea)

Millennials prefer to use apps that help them connect with each other as per average app download statistics. 

Networking apps are the highest on their popularity list, followed by a similar category, messaging apps, with 55%. The third app-type on their list is games, with 42% of respondents listing this type.

17. Gen Z-ers are the heaviest app users with 71% of their mobile-use time dedicated to apps.

(MindSea)

Gen Z-ers, especially users between 18 and 24 years old are the most dedicated crowd, with 72% of their time on their phones spent in apps.

They lead in terms of both total session numbers and monthly time spent on their devices. 

These smartphone app usage statistics also forecast that Gen Z will become the largest generation, which will have an even more profound effect on overall values.

18. People downloaded around 573 million apps a day in 2019.

(TechCrunch)

How many apps are downloaded a day? Tracking precise download numbers is nearly impossible, but rough estimates can always be given.

For instance, the State of Mobile Report from App Annie shows that around 204 billion apps were downloaded last year. That totals to a ballpark of 573 million when we divide that number by 365.

With the same analogy, we can also calculate the number of average app downloads per month. If we divide 204 billion by 12, the rough number for monthly downloads would be around 17 billion.

19. As of September 2020, Google Play Store offers a total of 3.04 million apps.

(Statista)

According to Statista’s latest app download statistics, Android users have somewhat fewer options than they used to — in 2017, the platform offered over 3.6 million apps.

20. The second quarter of 2020 has seen a year-over-year 47% increase in health and fitness apps.

(Sensor Tower)

Amid the global pandemic, health app usage statistics have seen the largest Y/Y increase, with a total of 656 million downloads.

Previously, the largest Y/Y boost was in Q2 2018, when experts recorded a 29.2% increase from Q2 2017.

21. Social and messaging apps were the most popular apps in the last decade.

(Business Insider)

According to App Annie’s data, the most downloaded apps up to 2019 were Facebook and Facebook Messenger with 4.6 and 4.4 billion downloads in the past decade.

22. On-demand grocery apps have seen over a 100% increase in downloads in the US at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.

(Tech Crunch)

Instacart has seen the largest increase of 218%, when looking at the daily app download stats from February and March. 

Walmart Grocery downloads increased by 160%, while Shipt has seen a download surge of 124% in the same period

On the other hand, as technology advances, apps will dominate not just our phones, but our homes as well (as smart home forecasts show).

FAQ

How many apps are downloaded every day?

Giving an exact number is almost impossible because it’s to keep track of the exact number of downloads.

However, according to App Annie’s report, in 2019, a total of 204 billion apps were downloaded. If we divide that by the days in a year, we get a rough estimate of 573 million downloads a day for 2019.

What was the most used app in the world in 2020?

According to ConPub, Facebook was among the most popular applications on both the App Store and Google Play Store with a combined number of over 4 billion downloads (some other sources state 4.6 billion). 

Next in line is Facebook’s dedicated messaging app, Facebook Messenger, with over 3 billion downloads. Lastly, Instagram takes third place, with close to 2 billion downloads.

Which app has the most downloads?

When looking at the list of the most downloaded apps of the last decade, Facebook-owned apps beat the competition, even despite the company’s recent data scandals. 

More precisely, the company’s apps were downloaded 16 billion times combined on a global scale.

Facebook itself has seen around 4.6 billion downloads over the past decade, making it the absolute number one most-downloaded app.

What are the 10 most popular apps?

According to app analytics from App Annie, the top ten most popular apps of the last decade are:

1. Facebook, with over 4.6 billion downloads.
2. Facebook Messenger with around 4.4 billion downloads.
3. WhatsApp with 4.3 billion downloads.
4. Instagram with 2.7 billion downloads.
5. Snapchat, which has been downloaded 1.5 billion times.
6. Skype, the video-calling app, with 1.3 billion.
7. As of 2019, TikTok had 1.3 billion downloads, even though it was launched in the US only in 2018.
8. Alibaba’s UC browser was downloaded around 1.3 billion times.
9. YouTube, with similarly close, rough 1.3 billion downloads.
10. Twitter, with around one billion downloads over the past decade.

