December means that it’s time to look back at the year through yearly recaps. Google and Apple released their lists curating the best apps for Android and best apps for iOS and even the best Chrome extensions. Likewise, analytics firm Apptopia released its annual app download rankings that show TikTok as the most downloaded app of 2021.
TikTok’s website recently put Google off its throne as the most visited domain, as per Cloudflare. Hence, the list of app rankings doesn’t seem to be surprising at all. After all, the apps that most people talk about are the most popular ones. Moreover, the data of the rankings are based on both Android and iOS downloads, including any app’s “Lite” version.
10 most downloaded apps of 2021 (Worldwide)
Here are the most downloaded apps of 2021 along with their download count (in millions) throughout the world:
1. TikTok – 656M
2. Instagram – 545M
3. Facebook – 416M
4. WhatsApp – 395M
5. Telegram – 329M
6. Snapchat – 327M
7. Zoom – 300M
8. Messenger – 268M
9. CapCut – 255M
10. Spotify – 203M
TikTok is reportedly the world’s most downloaded app in the year 2021. Most of the names on this list, like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc., are apps that most people would’ve heard about. However, there’s one name that would seem unusual: CapCut.
It’s a video editing app that TikTok creators use to edit and curate their videos. Although, CapCut’s parent company is ByteDance, the owner of TikTok. Hence, it’s just an app for a feature not present in the TikTok app.
10 most downloaded apps of 2021 (U.S.)
Furthermore, Apptopia has also released the list of most downloaded apps of 2021 in the U.S.:
1. TikTok – 94M
2. Instagram – 64M
3. Snapchat – 56M
4. Cash App – 56M
5. Zoom – 52M
6. Messenger – 51M
7. Facebook – 47.3M
8. WhatsApp – 47.2M
9. YouTube – 47M
10. HBO Max – 45M
Certainly, TikTok retains its position as the most downloaded app of 2021 in the United States as well. However, there are some new names on the list. It seems that Cash App, YouTube, and HBO Max are more prevalent on American soil. There’s no room for doubt, though; it’s an era of streaming.
Many apps listed above make it to “a list” every year, but TikTok has been gaining tremendous popularity lately. Despite facing several backlashes in different countries, TikTok has successfully become users’ favorite. Not to mention, almost every other app has been copying TikTok’s idea. YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, you name it.
Consequently, TikTok’s website beat Google in terms of user traffic last week. According to a report from Cloudflare, TikTok first surpassed Google in February 2021 and then in regular intervals throughout the year. Moreover, it retained the top position in terms of traffic on most holidays, including Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
