Facebook Dominates the Decade in App Downloads as Industry Hits $90 Billion
App Annie's year and decade in review reveals that Facebook apps claim the top four most-downloaded spots over the past ten years. Meanwhile, the broader app industry sees consumer spending reach $90 billion in 2019 alone.
The app industry continues to grow at a staggering pace, with consumers spending 90% of their mobile time inside applications. App Annie reports that global consumer spending reaches $90 billion in 2019, marking a 15% increase from the previous year. Downloads across Apple's App Store and Google Play are on track to hit 120 billion by year's end, representing a 5% year-over-year increase.
Facebook completely dominates the past decade of mobile software by claiming the top four most-downloaded apps of the 2010s. Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram take the top spots, while social media and communication apps account for seven of the top ten slots. TikTok also makes a notable appearance on the decade list despite only launching internationally in 2017.
For the year 2019 specifically, Facebook Messenger is the most downloaded non-game app, followed closely by the main Facebook app and WhatsApp. In terms of revenue, Tinder takes the crown as the most profitable app of the year, though Netflix holds the title for the highest all-time consumer spend over the entire decade.