Q1 2021: Store Intelligence Data Digest - Sensor Tower...Android app install estimates represent downloads from the Google Play Store only. Sensor Tower does not provide download estimates

Q1 2021: Store Intelligence Data Digest— Explore the Quarter’s Top Apps, Games, Publishers, and More

© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved

Executive Summary: Highlights

Worldwide app downloads totaled 36.6 billion in 1Q21, an 8.7% year-over-year increase. App Store downloads fell 8.6% to 8.4B (due to an outsized total in 1Q20 during the initial spread of COVID-19), while Google Play downloads increased 15.3% to 28.2B.

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run from King showed the power of popular console and PC properties on mobile, releasing worldwide on March 25. The game was a massive success in its first week, becoming the most downloaded title in Q1 2021.

Q1 2021 was a dynamic quarter for finance apps, with increased demand for stock trading apps caused by the WallStreetBets subreddit and soaring cryptocurrency prices. As a result, stock trading and cryptocurrency apps saw installs skyrocket.

Secure messaging apps continued to gain popularity in Q1 2021. Apps such as Telegram and Signal experienced rapid growth last quarter and gained market share versus the top established messaging apps.

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Sensor Tower’s Mobile Insights team compiled the download estimates

provided in this report using the Sensor Tower Store Intelligence platform.

● Figures cited in this report reflect App Store and Google Play download estimates for January 1, 2016 through March 31, 2021.

● Download estimates presented are on a per-user basis, meaning that only one download per Apple or Google account is counted towards the total.

● Downloads of the same app by the same user to multiple devices, updates, or re-installs of the same app by the same user are not counted towards the total.

● Android app install estimates represent downloads from the Google Play Store only. Sensor Tower does not provide download estimates for third-party Android stores.

About This Data: Methodology

Store Intelligence

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Market Overview: Q1 2021 Worldwide Download Growth

36.7 Billion App Store + Google Play Downloads

8.4 Billion App Store Downloads

28.2 Billion Google Play Downloads

Worldwide App Store and Google Play Downloads

0

5B

10B

15B

20B

25B

30B

35B

40B

Q1 2020 Q1 2021

36.6B33.7B

+8.7%

Worldwide App Store Downloads

0

5B

10B

15B

20B

25B

30B

35B

40B

Q1 2020 Q1 2021

8.4B9.2B

-8.6%

Worldwide Google Play Downloads

0

5B

10B

15B

20B

25B

30B

35B

40B

Q1 2020 Q1 2021

28.2B24.4B

+15.3%

4

— Top Apps by Downloads in Q1 2021

Top Apps


TikTok .

Facebook .

Instagram .

Telegram .

WhatsApp .

Messenger .

Zoom .

Snapchat .

MX TakaTak .

Moj .

CapCut .

Google Meet .

Josh .

Signal .

WhatsApp Business .

YouTube .

Pinterest .

Microsoft Teams .

Spotify .

Netflix .

0 20M 40M 60M 80M 100M 120M 140M 160M 180M

App Store Google Play

Overall - Worldwide

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.

Q1 Apps by Worldwide Downloads 6

TikTok was once again the top mobile app by worldwide downloads, ranking as the top app for the third consecutive quarter. The only time TikTok did not rank No. 1 in a quarter since the start of 2020 was when Zoom edged it out in Q2 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some short video apps were able to take advantage of TikTok’s ban in India. MX TakaTak, Moj, and Josh were some examples among the top 20 apps.


TikTok .

YouTube .

Zoom .

Instagram .

WhatsApp .

Facebook .

Messenger .

Telegram .

Gmail .

CapCut .

WeChat .

Google Maps .

Google Chrome .

Taobao .

Microsoft Teams .

Netflix .

Google .

Spotify .

Twitter .

Pinterest .

0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M

iPhone iPad

App Store - Worldwide

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps are excluded. We report unique installs only (one download per user). Figures represent aggregate installs of all app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.


The top five apps held their positions from the previous quarter. Zoom’s installs decreased for the third consecutive quarter, but it still managed to rank No. 3 in Q1 2021.

Telegram and CapCut were the only new entrants into the top 10. Telegram saw downloads spike 60 percent quarter-over-quarter to an all-time high, while CapCut, a video editing app from TikTok’s publisher ByteDance, had its second best quarter so far.


Facebook .

Telegram .

TikTok .

Instagram .

WhatsApp .

Snapchat .

MX TakaTak .

Messenger .

Moj .

Zoom .

Josh .

Signal .

Google Meet .

WhatsApp Business .

Likee .

CapCut .

Pinterest .

PicsArt .

SnackyTakatak .

Truecaller .

0 20M 40M 60M 80M 100M 120M 140M

Google Play - Worldwide

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report unique installs only (one download per User). Google preinstalled apps are excluded. Android download estimates do not include third-party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.


Short video apps continued to perform well on Google Play, and in India in particular. MX TakaTak, Moj, Josh, and SnackyTakatak combined for more than 250M installs in Q1 2021 with nearly all of them coming from India. TikTok still ranked No. 3 despite not being available in India.

Secure messaging apps also had a great quarter. Telegram moved up seven spots to rank No. 2 and Signal’s installs grew from 2 million in Q4 2020 to more than 50 million.


TikTok .

Zoom .

YouTube .

Facebook .

Messenger .

Instagram .

HBO Max .

Cash App .

Netflix .

Disney+ .

Amazon .

Robinhood .

Telegram .

WhatsApp .

DoorDash .

Hulu .

Discord .

Snapchat .

Reddit .

Gmail .

0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M 16M 18M 20M


Overall - United States

Q1 Apps by U.S. Downloads


9

Zoom’s reign as the top app in the U.S. ended in Q1 2021 after three consecutive quarters at No. 1. TikTok ranked as the top app for the first time since a year prior.

Robinhood entered the top 20 after it received increased attention during the market volatility caused by so-called “meme stocks”. It also benefited from the cryptocurrency boom during the quarter.


TikTok .

YouTube .

Zoom .

Facebook .

Messenger .

Gmail .

Instagram .

Netflix .

Amazon .

Google .

HBO Max .

Disney+ .

Cash App .

Hulu .

Google Maps .

Google Chrome .

Robinhood .

DoorDash .

Discord .

WhatsApp .

0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M

iPhone iPad

App Store - United States



10

TikTok was also the top app by App Store downloads in the U.S. The top five apps were the same as the overall rankings, with the only difference in order being YouTube and Zoom switching places for the App Store.

