There are around 2.87 million apps available for download from the Google Play Store and the most popular applications for Android in the Google Play Store have managed to rise above them!
Google Play Store
Google Play Store is the official mobile app store that is owned by Google. This is the store where users can find Android apps for their smartphones and download them for their use and enjoyment.
Annual Number of Downloads
The annual number of downloads from the Google Play Store worldwide as of October 2021 from Statista.
(in billions)
This data is from Statista.
Comparison of Downloads from 2016 – 2021
With an annual download of 111.3 billion in 2021, the Google Play store consistently makes its mark in the apps arena. The 6 billion smartphone users worldwide is a sure sign that it has nowhere to go but up.
Looking back in 2009, when Apple launched the iPhone 3G and flaunted the tagline, “There’s an app for that,” they had no idea what the app marketplace would be. Now, the app you have been thinking to download is already available whenever you are! There are literally hundreds of apps for every kind of need you can think of.
The more man’s needs are considered, the more apps will be available for him. And these clamor for the best Android apps is obvious in the Google Top Charts.
Google Top Charts
Google Top Charts is where you’ll see the top Android apps downloaded under these categories: Top Free Apps, Top Paid Apps, Top Grossing Apps, Top Free Games, Top Paid Games, and Top Grossing Games.
Top Free Apps
Of course, before getting the favor of google algorithms, an app must be downloaded, reviewed well, get high ratings and so much more, and the apps are free.
Top Paid Apps
Top paid apps are mostly those inexpensive apps that get purchased often. Apps don’t have to be free to be wanted, these paid apps have to give the subscribers what they need.
Top Grossing Apps
Top Grossing apps are those with the highest total revenue. To get the total revenue just get the product of price and quantity sold, then add the revenue from in-app purchases.
So, it means that more often than not, an expensive app will have fewer downloads than a less expensive one.
Top Free Games
Top Free Games is about enjoyment at no cost, and many love this benefit.
Top Paid Games
On the other hand, there are still those who are willing to pay just to have fun, these are called the top paid games.
Top Grossing Games
So, the Top Grossing Games are those game apps that earn with the cost of installs plus in-app purchases.
But you well know that these data change by the minute, as more and more users download apps from the play store each day.
We will take a look at the Google Android Apps that have been consistently occupying the charts for its apps’ billion downloads. However, again, the statistics change fast so this is in no particular order.
The Best Android Apps for your Smartphones
There are so many popular apps in the play store that are really worth downloading for your mobile device. Some are free and some are not. These most popular apps do not only have tons of million downloads but a whopping billion downloads.
Let’s see what’s the fuss over these android apps are about (as if we don’t know), or let’s explore them and gain more insights as to why the popularity.
This list could also help you if you are planning to design your own app, which is becoming a well-opted idea by many at these times. These are but snapshots of the best apps, some with million downloads, and some have reached a billion downloads.
These are apps that have helped many become productive, apps that have comforted the world in these trying times, apps that have left us coping with the new normal of things, apps that give us the smile that we couldn’t let out otherwise, apps that have made us more beautiful even without makeup, apps that make us better people by helping us do things easier, and the other things that apps have brought the world and they are endless.
WhatsApp Messenger
WhatsApp Messenger is a Facebook-owned app that has stayed on top of the most downloaded apps. The rise of messaging and video calling has taken with it WhatsApp.
It is no secret that WhatsApp was founded in 2009 but later bought by Facebook for 19 billion and now has more than 2 billion active users worldwide.
WhatsApp offers new and new features each time, catching the need of its users who value privacy so much with its latest Disappearing Messages and Multiple Durations.
With these features, you can set how long you want your messages to stay in your inbox to be totally in your hands. This mobile app got you covered and it is free.
TikTok
This social video app, TikTok, had an amazing 2 billion downloads worldwide across the App Store and Google Play during the early months of the pandemic in 2020. TikTok’s 315 million installs have been noted as the most downloads for any app ever in a quarter according to Sensor Tower data.
TikTok’s continuous growth shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, it remains to be on the Top Grossing Apps with $ 2 billion in revenue which is 67% more than what it earned last year which is $1.2 billion according to Sensor Tower.
Talking about downloads, TikTok is said to be the most downloaded app on both App Stores in 2021 with a whopping 745.9 million installs across apps, ahead of all other platforms and where to share short videos to.
