In the age of the internet and widespread mobile device accessibility, the true battle that has taken place in this sector has been between iOS and Android. Android encompasses a broader range of phones, including Samsung, Huawei, and HTC.
Its main competitor in this field is the iOS system which was created, developed and enhanced by Apple. So if you’re looking to download an app to your mobile phone, your Android phone uses the Play Store, and the iOS system uses the App Store.Â
There has been plenty said about the pros and cons of each of these devices. However, both are the goliaths of this sector and have been for many years.
Android and iOS make up the vast majority of the market and have such a firm grip that it is unlikely a rival could enter the equation and eat into the market share of either.
Many iOS users have commented that Apple devices are more secure, so if you’re using a mobile app to perform a task that involves sensitive financial information, such as playing a casino game, you want to ensure your information is secure as possible.
With billions of people using both devices, Android and Apple devices are both incredibly secure. They provide top-notch security and protect all categories of data from cyber-attacks, which is important when processing transactions online, sharing personal information, or play online slots here.
Today, we will examine the top Android apps of all time and see how popular they became.
The company that changed the landscape of social media forever, Facebook has been a behemoth in the sector for nearly twenty years. So it is no surprise that given its size and ongoing popularity, it is one of the most downloaded Android apps.
With over 6.9 billion downloads, it is the most popular social media app. Its Messenger app has also been downloaded more than 5.6 billion times. Despite some of the negative press and scandals that have hit the corporation over the last decade, this doesn’t appear to have even put a dent in the juggernaut.
Although there has been some discussion about whether Facebook is losing its grip after announcing job losses and dropping in daily active users, it remains a titan of the mobile app world.
Many younger people prefer using Instagram to Facebook. However, this isn’t reflected in the statistics because Facebook has been around for much longer.
Both companies are owned by the tech colossus Meta, one of the biggest companies on Earth. With over 4 billion downloads across all app stores, Instagram is an enormous organisation that has defined popular culture.
In fact, Meta owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. WhatsApp is the most downloaded Android app of all time, with an astonishing 8.4 billion downloads. So it may be a surprise that the social media giant completely dominates this space.
However, given how visible they are, how much time people spend on social media and how long the companies have existed, it is any surprise they control such a massive portion of the market.
These four make up the top four most downloaded Android apps of all time, and it’s hard to see them changing over the next couple of years. After that, however, we will move away from social media and other areas.
Candy Crush Saga
With over one billion downloads, Candy Crush was the most popular Android app game for several years. Fighting off a spirited challenge from other games, it was a huge hit when it first hit the Play Store.
It has since been surpassed by a game released in 2017 called Garena Free Fire which has racked up over 1.2 billion downloads in less than five years.
Other growing trends have seen millions of people downloading security software such as VPNs, but the popularity of social media apps eclipses them.
Conclusion
With so many people glued to their phones, social media apps reign supreme. But, unfortunately, the figures for Android and iOS don’t differ too much, either.
With newer social media giants like TikTok entering the frame and rapidly achieving hundreds of millions of downloads in an even quicker timeframe compared to its competitors, it looks like social media supremacy at the top of the app chart is here to stay.
However, there have been serious pushbacks against TikTok recently, with many high-profile US politicians banning its use and not allowed to download the app on their mobile devices. Nevertheless, it still ranks highly as one of the most downloaded Android apps.
The companies we have discussed today have been in the market for so long and are so popular that it will take a lot to knock them off their perch. But, maybe over the next decade, a new app could emerge with the potential to break the Meta monopoly, don’t hold your breath, though.
