How Do Popular Apps Vary Across The World?

There are several reasons to know which apps are the most downloaded in the world. If you are relocating to a new locale, it lets you know what applications are being used by your soon-to-be neighbors and advises you which to download. Also, it comes in handy if you are a business person, say a marketer, choosing which platforms to ply your goods or services on.

Whatever your reasons might be, even if you have too much free time and enjoy soaking up new knowledge, the following are the most popular apps in the US and how they compare to those around the world.

The United States

Over 300 million Americans have access to a smartphone. While the market is largely divided into Samsung faithful and Apple fanboys, one thing they both share is that they cannot get the full functionality of their mobile devices without downloading apps on either the Google Play Store or the App Store.

The overall most popular application in the United States, confirmed by the number of downloads, is TikTok. The number of downloads in 2022 was just under 100 million, and it retained the number-one spot from the year before. The following are the most popular apps in the United States for the year 2022, with combined numbers from the App Store and Google Play Store:

1. TikTok – 99 million downloads

2. Instagram – 72 million downloads

3. Cash App – 64 million downloads

4. WhatsApp – 63 million downloads

5. Snapchat – 54 million downloads

6. Subway Surfers – 51.4 million downloads

7. Roblox – 50.9 million downloads

8. Amazon – 47 million downloads

9. Messenger – 46.3 million downloads

10. Facebook – 45.5 million downloads

There are many other types of apps that are popular across the US, like sports apps (including fantasy football and sports betting), streaming apps (like Netflix), and music and podcast apps (like Pandora). Betting apps are some of the most popular in FL, thanks to the very recent court case that overturned the ban on betting within the state. Other states that are big on sports include MT, SD, and WY, where the NFL app was the most searched for app on app stores. Pandora is the most searched for app in LA and NM, while streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu were the most looked-up apps in OH and VT.

Worldwide

In 2022 alone, over 250 billion apps were downloaded worldwide on the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store. With 7 million apps available for download between these stores, saying the struggle to be the top pick is hotly contested is understating it.

Here’s a look at the overall top 10 worldwide, and the top 10 in various categories, so you can see how they compare to America’s favorites.

Overall: Top 10

TikTok is not just a United States sensation but a worldwide rave as it comfortably sits at number one in the year 2022, making it two years in a row. Also entering the top 10 this year is CapCut, TikTok’s video editing application.

1. TikTok – 672 million downloads

2. Instagram – 548 million downloads

3. Facebook – 449 million downloads

4. WhatsApp – 424 million downloads

5. CapCut – 357 million downloads

6. Snapchat – 330 million downloads

7. Telegram – 310 million downloads

8. Subway Surfers – 304 million downloads

9. Stumble Guys – 254 million downloads

10. Spotify – 238 million downloads

Social Media Apps

The following are the most downloaded and popular social media applications from the year 2022. Topping this list is number two on the global list: Instagram.

1. Instagram – 547 million downloads

2. Facebook – 449 million downloads

3. WhatsApp – 424 million downloads

4. Telegram – 310 million downloads

5. Messenger – 210 million downloads

6. Twitter (X) – 159 million downloads

7. Discord – 105 million downloads

8. WeChat – 96 million downloads

9. BeReal – 91 million downloads

10. Pinterest – 90 million downloads

Health and Fitness Apps

The following are the most popular health and fitness applications worldwide according to download volume. These include healthy weight loss apps, period tracking, and general wellness apps.

1. Sweatcoin – 52 million downloads

2. Blood Pressure App – 51 million downloads

3. PeduliLindungi – 43 million downloads

4. Home Workout – 34 million downloads

5. Flo – 33 million downloads

6. Lucky Step – 29 million downloads

7. Da Fit – 27.8 million downloads

8. Six Pack in 30 days – 27.3 million downloads

9. FitCoach – 26 million downloads

10. Zepp – 24 million downloads

Gaming Apps

Subway Surfers, with 304 million downloads, is the most downloaded video game. Other popular titles that make the top 10 include Candy Crush Saga, 8 Ball Pool, and FIFA Mobile, many of which have been popular for years now.

1. Subway Surfers – 304 million downloads

2. Stumble Guys – 254 million downloads

3. Roblox – 208 million downloads

4. Candy Crush Saga – 138 million downloads

5. Race Master 3D – 128 million downloads

6. 8 Ball Pool – 120 million downloads

7. FIFA Mobile – 111 million downloads

8. Merge & Fight – 110 million downloads

9. Garena Free Fire – 109 million downloads

10. Bridge Race – 107 million downloads

Business/Productivity Apps

Zoom, LinkedIn, and other usual suspects populate the list of the most downloaded business and productivity apps worldwide:

1. WhatsApp Business – 198 million downloads

2. Zoom – 163 million downloads

3. Microsoft Teams – 111 million downloads

4. Tencent Chat – 75 million downloads

5. Google Meet – 66 million downloads

6. Adobe Acrobat – 65 million downloads

7. Microsoft Authenticator – 55 million downloads

8. LinkedIn – 48 million downloads

9. Indeed Job Search – 44.3 million downloads

10. DingTalk – 44 million downloads

Conclusion

There you have it! The most popular apps in the United States and the world over. Which ones do you have installed? Which ones are you looking to try out? Whatever your answer is, it is surely already on this exhaustive list.