Latest News on Tiktok
Tiktok TV is now available in North America.
Instagram is another Facebook own app that Facebook purchased in 2012. You may download this for free and also enjoy added benefits with its in-app purchases.
Instagram is Instant Camera which is “Insta” and Gram for “Telegram”. It was born in 2010 to Kevin Systrom, one of the Forbes 30 under 30 Most Powerful List who is a computer programmer and American businessman, and Mike Krieger, a Brazilian businessman and software engineer.
In San Francisco, the developers had photo-sharing as the app they wanted to focus on after working on an HTML5 program called Burbn where the funding also came from their partners in the same project.
The goal of the app, which is actually what it is achieving right now, is to help users post photos that have the Polaroid feel onto it, that they can twitch using filters, plus share videos that have 15 minutes maximum time with creativity and flair. However, this app also became a social networking site.
YouTube
YouTube is another one of the most popular apps and also free to use Android apps from Google. It’s a video sharing service where anybody aged 18 and above could upload, download, like, share, comment, watch videos of different themes.
You need to be 18 years old to set up your own account or 13 years old with parental consent to be allowed to do so. YouTube app has never left the spot for one of the best android apps as more and more people from all walks of life and from different niches benefit from it.
There are so many perks when having YouTube even as a mobile application for it has some additional features such as offline downloading. So, you may enjoy YouTube music and videos anytime, anywhere. It is, as of this time, the biggest host of videos in the world and has been used by many influencers to earn from one of these most popular apps.
Another foot forward for YouTube music is that it can be used in both Android and Apple mobile devices, unlike Apple Music which has very little crossover to Android users. For free video and audio streaming many turn to YouTube.
The new normal in education has also put YouTube under the spotlight as more educators and education websites use it to transfer learning. Mobile devices are now considered classrooms and a student needs to own at least an Android device or phone to cope.
There are also In-app Purchases that you can opt for. YouTube mobile app can be used for Anroid, iOS, and other platforms.
Google Maps
Google Maps has no doubt reached its farthest users surpassing the 10 billion downloads, and the valuable services it offers like incognito mode, a speedometer, speed trap reporting, and traffic incident reporting. Indeed, it’s the most sought-after mobile location and GPS tracking app.
Google Maps is a comprehensive location mobile app because it has great features that are so beneficial to users like GPS tracking, address sharing, lane guidance, real-time traffic updates, navigation, hands-free help with Google Assistant and so much more.
These features make it even more useful and competitive with Waze (Google’s other navigation app). All of these for free will make a confident traveler out of you!
Gmail
With over 10 billion downloads, Gmail has definitely become stronger than ever! Now, Gmail is the fourth Google app that has surpassed that 10 billion thresholds after YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Play services. The other app from Google that is as popular is Google Photos.
Gmail is the world’s favorite e-mail app. This is why it has never left a spot in the most popular apps. This app helps you connect and bring your messages to anyone, anywhere, and anytime wherever you are as long as you’ve got this app.
It is free and is being enjoyed by the more than 10 billion users who installed this app.
Microsoft Office
With the popularity of Word on desktop and the new normal in education, we are facing right now, the Microsoft Office Apps have certainly become a favorite Android app with almost more than 500 billion downloads. Expect the numbers to even go higher in the near future.
This mobile app brings you Word, Excel, and Powerpoint all in one app. Some users who are used to doing their work over desktops or laptops may find working with word docs using mobile phones uncomfortable but for other users, this is heaven-sent.
When you are the type to just be on the go, all the time, with just your mobile phone on hand, then you’ll love the idea of working your docs, worksheets, and presentations using your mobile device.
Pin all that interests you, well that is what Pinterest does. It is a free community of stuff, a place to “pin” what you like or interests you on the themed boards. This Android App offers an excellent way to gather images from all around the world.
It is a popular app for those who love creativity and sharing it with the world. It has over 500 million installs as of this time.
Every week Pinterest is being updated and polished to make it faster and better than ever. So, the newest version is out, check it out!
Among Us
With 285 million downloads, it isn’t free. Yes! When something is good, users will still be willing to pay for it. Among Us is a game, a multi-player video game where there are 10 players in a spaceship. It may be played offline or online.