The subscription video on demand (SVOD) space remained competitive in the U.S. Netflix led the pack at No. 8, with HBO Max (No. 11), Disney+ (No. 12), and Hulu (No. 14) close behind.


Zoom .

TikTok .

Google Pay .

Messenger .

Facebook .

HBO Max .

Cash App .

Telegram .

Discovery+ .

Disney+ .

Tubi .

WhatsApp .

Robinhood .

PayPal .

Instagram .

DoorDash .

Snapchat .

Likee .

Coinbase .

Signal .

0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M

Google Play - United States



11

Zoom managed to hold onto the No. 1 spot on Google Play for the fourth consecutive quarter. Meanwhile, Discovery+ was a notable new entrant to the top 10 following its launch in early January, 2021.

Finance apps had a great quarter on Google Play, with payment apps Google Pay and Cash App leading the way. Stock trading and cryptocurrency apps like Robinhood and Coinbase also performed very well.


TikTok .

Telegram .

Zoom .

WhatsApp .

Instagram .

Microsoft Teams .

Facebook .

Messenger .

Signal .

Pinterest .

SHEIN .

AliExpress .

Spotify .

Vinted .

Netflix .

Snapchat .

YouTube .

Discord .

Google Meet .

Reface .

0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M 30M 35M


Overall - Europe

Q1 Apps by European Downloads


12

Telegram ranked No. 2 by downloads in Europe in Q1 2021, receiving 40 percent Q/Q growth to 27.3 million installs. Signal was also quite popular in Europe, surpassing 14 million downloads in the quarter.

Zoom and Microsoft Teams were still among the top apps in Europe a year into the pandemic. Video conferencing apps have continued to find success as many physical offices have remained closed or at limited capacity.


WhatsApp .

TikTok .

Zoom .

Telegram .

Instagram .

Microsoft Teams .

YouTube .

Facebook .

Google Maps .

Gmail .

Netflix .

Messenger .

SHEIN .

Clubhouse .

Vinted .

Pinterest .

Spotify .

Signal .

Google Chrome .

Google .

0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M

iPhone iPad

App Store - Europe



13

WhatsApp was the top app on the App Store across Europe, followed by TikTok and Zoom. Telegram, the No. 4 app, also surpassed 10 million installs in the quarter.

Nine of the top 10 apps in Q4 2020 returned to the top 10 this quarter. Google Maps replaced Messenger as the lone return entrant to the top 10 in Q1 2021.


TikTok .

Telegram .

Zoom .

Facebook .

WhatsApp .

Messenger .

Instagram .

Signal .

Microsoft Teams .

Pinterest .

Likee .

AliExpress .

QR & Barcode Scanner .

Reface .

SHEIN .

QR & Barcode Reader .

Wish .

Discord .

Snapchat .

Spotify .

0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M 16M 18M 20M

Google Play - Europe



14

Secure messaging apps were especially popular on Google Play. Telegram ranked No. 2 with nearly 17 million Google Play downloads in Europe, and Signal joined it among the top 10 at No. 8.

A few shopping apps ranked among the top 20 in Q1 2020, including AliExpress, SHEIN, and Wish. SHEIN’s Google Play installs in the region reached a new high at 7 million for the quarter.


MX TakaTak .

Instagram .

Facebook .

TikTok .

Moj .

Snapchat .

Josh .

Telegram .

WhatsApp .

Messenger .

CapCut .

Zoom .

SnackyTakatak .

WhatsApp Business .

Truecaller .

Signal .

VPN Master .

Flipkart .

PhonePe .

Sharechat .

0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M 90M


Overall - Asia

Q1 Apps by Asia Downloads


15

Many of the top apps in Asia were most popular on Google Play and in India. ByteDance’s TikTok was the only app among the top 20 to have more App Store downloads than Google Play, and its app CapCut had the next highest share from the App Store.

Success in India propelled some short video apps towards the top of the rankings in Asia. MX TakaTak outpaced powerhouse apps like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.


TikTok .

WeChat .

Taobao .

CapCut .

iQIYI .

YouTube .

Alipay .

QQ .

Poizon .

PinDuoDuo .

Facebook .

Instagram .

Little Red Book .

Tencent Video .

Zoom .

Traffic Management 12123 .

Messenger .

Kwai .

Baidu .

Kwai .

0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M 30M 35M 40M

iPhone iPad

App Store - Asia



16

On the App Store, China was by far the largest market in Asia and many of the top apps were from Chinese publishers. TikTok, known as Douyin in China, had nearly 37 million downloads, well ahead of the No. 2 app WeChat at 22.7 million.

Poizon, a sneaker trading app, saw global installs climb from 8.8 million in Q4 2020 to 12.2 million in Q1 2021 and ranked among the top 10 App Store apps in Asia. Nearly all of its downloads were from China.


MX TakaTak .

Moj .

Instagram .

Facebook .

Snapchat .

Josh .

Telegram .

WhatsApp .

Messenger .

TikTok .

SnackyTakatak .

WhatsApp Business .

VPN Master .

Truecaller .

Zoom .

Signal .

Flipkart .

Sharechat .

CapCut .

PhonePe .

0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M 90M

Google Play - Asia



17

India banned a number of apps from Chinese publishers in 2020, including TikTok and UC Browser. Short video alternatives to TikTok immediately began to emerge and have had lasting success. MX TakaTak and Moj were the top two apps in Asia on Google Play, and Josh also ranked among the top 10.

TikTok still managed to rank at No. 10. Its top Google Play markets in Asia were Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

— Top Games by Downloads in Q1 2021

Top Games


Join Clash 3D .

Among Us .

DOP 2 .

Phone Case DIY .

Garena Free Fire .

High Heels .

Subway Surfers .

Water Sort Puzzle .

Project Makeover .

Giant Rush .

Candy Crush Saga .

Homescapes .

Stacky Dash .

Roblox .

Sushi Roll 3D .

PUBG Mobile .

Hit Master 3D .

My Talking Tom Friends .

Stack Ball .

Roof Rails .

0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M 90M


Overall - Worldwide

Q1 Games by Worldwide Downloads


19

Join Clash 3D from Supersonic Studios was the top mobile game by worldwide downloads in Q1 2021. After two consecutive quarters in the top spot, Among Us fell to No. 2 last quarter.

Supersonic Studios was one of three hypercasual games publishers to have multiple apps in the top 20, along with Crazy Labs and Azur Interactive. Its second best performing game was Stacky Dash at No. 13.


Project Makeover .

Among Us .

High Heels .

