According to Forbes, the most popular apps by global downloads in the first quarter of 2022 were:
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- Telegram
- Shopee
- Facebook Messenger
- Spotify
- Zoom
We examine each app in turn, looking at its history and unique selling points.
#10 Zoom
Zoom rose to prominence during the pandemic, facilitating a rapid transition from in-person to virtual meetings. When the world’s most popular videoconferencing platform was launched in 2012, its first customer was Stanford University. The app has continued to attract higher education institutions around the world due to its reliability, ease of use, and impressive picture and audio quality. As of May 30, 2022, Macrotrends valued Zoom’s net worth at somewhere in the region of $33 billion.
#9 Spotify
Founded in Sweden in 2006, the music streaming service Spotify was available for download in 79 countries worldwide by 2020. With more than 50 million tracks and capable of being synced across different devices, Spotify requires a stable Internet connection to download music. Premium members can access better sound quality, benefit from unlimited song skips, and enjoy their favorite songs without being uninterrupted by ads.
#8 Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger enables users to keep in touch with friends, family, and even their workplace, connecting via their computer or smartphone from anywhere in the world, at any time. Launched in 2011, Messenger ranked as one of the world’s fastest-growing apps by 2015. Today, more than 21 billion photos are shared via the app each month. Just two days after video calling was launched in Messenger, users had made more than 1 million calls. As of 2022, more than 1 billion messages are transmitted between people and businesses via the app every month, with 34,000 developers using the Messenger platform.
#7 Shopee
Shopee is a leading Southeast Asian e-commerce platform that celebrated its sixth anniversary in December 2021. With 343 million monthly visitors, the Shopee Mall features more than 20,000 brands and enough products to fill over 100 shopping malls. Supporting more than 4 million daily orders across Indonesia, Shopee was ranked eighth in YouGov’s Best Global Brand list in 2020.
#6 Telegram
Telegram’s multi-platform messaging software was launched in 2013. Founded by Pavel Durov, Telegram was originally a project rather than a profit-making company. The app’s advanced features, security, and trusted privacy set it apart from the competition, attracting more than 550 million active monthly users without the company spending a single cent on advertisements.
#5 Snapchat
Snapchat is a platform for users to share videos and photos online. However, unlike Instagram and Facebook, content is not stored permanently. Instead, Snapchat deletes posts once they have been viewed, rendering old content irretrievable. It is an incredibly powerful Internet marketing tool, enabling businesses big and small to get their products seen by potential customers. With an audience of more than 210 million active users and 73 percent of US Snapchat users falling within the 18 to 24 age bracket, the app is a huge marketing opportunity.
#4 WhatsApp Messenger
WhatsApp boasts more than 2 billion global users, processing a staggering 340 million minutes of video calls every single day. In Israel, 92 percent of smartphones have WhatsApp installed, while in India, 200 million people use the platform regularly. Currently valued at $50.7 billion, WhatsApp boasts a market value that is higher than the GDP of many countries.
#3 Facebook
Across the world, more than 36 percent of the global population uses Facebook monthly, as of November 2021. Over the past decade, the company’s revenue has increased by 2,203 percent, with the platform earning $114.93 billion in revenue in 2021 alone. Ranked the world’s seventh-most valuable brand, Facebook announced in October 2021 that it was rebranding to Meta. Founder Mark Zuckerberg explained that the metaverse will be the future of humanity, incorporating increasingly sophisticated AI.
#2 TikTok
Originally known as Douyin, TikTok was launched by Bytedance, a Chinese tech company. The app quickly gained traction across China. Recognizing the potential of taking the app global, founder Zhang Yiming launched TikTok for international markets in September 2017. The app took the world by storm, particularly during the pandemic when it provided light relief during COVID lockdowns. Today, TikTok boasts more than 1 billion international users.
#1 Instagram
Purchased by Facebook for $1 billion in 2011, Instagram is the world’s largest video and photo sharing platform. Approximately 995 photos are uploaded every second, and the platform has more than 140 million users in the US alone. With 60 percent of users visiting the platform to find new products and brands, Instagram is a marketer’s paradise. Founded by Mike Krieger in July 2010, Instagram is the second most-engaged social network after Facebook, with 89 percent of all Internet users outside the US utilizing the app.