Mobile phones aren't just phones anymore; they are universal devices that function more like computers than wired phones. The secret ingredient to the smartphone's success is apps.
Almost every aspect of modern mobile phones is powered by apps. Games, radio stations, and even calendars are apps now. Apps are so ubiquitous to the smartphone experience that every new device comes with a store designed to sell and download apps — which is itself an app. You can find must-download apps for every occasion,
from apps designed for camping trips to fitness apps that can help you achieve workout goals. However, for all the times you've wanted to find programs and games worth your time despite their obscurity, one question has possibly gone unanswered: What are the most used apps out there? Surprisingly, the answer isn't TikTok or "Pokémon GO."
If you want to know which apps have been downloaded more than any other, you've come to the right place.
Read more: 5 Mini Gadgets With USB-C That Are Pretty Useful
Android Switch
Even if you can resist the urge to buy a new device whenever it releases, you will eventually need to replace your old phone with a new one due to the normal wear and tear. In the past, this meant abandoning all your saved pictures and music, but now there's an app for that.
Android Switch is a program designed to facilitate the transfer of important files from one Android phone to another. These include photographs, videos, music, contacts, messages, and even other apps. Unlike most programs, Android Switch is an end-of-life app. Install it onto your ageing phone, ship all your important data to your new phone, and then repeat the process in a few years when you need another new smartphone.
For those uninitiated with different phone operating systems, the Android OS and iPhone OS are completely different environments, so apps and data stored in one are incompatible with the other. Ergo, iOS owners don't have much use for the Android Switch app — though you can find it on the Apple App Store. Regardless, this platform exclusivity hasn't diminished Android Switch's popularity. The app has been installed approximately 11.8 billion times, which means Android users have bought over 11.8 billion new phones.
Social media is more or less the de facto method of communication in the modern age. You can send messages, post pictures, and receive a constant stream of news updates if you're subscribed to the right account. Given how much info is transferred over the internet nowadays, you essentially need to take your social media platforms with you to stay up to date.
Facebook needs no introduction — it's the definitive platform most people think of when they hear the words "social media," and also the face of a multinational tech company that owns other social media brands and produces the Meta Quest line of VR goggles. Not bad for a service that began life as a college networking website.
Since people can use Facebook to post everything from travel plans to photos of their children — even though you shouldn't share those on social media — having access to your account at your fingertips is more convenient than waiting to post at your computer. That is why Meta developed the Facebook app. Currently, Facebook has been installed on approximately 12.6 billion Android phones and over 5 million iOS devices.
Google Maps
Google Maps is one of several map apps that help users find their way. The program is full of special features that go beyond simple navigation. You can even use Google Maps to virtually tour foreign cities or make restaurant reservations. The possibilities aren't exactly endless, but it's easy to see why many people rely on Google Maps when compared to rival programs.
Here is where things get complicated. Most Android devices ship with Google Maps pre-installed, Android phones included. Yet app stores offer the program, as some smartphones that don't feature Google Maps out of the box. Plus, if you reset your phone, you need to reinstall everything, including Google Maps. To make matters worse, most services that track app usage don't measure how many times the app is downloaded, just how many phones have it installed. Regardless, Google Maps has been installed 14.6 billion times on Android devices, while the app has been downloaded onto iPhones over 10 million times — iPhone users who want Google Maps must download it off the Apple App Store.
Google Chrome
Google Chrome is arguably the most used web browser in the world, and it's easy to see why. The browser is focused on speed and stability, and it is compatible with a wide variety of extensions and apps that improve the web-browsing experience. Google Chrome's only major flaw is that it tends to hog computer resources. While computer users have no shortage of alternative web browsers, many of which do one or two things better than Google Chrome, Chrome reigns supreme in terms of numbers, thanks in no small part to its smartphone install base.
As with Google Maps, accurately tracking how many people have downloaded Google Chrome is a hassle-and-a-half, as sites usually don't differentiate between a "downloaded" copy and an "installed" copy. And again, most Android phones come with Google Chrome out of the box. But, we can say for certain that Google Chrome has been installed over 14.8 billion times on Android phones and over six million times on Apple phones. We know the latter are fresh downloads because iPhones ship with the Safari browser. As with Google Maps, Google Chrome isn't included in the base Apple iPhone experience.
Gmail
The previous two entries in this article were Google apps, which makes some sense. Google has virtually cornered the market on map and internet browser software. While the company has released its fair share of forgotten products, its biggest successes are colossal successes. Case in point: Google's email service.
Like Google Chrome and Google Maps, Gmail is one of the most popular email services out there. Gmail carved out a veritable kingdom for itself with a simple and clean interface and seamless integration with other Google services. It offers plenty of storage space for old emails, although since it shares a server with Google Drive (hence the native integration), you can quickly run out of Gmail storage if you don't pay attention. But that's just one small complaint in the face of the service's ease of use, especially on mobile phones.
Given that the previous two entries consisted of Google apps, it stands to reason that the most popular (and most downloaded) phone app on the market is another Google creation. And like Google Maps and Google Chrome apps, the line between "download" and "install" is blurry at best because most Android phones include Gmail. Still, the app has been installed at least 15.5 billion times on Android smartphone and downloaded over five million times on iOS phones.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