Call of Duty: Mobile .

PUBG Mobile .

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run .

Homescapes .

Roblox .

Subway Surfers .

Blob Runner 3D .

Water Sort Puzzle .

Arena of Valor .

Shortcut Run .

Giant Rush .

Roof Rails .

Parking Jam 3D .

Join Clash 3D .

Stacky Dash .

Gardenscapes .

Nail Salon 3D .

0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M

iPhone iPad




20

Project Makeover from Magic Tavern was the top game on the App Store, moving up four spots from Q4 2020. This was the second quarter in a row it was the top Puzzle & Decorate game on the App Store ahead of Playrix’s hit games like Homescapes.

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run from King was a top 10 game despite not launching until the final days of the quarter. It surpassed 12 million downloads after being launched in late March.


Join Clash 3D .

DOP 2 .

Phone Case DIY .

Garena Free Fire .

Among Us .

Candy Crush Saga .

Water Sort Puzzle .

Subway Surfers .

Hit Master 3D .

Stacky Dash .


Giant Rush .

Sushi Roll 3D .

Stack Ball .

Ludo King .

High Heels .

Homescapes .

Girl Genius .

WormsZone.io .

Roblox .

0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M




21

Three of the top five apps in Q4 2020 returned in Q1 2021, including Join Clash 3D, Garena Free Fire, and Among Us. Two new hypercasual games, DOP 2 and Phone Case DIY joined the top five.

More than half of the top games were in the Hypercasual genre. The Arcade and Puzzle genres were each represented by two of the top 20 games.


Project Makeover .

High Heels .

Among Us .

Roblox .


Blob Runner 3D .

Giant Rush .

Sushi Roll 3D .

Oh God .


Stacky Dash .

Phone Case DIY .

Water Sort Puzzle .

Roof Rails .

Subway Surfers .

Jelly Dye .

Deep Clean Inc. 3D .

Magic Tiles 3 .

DOP 2 .

ABC Runner .

0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M



Q1 Games by U.S. Downloads


22

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run had a huge launch in the U.S. in late March. The U.S. accounted for 26 percent of its worldwide installs, good enough for it to rank No. 5 in the U.S. for the quarter.

Roblox’s popularity surged in the U.S. at the start of the pandemic. It ranked among the top five apps by U.S. downloads for the fourth consecutive quarter in Q1 2021.


Project Makeover .

High Heels .

Among Us .

Roblox .


Blob Runner 3D .


Jelly Dye .

ABC Runner .

911 Emergency Dispatcher .

Subway Surfers .

Deep Clean Inc. 3D .

Giant Rush .

Sushi Roll 3D .

Water Sort Puzzle .

Stacky Dash .

Oh God .

Homescapes .

Roof Rails .

Nail Salon 3D .

0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M 8M

iPhone iPad




23

Project Makeover was the top game on the App Store worldwide, in the U.S., and in Europe. It was an immediate success following its launch in November 2020.

Zynga had two of the top 10 games on the App Store, with High Heels at No. 2 and Blob Runner 3D at No. 6. Zynga expanded into the hypercasual games space with its acquisition of Rollic Games in late 2020.


Among Us .

Project Makeover .

High Heels .

Red Imposter .

Sushi Roll 3D .

Giant Rush .

Phone Case DIY .

Oh God .


Roblox .

Join Clash 3D .

Hit Master 3D .

Girl Genius .

Stacky Dash .

DOP 2 .

Blob Runner 3D .

Roof Rails .

Smash Colors 3D .

Lumbercraft .

Water Sort Puzzle .

0 1M 2M 3M 4M




24

Among Us from InnerSloth has held the top spot on Google Play for the last three quarters. The game, launched in 2018, took off during the pandemic with the help from influencers on YouTube and Twitch.

80 percent of the top 20 games were hypercasual titles, although the top two games made up half of the exceptions. The only other non-Hypercasual genre games were Crash Bandicoot: On the Run (Arcade) and Roblox (Simulation).


DOP 2 .

Among Us .

Phone Case DIY .

Join Clash 3D .

Project Makeover .

Water Sort Puzzle .

Giant Rush .

Homescapes .

Brawl Stars .

Stacky Dash .

Roblox .

Sushi Roll 3D .

Oh God .

Hit Master 3D .

Fat Pusher .

Sculpt People .

PUBG Mobile .

High Heels .

Gardenscapes .

Girl Genius .

0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M 16M 18M


Overall - Europe

Q1 Games by European Downloads


25

Draw One Part (DOP) 2 from the Belarus-based publisher Say Games was the top game in Europe in Q1 2021. Say Games also had the No. 13 title, Sushi Roll 3D.

Supercell’s Brawl Stars continued to be popular in Europe, ranking among the top 10 again in Q1 2021. Europe accounted for 47 percent of Brawl Stars installs to date.


Project Makeover .

Among Us .


Water Sort Puzzle .

Homescapes .

Roblox .

High Heels .

Subway Surfers .

Happy Printer .

DOP 2 .

Shortcut Run .

Brawl Stars .

Stacky Dash .

PUBG Mobile .

Blob Runner 3D .

Gardenscapes .

Giant Rush .


Going Balls .

Phone Case DIY .

0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M

iPhone iPad

App Store - Europe



26

Puzzle & Decorate games performed well on the App Store in Europe, with Project Makeover leading the way on more than 5.5 million downloads. Playrix had two Puzzle & Decorate genre games among the top 20 with Homescapes and Gardenscapes.

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run had a strong launch in Europe as well as the U.S. It ranked as the No. 3 App Store game behind only Project Makeover and Among Us.


DOP 2 .

Phone Case DIY .

Among Us .

Join Clash 3D .

Giant Rush .

Water Sort Puzzle .

Oh God .

Hit Master 3D .

Stacky Dash .

Brawl Stars .

Sushi Roll 3D .

Sculpt People .

Fat Pusher .

Homescapes .

Girl Genius .

Roblox .

Red Imposter .

PUBG Mobile .

Lumbercraft .


0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M 16M




27

The top 10 on Google Play was dominated by hypercasual games, with only Among Us and Brawl Stars representing other game genres. The hypercasual space was also extremely competitive, with seven different publishers accounting for the eight hypercasual games among the top 10.

PUBG Mobile was the top Shooter genre game on Google Play. 44 percent of its Google Play downloads in Europe were from Turkey, followed by Russia at 26 percent.


Join Clash 3D .

Ludo King .

Garena Free Fire .

Bubble Shooter .

Subway Princess Runner .

