App Adoption Falls On Both App Store And Google Play Store: Report

Instagram held its position in the top three apps for the past seven quarters since Q2 2021.

Global app downloads on Apple App Store and Google Play Store have waned 0.1 per cent YoY. ( Representative image: Getty )

Mobile app adoption has levelled off, with global app downloads on Apple App Store and Google Play Store waning 0.1 per cent year-over-year to reach 35.5 billion in Q4 2022, according to a new report. Social media apps remain fiercely competitive, says Sensor Tower.

Instagram held its position in the top three apps for the past seven quarters since Q2 2021, maintaining its rank as the number one app worldwide in Q4 2022. TikTok and Facebook followed as the No. 2 and 3 apps worldwide, respectively.

While top mobile games saw overall global downloads decline quarter-over-quarter, events such as the World Cup may have helped spike downloads of football games. FIFA Mobile and Soccer Super Star grew 137 per cent and 112 per cent Q/Q, respectively, in the fourth quarter.

Stumble Guys by Kitka Games was a standout mobile app, dominating download growth in 2022. The game was the fastest-growing app of 2022 by downloads.

“It ranked No. 1 in Latin America and Europe, reaching more than 50 million downloads and 36 million downloads, respectively, in those regions in 2022," said the report.

Meanwhile, a recent data.ai annual report also found that consumer spending on apps dropped 2 per cent to $167 billion in 2022, meaning the interest in the app ecosystem is on the wane.

Meanwhile, in line with the directives issued by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Google India on Wednesday announced some changes to Android and Play Store billing in the country.

The biggest change will come in the form of giving Android users the ability to customise their devices to suit their preferences. Smartphone users in the country will have the option to choose their default search engine via a choice screen that will soon start to appear when a user sets up a new Android smartphone or tablet in the country.

The other major change will be giving users a choice of billing for all apps and games starting in February, which means developers can offer users the option to choose an alternative billing system alongside Google Play’s billing system when buying in-app digital content.

(With inputs from IANS)