TikTok maintains its top spot in the download charts, solidifying its status as the trending app of the moment. On the other end of the spectrum, despite recent reports about its “Demise”, Facebook remains the most used social app according to its latest data.ai (formerly App Annie) statistics.
Head-To-Head
As per data.ai’s Q1 2022 App Index, Instagram and TikTok were the most downloaded apps earlier this year, though TikTok leads the way in overall consumer spend. It’s worth noting that the consumer spend data also incorporates Chinese users on iOS, which is where TikTok’s significant portion of revenue comes from (around 57% based on some reports). Even so, TikTok’s popularity holds – though Meta remains the dominant player in both downloads and active users.
However, what’s more interesting is the movement of apps outside the bigger players. data.ai notes:
“Snapchat moved from #7 to #5 in the download chart from the previous quarter […] Shopee, meanwhile, moved up from #10 in terms of downloads to #7. The Singapore-based mobile commerce company reported GAAP revenue of $5.1 billion for 2021, and ended the year active in 13 countries across Asia, South America, and Europe.”
Shopee, a rising eCommerce and shopping platform, saw a huge boost throughout the pandemic, while Snapchat has been able to maintain, if not slightly augment its presence due to its focus on private communication between friends. Many younger users have also come to rely on Snapchat as a key messaging platform for their private discussions. Snap is for the chats not meant for Messenger, WhatsApp, or even Viber where the presence of family and relatives are likely to be found. Snapchat’s enduring popularity, despite the rising competition, bodes well for its future, especially as it looks to get into the new trend of AR wearables.
Another element of data.ai’s report looks at overall consumer spend, which reached a new high for a first-quarter period.
“Overall, we forecast consumer spend on apps to have grown over 40% in two years, with the total for iOS up nearly 42% from Q1 2020, and 44% up for Google Play.”
For what it’s worth, data.ai notes that iOS accounts for 65% of the $33 billion global app spend, which is consistent with the last five quarters. Android remains the most popular OS, especially in developing regions, but iOS users spend more, though that isn’t too surprising.
The Wrap
These are some interesting trends. While nothing is too over-the-top in terms of expectations, everything is still worth noting down and can give you inspiration on where to insert potential tie-ins and themed campaigns.
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Sources