Subway Surfers .

WormsZone.io .

Candy Crush Saga .

Phone Case DIY .

PUBG Mobile .

Carrom Pool .

DOP 2 .

Temple Run .

Water Sort Puzzle .

FPS Commando .

Hunter Assassin .

Among Us .

High Heels .


Stacky Dash .

0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M 30M 35M 40M 45M 50M


Overall - Asia

Q1 Games by Asia Downloads


28

Join Clash 3D was the top game in Asia, well ahead of the No. 2 title Ludo King. 37 percent of Join Clash 3D’s global installs were from India.

Similar to the top apps charts, the top games in Asia were led by titles most popular on Google Play. None of the top 20 games had more App Store downloads than Google Play, although PUBG Mobile was closest due to its popularity in China where it is known as Game for Peace.


Arena of Valor .

PUBG Mobile .


Homescapes .

Project Makeover .

Master of Emerald .

High Heels .

NieR Re[in]carnation .

Genshin Impact .

Among Us .

Happy Landlords .

Subway Surfers .

Blob Runner 3D .

Join Clash 3D .

Parking Jam 3D .

Shortcut Run .

Mini World: Block Art .

Snake Battle .

Cookie Run .

Save Them All .

0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M 8M 9M

iPhone iPad

App Store - Asia



29

The top three games on the App Store were hugely popular titles in China. 77 percent of their combined Asia downloads in the quarter were from China. All three games were published by Tencent in China as well.

There was a large gap between the top three games and the rest. Call of Duty: Mobile had nearly 3.7 million downloads more than the No. 4 game, Homescapes.


Join Clash 3D .

Ludo King .

Garena Free Fire .

Bubble Shooter .

Subway Princess Runner .

WormsZone.io .

Carrom Pool .

Candy Crush Saga .

Temple Run .

Phone Case DIY .

DOP 2 .

Subway Surfers .

FPS Commando .

Hunter Assassin .

Water Sort Puzzle .


Crazy Car Stunt Driving .

Hill Climb Racing .

Stack Ball .

Stacky Dash .

0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M 30M 35M 40M 45M

Google Play - Asia



30

Join Clash 3D was the top games globally on Google Play, with Asia leading the way. It was the No. 4 game on Google Play in Europe and No. 11 in the U.S.

Asia had fewer Hypercasual games among the top 20 on Google Play than the U.S. and Europe, though most games were still Casual games. Garena Free Fire and FPS Commando were the only mid-core games among the top 20 in Q1 2021.

— Top Publishers by Downloads in Q1 2021

Top Publishers


Google .

Facebook .

Voodoo .

AppLovin .

Crazy Labs .

ByteDance .

Azur Interactive .

Supersonic Studios .

Say Games .

Microsoft .

Outfit7 Limited .

BabyBus .

Zynga .

Tencent .

Miniclip .

Amazon .

OneSoft .

MX Media .

InShot .

Alibaba Group .

0 100M 200M 300M 400M 500M 600M 700M 800M


Overall - Worldwide

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-party stores.

Q1 Publishers by Worldwide Downloads 32

Google was the top publisher for the fourth consecutive quarter. The gap between Google and Facebook narrowed to the closest it’s been since Google surpassed Facebook in Q2 2020 at 107 million.

Publishers focusing on hypercasual games rounded out the top five, including Voodoo, AppLovin, and Crazy Labs. Supersonic Studios also entered the top 10 for the first time.


Google .

Tencent .

Facebook .

ByteDance .

Alibaba Group .

Microsoft .

Voodoo .

Zynga .

AppLovin .

Amazon .


Crazy Labs .

NetEase .

Zoom .

Say Games .

Activision Blizzard .

Adobe .

Playrix .

Good Job Games .

Baidu .

0 50M 100M 150M 200M 250M 300M

iPhone iPad


Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps are excluded. We report unique installs only (one download per User).


Top publishers on the App Store were mostly from the U.S. and China, with France-based Voodoo as the only top 10 company not headquartered in those countries. The U.S. had nine publishers in the top 20 and China had five.

ByteDance moved up three spots from Q4 2020 to rank No. 4 in Q1 2021. The rise of video-editing app CapCut into the top 10 App Store apps for the quarter helped boost its downloads, along with the No. 1 app, TikTok.


Facebook .

Google .

AppLovin .

Voodoo .

Crazy Labs .

Azur Interactive .


Say Games .

BabyBus .

Outfit7 Limited .

ByteDance .

OneSoft .

MX Media .

Miniclip .

Zynga .

Microsoft .

InShot .

Abishkking .

Telegram .

Amazon .

0 50M 100M 150M 200M 250M 300M 350M 400M 450M 500M


Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report unique installs only (one download per User). Google preinstalled apps are excluded. Android download estimates do not include third-party stores.


Facebook passed Google to take the top spot on Google Play for the first quarter since Q1 2020. Both publishers surpassed 450 million downloads on the platform for the seventh straight quarter.

A handful of hypercasual game publishers were among the top 10, including two Israel-based publishers, Crazy Labs and Supersonic Studios. Crazy Labs installs climbed 80 million Q/Q, while Supersonic Studios saw downloads grow by 50 million.


Google .

AppLovin .

Voodoo .

Facebook .

Zynga .

Amazon .

Microsoft .

Crazy Labs .


Say Games .

ByteDance .

Azur Interactive .


Good Job Games .

Zoom .

AT&T .

PayPal .

Disney .

Miniclip .

Amanotes .

0 20M 40M 60M 80M 100M 120M



Q1 Publishers by U.S. Downloads


35

Google had more than twice as many U.S. downloads as any other publisher in Q1 2021. It was its seventh straight quarter where it surpassed 100 million installs.

Zynga moved into the top five publishers in the U.S. with its installs up 58 percent quarter-over-quarter. Zynga saw a boost from its late 2020 acquisition of Rollic Games.


Google .

Voodoo .

Facebook .

AppLovin .

Zynga .

Amazon .

Microsoft .

Crazy Labs .

ByteDance .


Good Job Games .

Say Games .


AT&T .

Zoom .

Uber .

PayPal .

Alictus .

Magic Tavern .

Disney .

0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M

iPhone iPad




36

Google continued its dominance on the U.S. App Store with nearly 80 million downloads. Voodoo ranked No. 2 with 31 million installs.

Zynga and ByteDance were the only top 10 publishers in Q1 2021 that weren’t among the top 10 in Q4 2020. ByteDance’s downloads grew 35 percent Q/Q.


Google .

