The most popular apps of the last ten years
At the end of this decade, App Annie provides an overview of the top-selling and most frequently downloaded apps. It also shows which trends have been set and what we can expect in 2020.
The mobile world has changed a lot in the last ten years. Numerous apps have become established that make life easier and have become an indispensable part of everyday life. For example, it is now possible to rent the house of local hosts on vacation instead of booking a hotel room, order food from any restaurant without being limited to the delivery service offer, and consume the favorite video game on the go at any time.
The smartphone always plays the leading role, giving consumers unlimited access to the Internet. App Annie, a provider of app data and insights, has analyzed this development over the last ten years and summarized app usage by consumers. The study provides an overview of which apps have conquered the mobile market and what the corresponding consumer behavior looks like worldwide and in Germany.
Facebook at the top
According to the analysis, the company Facebook has dominated the mobile market over the last ten years with its applications Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram. The aforementioned apps occupy the first four places in the global ranking of the most downloaded apps of the decade. Communication and social media programs are particularly popular with consumers and occupy seven places in the top 10 ranking.
Facebook has also taken the German market by storm with its apps and is clearly in the lead. Compared to the global ranking, one of the largest online marketplaces, Ebay, is also represented in Germany. Ebay Kleinanzeigen is in seventh place after Amazon, while the Ebay app is in ninth place. DB Navigator brings up the rear in the rankings. The mobility app of Deutsche Bahn is in tenth place.
Top-selling apps: Dating apps are trending
Video streaming and music apps were most prevalent among the top 10 revenue-generating apps worldwide, with streaming services such as Netflix, Pandora Music, and Tencent Video landing in the top 5. Tinder was the most successful dating app of the decade, coming in second behind Netflix.
The German top 10 are very varied. In addition to video streaming and e-learning, the fitness app Freeletics has won one of the top ranks. Two dating apps are at the top of the German rankings. Lovoo takes first place, closely followed by Tinder. Netflix is in third place, while the Bild app follows next.
Subway Surfers most loaded game of the decade
It may surprise some, but Subway Surfers was the most downloaded game of the decade worldwide. The reason for the first place is the great success in India, where 15 percent of the total downloads (iOS & Google Play combined) took place. In general, the top 10 list is very diverse, as the games included come from different companies.
The famous game Candy Crush Saga takes second place here, while Temple Run 2 is in third place. In addition, Clash of Clans and Candy Crush Saga stand out as the only games to feature in both the top 10 most downloaded and highest revenue generating apps. Monster Strike, Puzzle & Dragons, and Fate/Grand Order round out the top 5 apps with the highest consumer spending for the decade.
Best of 2019: Demand for mobile services breaks new records
Consumers worldwide are on track to reach a record 120 billion app downloads across iOS and Google Play in 2019, a five percent increase over the previous year (excluding third-party Android). This is particularly impressive as these are new first-time downloads, not including new installs or app updates.
Consumer spending is expected to grow even faster at 15 percent year over year, approaching $90 billion globally by the end of 2019 (Android excluded as a third party). This increase will be driven mainly by the photo, video and entertainment categories, excluding games. It can be predicted that the trend of growth will be supported with the launch of new video streaming services such as Disney+, as well as the increased use of subscription services. This will create new revenue streams for publishers.
So 2019 was a significant year for the smartphone. With the rising popularity of short video apps like TikTok and the success of games like Fun Race 3D and Call of Duty: Mobile, new formats have been added. In another report from App Annie, "The State of Mobile 2019" report, Likee - a short video and sharing app - was the only newcomer to the most downloaded apps, while there was more variety in the games category. There, seven of the top 10 apps were new to the list of most downloaded games in 2019.
Outlook 2020: The mobile market continues to grow
The past decade has completely transformed the mobile economy. With a five percent increase in downloads, and 15 percent year-over-year revenue growth (excluding third-party Android), this trend is expected to continue in 2020.
According to the forecast, the coming year will be even more successful with consumer spending of over $30 billion on apps and nearly $80 billion on games.