What age group uses apps the most?

According to sources both from App Annie, and ComScore, Gen Z is the leader when it comes to time spent using apps.

More precisely, the 18-24-year-old age group spends around 72% of their time on mobile apps when using their phone.

According to experts, they lead in terms of both the number of total sessions and the total amount of time they spend using apps on a monthly basis.

What are the 5 most popular game apps?

According to App Annie’s look back at the top, most revolutionary and significant apps of the last decade, the top 5 games with the most downloads are:

• Subway Surfers by Kiloo (Denmark)
• Candy Crush Saga by Activision Blizzard (USA)
• Temple Run by Imangi (USA)
• My Talking Tom by Outfit7 (Cyprus)
• Clash of Clans by Supercell (Finland)

Conclusion

As these apps download statistics clearly state, numbers related to apps and their download are quite impressive.

Every forecast and report seems to predict steadily growing numbers and trends, both in terms of use and revenue. 

And as technology advances, only a few can predict how the future of apps will shape our life as they become even more prominent in not just our free time, but professional life and education as well.

Sources

• 42Matters
• App Annie
• App Annie
• Business Insider
• ComScore
• ConPub
• Cyberclick
• eMarketer
• MindSea
• MindSea
• PR Newswire
• Sensor Tower
• Sensor Tower
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• TechCrunch
• TechCrunch

 

{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How many apps are downloaded every day?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Giving an exact number is almost impossible because it’s to keep track of the exact number of downloads.nnHowever, according to App Annie’s report, in 2019, a total of 204 billion apps were downloaded. If we divide that by the days in a year, we get a rough estimate of 573 million downloads a day for 2019.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What is the most used app in the world in 2020?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”According to ConPub, Facebook is among the most popular applications on both the App Store and Google Play Store with a combined number of over 4 billion downloads (some other sources state 4.6 billion). nnNext in line is Facebook’s dedicated messaging app, Facebook Messenger, with over 3 billion downloads. Lastly, Instagram takes third place, with close to 2 billion downloads.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Which app has the most downloads?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”When looking at the list of the most downloaded apps of the last decade, Facebook-owned apps beat the competition, even despite the company’s recent data scandals. nnMore precisely, on a global scale, the company’s apps were downloaded 16 billion times combined.nnFacebook itself has seen around 4.6 billion downloads over the past decade, making it the absolute number one most-downloaded app.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What are the 10 most popular apps?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”According to app analytics from App Annie, the top ten most popular apps of the last decade are:nn Facebook, with over 4.6 billion downloads.n Facebook Messenger with around 4.4 billion downloads.n WhatsApp with 4.3 billion downloads.n Instagram with 2.7 billion downloads.n Snapchat, which has been downloaded 1.5 billion times.n Skype, the video-calling app, with 1.3 billion.n As of 2019, TikTok had 1.3 billion downloads, even though it was launched in the US only in 2018.n Alibaba’s UC browser was downloaded around 1.3 billion times.n YouTube, with similarly close, rough 1.3 billion downloads.n Twitter, with around one billion downloads over the past decade.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What age group uses apps the most?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”According to sources both from App Annie, and ComScore, Gen Z is the leader when it comes to time spent using apps.nnMore precisely, the 18-24-year-old age group spends around 72% of their time on mobile apps when using their phone.nnAccording to experts, they lead in terms of both the number of total sessions and the total amount of time they spend using apps on a monthly basis.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What are the 5 most popular game apps?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”According to App Annie’s look back at the top, most revolutionary and significant apps of the last decade, the top 5 games with the most downloads are:nn Subway Surfers by Kiloo (Denmark)n Candy Crush Saga by Activision Blizzard (USA)n Temple Run by Imangi (USA)n My Talking Tom by Outfit7 (Cyprus)n Clash of Clans by Supercell (Finland)n”}}]}