AppLovin .

Voodoo .

Zynga .

Facebook .

Amazon .

Azur Interactive .

Crazy Labs .

Say Games .

Microsoft .


OneSoft .

Outfit7 Limited .

Miniclip .

ByteDance .


Amanotes .

Zoom .

PayPal .

Abishkking .

0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M 30M 35M




37

Google was also the top publisher on Google Play, though it held a much smaller lead than on the App Store. Google Play accounted for 29 percent of Google’s U.S. downloads in Q1 2021, with the other 71 percent coming from the App Store.

AppLovin passed Voodoo to rank as the No. 2 publisher in Q1 2021 on Google Play. The two publishers have been neck-and-neck for the last five quarters.


Google .

Voodoo .

AppLovin .

Facebook .

Crazy Labs .

Say Games .

Microsoft .

Azur Interactive .


Zynga .

Outfit7 Limited .

ByteDance .

Amazon .

Yandex .

Abishkking .

OneSoft .

Playrix .

Miniclip .

Playgendary .

Telegram .

0 20M 40M 60M 80M 100M 120M 140M 160M


Overall - Europe

Q1 Publishers by European Downloads


38

The top four publishers remained the same as Q4 2020. The only change among the top five was Crazy Labs and Microsoft flipping as the No. 5 and No. 7 publishers.

Publishers from across the globe found success in Europe in Q1 2021. There were 14 different publisher countries represented among the top 20, with only the U.S. (six publishers) and Israel (two publishers) having more than one of the top 20 publishers.


Google .

Facebook .

Microsoft .

Voodoo .

Zynga .

AppLovin .

Amazon .


ByteDance .

Crazy Labs .

Zoom .

Say Games .

Yandex .

Telegram .


Playrix .

Adobe .

Good Job Games .

Miniclip .

Azur Interactive .

0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M

iPhone iPad

App Store - Europe



39

Google was the top App Store publisher in Europe as well as the United States. Its European installs came within 1 million of its previous high from Q4 2020.

Zoom has been a top 20 publisher in Europe since Q1 2020. It ranked at No. 11 last quarter.


Google .

AppLovin .

Voodoo .

Crazy Labs .

Azur Interactive .

Say Games .

Facebook .


Outfit7 Limited .

Zynga .

Microsoft .

OneSoft .

Abishkking .

ByteDance .

Yandex .

BabyBus .

Playrix .

Amazon .

Miniclip .

Playgendary .

0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M




40

There was competition for the top spot in Europe on Google Play, with Google, AppLovin, and Voodoo separated by less than 5 million downloads for the quarter. AppLovin moved up from the No. 5 spot in the previous quarter.

Crazy Labs and Azur Interactive rounded out the top five. Crazy Labs saw growth of more than 50 percent Q/Q, while Azur Interactive had more modest growth of 9 percent Q/Q.


Facebook .

Google .

Tencent .

ByteDance .

MX Media .

BabyBus .

Voodoo .

Azur Interactive .

Alibaba Group .

AppLovin .


Outfit7 Limited .

Mohalla Tech .

Crazy Labs .

Say Games .

Miniclip .

Reliance Jio .

Snap .

Microsoft .

InShot .

0 50M 100M 150M 200M 250M 300M 350M


Overall - Asia

Q1 Publishers by Asia Downloads


41

Facebook was the top publisher in Asia, regaining the top spot for the first time since a year prior. Facebook has been consistently driven more than 300 million downloads of its apps in Asia each quarter since Q4 2016.

Tencent managed to rank at No. 3 despite being outside of the top 20 on Google Play. Nearly 90 percent of its installs in Q1 2021 came from the App Store, with about 10 percent coming from Google Play.


Tencent .

Alibaba Group .

ByteDance .

Google .

Facebook .

NetEase .

Baidu .

NAVER .

Microsoft .

Voodoo .

iQIYI .

AppLovin .

Kuaishou .

Pinduoduo .

Zynga .

Shanghai Shizhuang .

Xingin .

Sankuai Technology .

Zoom .

Amazon .

0 20M 40M 60M 80M 100M 120M 140M 160M 180M

iPhone iPad

App Store - Asia



42

Tencent was the top publisher on the App Store in Q1 2021 with 162 million downloads. Alibaba and ByteDance ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, with 80 to 90 million downloads apiece.

More than half of the top 20 iOS publishers were based in China, including all of the top three. China accounted for 56 percent of App Store downloads in Asia in Q1 2021, followed by Japan at 13.5 percent and Vietnam at 5.5 percent.


Facebook .

Google .

MX Media .

BabyBus .

Azur Interactive .

Voodoo .

Mohalla Tech .


Outfit7 Limited .

AppLovin .

Crazy Labs .

Miniclip .

Say Games .

Reliance Jio .

ByteDance .

Snap .

Ver Se Innovation .

InShot .

Telegram .

OneSoft .

0 50M 100M 150M 200M 250M 300M

Google Play - Asia



43

Facebook and Google were the top two publishers on Google Play in Asia. Google had passed Facebook for two quarters in 2020, but that was the only time it had more downloads than Facebook since at least Q1 2014.

Four India-based publishers were among the top 20 publishers on Google Play. India’s ban on certain apps from Chinese companies provided an opportunity for domestic publishers to gain market share.

— Top Categories by Downloads in Q1 2021

Top Categories


0

500M

1.0B

1.5B

2.0B

2.5B

3.0B

Games Photo & Video Utilities Entertainment Social Networking

500M582M583M627M

2.31B

480M628M550M

658M

2.97B

Q1 2020 Q1 2021

App Store


Q1 Categories by Worldwide Downloads

-22.4%

-4.8% +5.9% -7.3%+4.2%

45

Games downloads fell 22.4 percent Y/Y, though they were still up 9 percent Q/Q. Much of the Y/Y decline can be explained by games seeing especially high download totals in China at the start of the pandemic.

Among the top five categories, only Utilities and Social Networking saw positive Y/Y growth. Finance also had 24 percent Y/Y growth to rank just outside the top five in Q1 2021 as interest in stock training and cryptocurrency surged.


0

2B

4B

6B

8B

10B

12B

Game Tools Entertainment Social Finance

1.05B1.41B1.53B2.13B

11.81B

759M1.15B1.22B1.56B

10.42B

Q1 2020 Q1 2021

Google Play


Q1 Categories by Worldwide Downloads

+13.4%

+36.0%

+25.2% +22.7%+38.7%

46

While many top App Store categories saw downloads decline Y/Y, Google Play categories performed well in the quarter. Some of this difference is explained by the download boost seen during COVID-19 hitting top markets at different times. Google Play did not see most of its growth until Q2 2020.

The top five categories were the same as Q4 2020 except for Finance replacing Video Players. Finance had the highest Y/Y growth among the top categories.

— Top Countries by Downloads in Q1 2021

Top Countries


India .

U.S. .

Brazil .

Indonesia .

Russia .

Mexico .

Turkey .

Philippines .

Vietnam .

Egypt .

0 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B


Overall


As Google Play is not available in China, we have excluded the country from this chart.

Q1 Countries by Downloads 48

Egypt was the only country to enter the top 10 in Q1 2021, making the top 10 for the first time since Q2 2020. The rest of the order among the top countries was unchanged from Q4 2020.

The Philippines had the highest Y/Y growth in Q1 2020 at 32 percent, followed by India at 31 percent and Indonesia at 24 percent. The U.S., Russia, and Vietnam were the only markets that saw downloads fall Y/Y.


App Store


Q1 Countries by Downloads

0

500M

1.0B

1.5B

2.0B

2.5B

3.0B

U.S.

China

Japan

U.K.

Russia

275M341M448M

1.88B2.03B

285M344M449M

2.61B

2.10B

Q1 2020 Q1 2021

-3.3%-28.1%

-0.2%-0.7%

-3.5%

49

Downloads surged at the start of the pandemic in 2020 as consumers turned to mobile devices to adapt to their changing lifestyles. Installs fell year-over-year as a result across top markets.

China experienced the biggest boost in Q1 2020 due to COVID-19 affecting the country earlier on in the year, and it saw the largest Y/Y drop as a result. The U.S. also saw downloads decline Y/Y, though they were still up 17 percent compared to Q1 2019.


0

1B

2B

3B

4B

5B

6B

7B

India

Brazil

Indonesia

U.S.

Russia

1.26B1.44B1.80B

2.59B

6.72B

1.27B1.46B1.44B

2.33B

5.09B

Q1 2020 Q1 2021

Google Play


Q1 Countries by Downloads

+32.0%

+10.9%

+25.2%

-0.8%-0.9%

50

The download spike from COVID-19 started on Google Play in Q1 2020 before accelerating Q2. Downloads have remained high since, and the three largest markets saw double-digit growth Y/Y in Q1 2021.

The U.S. and Russia both saw downloads fall slightly Y/Y. Growth in each market has stalled in recent quarters, though both managed to have positive growth compared to 2019.

— Key Trends in Mobile

Stories of the Quarter



Stories of the Quarter: Introduction

Stories of the Quarter 52

1. Investing and Crypto Apps Take Off Increased attention for stock trading apps plus skyrocketing cryptocurrency prices created record demand for finance apps.

2. Launch of Crash Bandicoot: On the Run King’s latest game launch saw huge success in its first few weeks and compared favorably to other King releases.

3. Consumers Turn to Secure Messaging Apps Demand for secure messaging apps spiked in Q1 2021 and apps like Telegram and Signal saw rapid growth as a result.

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Stories of the Quarter: 1. Investing and Crypto Apps Take Off

Investing and Crypto Apps 53

Finance app downloads across North America and Europe soared to record highs in Q1 2020. Apps offering commission-free stock trading drew attention after trading activity caused by the WallStreetBets subreddit. Meanwhile, cryptocurrency prices skyrocketed during the quarter, increasing demand for apps with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

● Finance app installs grew 34 percent Y/Y in the U.S. and Europe in Q1 2021, about 10 percentage points higher than the growth a year prior. U.S. installs surpassed 172 million in the quarter, up from a previous high of 135 million.

● Seven of the top 10 U.S. Finance apps by Q/Q download growth were stock trading or cryptocurrency apps. Eight of the top 10 in Europe were stock trading or crypto apps.

● Downloads for the top five stock trading / crypto apps in Europe surpassed those from mobile banking and payment apps each month in Q1 2021.

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Finance Download Growth

Quarterly Download Growth by Region 54

With substantial interest in stock trading and the rising prices of Bitcoin in Q1, Finance category apps built on a pandemic-driven download boost. U.S. and European Finance category installs grew 34 percent Y/Y to reach new highs.

U.S. finance app installs usually peak in the first quarter with the influx of demand for tax apps. Installs were boosted further this year by demand for apps such as Robinhood and Coinbase.

0

50M

100M

150M

200M

Q1 2018

Q2 2018

Q3 2018

Q4 2018

Q1 2019

Q2 2019

Q3 2019

Q4 2019

Q1 2020

Q2 2020

Q3 2020

Q4 2020

Q1 2021

U.S.

0

50M

100M

150M

200M

250M

Q1 2018

Q2 2018

Q3 2018

Q4 2018

Q1 2019

Q2 2019

Q3 2019

Q4 2019

Q1 2020

Q2 2020

Q3 2020

Q4 2020

Q1 2021

Europe

+34%

+24%

+10%

+34%

+23%

+13%

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2018 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-party stores.


Robinhood

Turbo Tax

IRS2Go

Coinbase

Webull

Crypto.com

Fidelity Investments

Pi Network

Google Pay

TD Ameritrade

0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M

1.2M

3.8M

3.8M

1.1M

1.2M

1.3M

2.1M

2.4M

3.5M

5.2M

Investing / Cryptocurrency Other

U.S. Finance Apps by Growth

U.S. Q/Q Download Growth 55

Seven of the top 10 U.S. finance apps by Q/Q download growth were investing or cryptocurrency apps. The only other apps among the top five were tax related apps, which see installs surge in the first quarter each year with the coming tax season.

Cryptocurrency apps performed particularly well, with Crypto.com and Pi Network seeing Q/Q growth of more than 500 percent. Other investing / crypto apps saw at least 200 percent Q/Q growth.

Robinhood Robinhood

Turbo Tax Intuit

IRS2Go Internal Revenue Service

Coinbase Coinbase

Webull Webull

Crypto.com Crypto.com

Fidelity Investments Fidelity Investments

Pi Network SocialChain

Google Pay Google

TD Ameritrade TD Ameritrade

+221% Q/Q

+829% Q/Q

+729% Q/Q

+290% Q/Q

+323% Q/Q

+574% Q/Q

+248% Q/Q

+592% Q/Q

+26% Q/Q

+254% Q/Q

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Oct. 1, 2020 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-party stores.


U.S. Finance Subcategories

U.S. Downloads for Top 5 Apps

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2020 through Mar. 31, 2021. Cohort includes the top five apps in each subcategory by U.S. downloads in the study period.

56

Downloads for the top investing / crypto apps surged 3.3x in January 2021 versusDecember 2020 to nearly reach the level of payment apps. Installs decreased in February and March but were still well above the late-2020 totals.

It’s also worth noting that the investment and cryptocurrency market on mobile remains competitive. Many apps outside of the top five included here saw significant growth in Q1 2021.

0

2M

4M

6M

8M

10M

12M

14M

Jan-20

Feb-20

Mar-20

Apr-20

May-20

Jun-20Jul-2

0

Aug-20

Sep-20

Oct-20

Nov-20

Dec-20

Jan-21

Feb-21

Mar-21

Payment Mobile Banking Investing / Cryptocurrency

Payment

Mobile Banking

Investing / Crypto


Binance

Pi Network

Cypto.com

Coinbase

Paribu

BtcTurk

Investing.com

Papara

eToro

Revolut

0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M

671K

861K

826K

926K

1.5M

1.7M

1.7M

2.0M

4.5M

5.8M

Investing / Cryptocurrency Other

Europe Finance Apps by Growth

Europe Q/Q Download Growth 57

In Europe, eight of the top 10 finance apps by Q/Q growth were investment and cryptocurrency apps. The top five apps all focused on cryptocurrency and had at least 250 percent Q/Q growth in Q1 2021.

Revolut, a popular neobank in Europe, was one of the two non-asset management apps among the top 10. However, Revolut does have crypto and stock trading, perhaps explaining the boost it saw this quarter.

Binance Binance

Pi Network SocialChain

Crypto.com Crypto.com

Coinbase Coinbase

Paribu Paribu

BtcTurk BtcTurk

Investing.com Investing.com

Papara Papara

eToro eToro

Revolut Revolut

+765% Q/Q

+436% Q/Q

+309% Q/Q

+258% Q/Q

+433% Q/Q

+282% Q/Q

+74% Q/Q

+91% Q/Q

+137% Q/Q

+60% Q/Q

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Oct. 1, 2020 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-party stores.


Europe Finance Subcategories

Europe Downloads for Top 5 Apps 58

Investing and cryptocurrency app installs surged past those from top payment and mobile banking apps in Europe. Unlike the U.S., downloads for investing and crypto apps grew even higher in February.

Demand remained high through the end of the quarter. The top five apps combined for more than 6.2 million downloads in Europe in March 2021, up from around 2 million downloads in December 2020.

0

1M

2M

3M

4M

5M

6M

7M

8M

Jan-20

Feb-20

Mar-20

Apr-20

May-20

Jun-20Jul-2

0

Aug-20

Sep-20

Oct-20

Nov-20

Dec-20

Jan-21

Feb-21

Mar-21

Payment Mobile Banking Investing / Cryptocurrency

Payment

Mobile Banking

Investing / Crypto

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2020 through Mar. 31, 2021. Cohort includes the top five apps in each subcategory by Europe downloads in the study period.



Crash Bandicoot: On the Run 59

Activision Blizzard-owned mobile games company King made a rare move away from the Puzzle genre when it launched Arcade genre game Crash Bandicoot: On the Run in late March 2021—and it was an immediate success. It’s off to one of the best starts for any King game launched in the past five years and will be a key title to watch in Q2 2021 and beyond.

● Crash Bandicoot: On the Run was the top new game by U.S. downloads in Q1 2021. It managed this despite not being launched until March 25.

● The new hit game from King propelled Activision Blizzard to its second highest download total in a quarter since 2017, and its best quarter since it launched Call of Duty: Mobile in Q4 2019.

● Crash Bandicoot: On the Run had more than 23 million installs in its first week, making it King’s most successful launch by downloads since 2016.

Stories of the Quarter: 2. Launch of Crash Bandicoot: On the Run

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Crash Bandicoot

Jelly Dye

Deep Clean Inc. 3D

Girl Genius!

Pencil Rush 3D

Real Drive 3D

Impostor vs Craftsman

Dodge Master!

Fail Run

Z Escape

0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M

1.6M

1.2M

1.2M

1.3M

1.5M

1.9M

3.5M

3.6M

3.7M

6.9M

Arcade Hypercasual Simulation

Top New Games in the U.S. for Q1

U.S. Downloads in Q1 2021 60

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run was the top new game launched in Q1 2021 in the U.S. with nearly seven million installs. It is all the more impressive considering that it launched in late March, while most of the other top games launched early in Q1.

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run was also one of the rare non-hypercasual games to achieve such a high install total. Out of the top 10 new games in Q1 2021, eight were hypercasual games.

Crash Bandicoot: OTR Activision Blizzard

Jelly Dye Good Job Games

Deep Clean Inc. 3D Alictus

Girl Genius AppLovin

Pencil Rush 3D Gismart

Real Drive 3D Coda Platform

Pixel Assassin OneSoft

Dodge Master Zynga

Fail Run Voodoo

Z Escape Homa Games

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2021 through Mar. 31, 2021. New games are defined as games that did not have any U.S. installs prior to 2021.


U.S. Platformer/Runner Games

Q1 2021 Downloads and Revenue 61

Even with its launch late in the quarter, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run was among the top 10 Platformer/Runner games in the U.S. in Q1 2021 by both revenue and downloads. It was the top game by U.S. downloads and ranked No. 9 by revenue.

Subway Surfers has been the consistent leader of the Platformer/Runner game genre and represents how high the ceiling is for these games, with at least 3.6 million U.S. installs each quarter since at least 2014.

Note Regarding Download and Revenue Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads and revenue for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2021 through Mar. 31, 2021. Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by Apple or Google).

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run

Subway Surfers

Geometry Dash

Tomb of the Mask

Super Mario Run

Temple Run

Sonic Dash

Temple Run 2

Talking Tom Hero Dash

Minion Rush

0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M

851K

1.0M

1.1M

1.2M

1.2M

1.2M

1.4M

1.9M

4.0M

6.9M Subway Surfers

Cookie Run: Ovenbreak

Fun Run 3

Super Mario Run

Geometry Dash

Sonic Forces

Rodeo Stampede

Tomb of the Mask

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run

Tag with Ryan

$0 $500K $1.0M $1.5M $2.0M

$280K

$350K

$400K

$410K

$420K

$670K

$860K

$1.5M

$1.7M

$330K

Downloads Revenue

850K $280K

$330K


62

0

25M

50M

75M

100M

125M

150M

175M

200M

225M

Q1 2017

Q2 2017

Q3 2017

Q4 2017

Q1 2018

Q2 2018

Q3 2018

Q4 2018

Q1 2019

Q2 2019

Q3 2019

Q4 2019

Q1 2020

Q2 2020

Q3 2020

Q4 2020

Q1 2021

24M

26M

31M

24M

36M30M

172M

7M

0M

67M53M

66M76M

88M

44M59M

68M

90M98M

83M82M82M87M83M89M

115M

OtherCall of Duty: MobileCrash Bandicoot: On The Run

Activision Blizzard Downloads

Quarterly Worldwide Downloads 62

With the help of Crash Bandicoot: On the Run, Activision Blizzard’s downloads surpassed 115 million for just the third time since 2017. It was the publisher’s best quarter by downloads since it launched Call of Duty: Mobile in late 2019.

Activision Blizzard’s installs had fallen each quarter since the launch of Call of Duty: Mobile. However, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run helped propel downloads back above the Q1 2020 total in Q1 2021.



Firs

t Wee

k Co

nsum

er S

pend

ing

$0

$500K

$1.0M

$1.5M

First Week Downloads

0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M

King’s Recent Launches Compared

Worldwide Downloads and Revenue 63

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run’s first week compares favorably to many of King’s best launches since 2016. Its 23.6 million downloads was more than double the total of Candy Crush Jelly Saga, which was No. 2 with 11.5 million first week downloads.

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run was also No. 2 by first week consumer spend at nearly $700K. This compares well to the first week revenue for many of King’s top Puzzle genre games.

Bubble Witch 3 Saga

Farm Heroes Super Saga

Candy Crush Friends Saga

Candy Crush Jelly Saga

Crash Bandicoot: On The Run

Knighthood

Diamond Diaries Saga

Note Regarding Download and Revenue Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads and revenue for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2016 through Mar. 31, 2021. Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by Apple or Google).



Secure Messaging Apps 64

Demand for secure and private messaging apps surged in Q1 2021 and shook up the mobile messaging space. Telegram was the top messaging app by worldwide downloads for the first time, and Signal had a huge quarter with more than 60 million installs.

● Telegram passed long-standing top messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Snapchat in by worldwide downloads in Q1 2021. Signal ranked No. 5 in the quarter.

● Secure messaging apps performed particularly well in Europe. Telegram was the top No. 2 app overall in Europe behind only TikTok, while Signal was the No. 2 app in Germany and No. 3 in France.

● Entering Q2 2021, the messaging app space has become very competitive. Among the top five apps, none has gained more than 30 percent of the market share in the U.S., Europe, or Asia.

Stories of the Quarter: 3. Consumers Turn to Secure Messaging

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Top Messenger Apps

Top Apps by Worldwide Downloads 65

Telegram passed WhatsApp, Messenger, and Snapchat to take the top spot in Q1 2021. Its downloads grew 48 percent quarter-over-quarter to nearly 135 million.

Signal surged to take the No. 5 spot with more than 60 million downloads in the quarter. That was more than double WeChat’s total.

2020 Q1 2021

1

2

3

4

5

2019

WhatsApp Facebook

Messenger Facebook

Snapchat Snap

Telegram Telegram

Viber Messenger Rakuten

1

2

3

4

5

WhatsApp Facebook

Messenger Facebook

Snapchat Snap

Telegram Telegram

WeChat Tencent

1

2

3

4

5

Telegram Telegram

WhatsApp Facebook

Messenger Facebook

Snapchat Snap

Signal Signal

-

-

-

-

NEW

+3

-1

-1

-1

NEW



0

50M

100M

150M

200M

250M

300M

Q1 2017

Q2 2017

Q3 2017

Q4 2017

Q1 2018

Q2 2018

Q3 2018

Q4 2018

Q1 2019

Q2 2019

Q3 2019

Q4 2019

Q1 2020

Q2 2020

Q3 2020

Q4 2020

Q1 2021

Telegram WhatsApp Messenger Snapchat Signal WeChat Viber Messenger

Messenger App Downloads

Quarterly Worldwide Downloads 66

Prior to 2020, WhatsApp and Messenger had dominated the messaging app market, with Snapchat as the clear No. 3. That had changed by 2021, with the top four hovering between 100 and 135 million installs.

While Telegram downloads spiked in Q1 2021, it had seen steady strong growth even in earlier quarters. Signal emerged after having never reached 4 million downloads in a previous quarter. WhatsApp

Messenger

Snapchat

Signal

Viber Messenger

WeChat

Telegram



Messenger

Signal

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Messenger App Market Share

Q1 2021 Worldwide Downloads 67

While India was the top market for each messaging app, the apps’ popularity varied substantially by market. Snapchat saw more than 50 percent of its installs come from India, while Messenger’s top five markets combined for only 42 percent of its total downloads.

Some European countries ranked among the top five for Telegram or Signal. Russia was the No. 5 market for Telegram in Q1, while Germany and France ranked for Signal.

Telegram

WhatsApp

Snapchat

India Indonesia Brazil U.S. Russia Other

India Indonesia Brazil U.S. Mexico Other

India U.S. Brazil Vietnam Indonesia Other

India U.S. Pakistan Mexico Egypt Other

India U.S. Brazil Germany France Other



Market Share by Region

Q1 2021 Download Share 68

Among the top five apps worldwide, no messaging app was able to surpass 30 percent market share in any region. This indicates how competitive the space is even within regions.

A different app held the No. 1 spot in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Telegram and WhatsApp had at least 20 percent of the market in all three regions, while Snapchat was especially popular in Asia (largely driven by India).

Europe Asia

1

2

3

4

5

U.S.

Messenger Facebook

Telegram Telegram

WhatsApp Facebook

Snapchat Snap

Signal Signal

1

2

3

4

5

Telegram Telegram

WhatsApp Facebook

Messenger Facebook

Signal Signal

Snapchat Snap

1

2

3

4

5

Snapchat Snap

Telegram Telegram

WhatsApp Facebook

Messenger Facebook

Signal Signal

29%

26%

17%

16%

12%

26%

23%

21%

19%

11%

29%

20%

20%

18%

13%

Note Regarding Download Estimates Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2017 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-party stores. Market share is calculated among Messenger, Signal, Snapchat, Telegram, and WhatsApp only.


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Documents

Q1 2021: Store Intelligence Data Digest - Sensor Tower...Android app install estimates represent downloads from the Google Play Store only. Sensor Tower does not provide download estimates