Among Us started rising in popularity in 2020 although it was released two years back, in 2018. Users love the simple mechanics of the game and the sudden fame could be attributed to the famous users and celebrities who started streaming it.
UC Browser
UC Browser dominates the market for mobile browsers with its benefit-laden mobile-compatible browsing app. UC Browser is also available in a mini version for low-memory devices and has all the features you can expect in a mobile browser.
Upgraded web browsing experience, fast download, Video playing in the background, Data Saving, Smooth Video Playing, Incognito mode and so much more, the list of great features could go on. No wonder it is one of the popular apps these days.
It is a free app with more than 100 million downloads.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is free and comes with one of the top-notched social networking sites. But is is not used mainly for socializing.
Among the popular apps, Facebook is one of the world’s most important messaging apps businesses use to connect with customers worldwide. 260 million new messages are being circulated on the Facebook Messenger App every day according to a blog by Mobile Monkey.
As we all know Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging mobile application with friendly features that come with Facebook. It was originally launched in 2011 but has undergone many revisions until it became the one we have now which emerged in 2014.
In 2019, Facebook already reached more than 700 million downloads and with the pandemic, this could have reached a billion downloads With the clamor for more video calls and online meetings during the pandemic, this app has become more popular than it already was.
With roughly 2.89 billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2021, a year ago, Facebook is the biggest social platform worldwide. Looking back In the third quarter of 2012, the number of active Facebook users surpassed one billion, making it the first social network ever to do so. Active users are those who have logged in to Facebook during the past 30 days.
The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel is one of the best weather apps for both Android and iOs platforms. This weather app from IBM offers live rain alerts with radar and what more? It can even track allergies that seasons bring! The more amazing of its features is the way it can also track flu and Covid-19 cases! Wow!
This powerful app is your best friend, helping you plan ahead considering the probable weather changes. The Weather Channel is free to install but to access premium features you will just have to pay $10 per year.
Google Classroom
Schools have no choice but to adapt to holding classes through online classrooms, and the most popular one is Google Classroom.
Google Classroom is an app that allows teachers to share files with students in a certain group or classroom. On the onset of the pandemic, Google Classroom saw over 100 million downloads in 2020.
Duolingo
Duolingo remains to be the most popular translation app with 61 million downloads. There has been a rise in the number of downloads owing to the fact that people are mostly tied to just staying at home. Learning a new language gives everyone a chance to connect with the world more in different languages.
Google Assistant
Google Assistant is one seriously powerful app that is compatible with most Android devices. It is more than a walking encyclopedia. You may ask it anything you want and command it to control lights, do simple math problems, or even ask for help anytime, anywhere.
You can try over 1 million actions that have been prepared for you and even make your own custom queries. With over 500 million downloads, more and more people are enjoying the benefits of this app.
SHAREit
SHAREit is the first non-google productivity app to make the list. SHAREit offers a way to transfer big files among devices in seconds. See? It is not all about games and social networks with popular Android Apps.
With SHAREit’s more than one billion downloads it has proven that more and more are enjoying it and have realized that it is indeed over 200 times faster than Bluetooth.
Signal
Signal app is a complete phone and SMS client replacement. This app is not one of those many apps that pay lip service to security and privacy. Since the main purpose of Signal is to let people communicate without having to worry about someone eavesdropping.
Downloads: over 50 million
Tasker
Tasker helps you have the flexibility to combine contexts and tasks. Although it is not free for you to have to avail of its in-app purchases after the 7-day trial, more and more mobile app users find Tracker worth their money and space in their Android phone.
Tasker is so amazing as a mobile application because it automatically sets things for you, after the free version of the course. Automate everything you need to do with your mobile phone, your time, location, wifi network, received SMS or calls, what songs you want to play on your device, and so much more automation totaling 130 or more.
Google One
Google One is a very simple app that just backs up your phone automatically and manages your Google Cloud storage like Google Drive. It is one of those very important in-app purchases that you have to make as your productivity will depend so much on it.
It has more than 350 actions that are ready for you to just click and voila! You will feel like you have your own virtual assistant.
Its counterpart in Apple is iCloud which is a cloud storage application that is as competitive as Google Drive and Dropbox.
911 Emergency Dispatcher
Do you want to prepare your children for real-life situations? Then, tell them to download 911 Emergency Dispatcher if they haven’t yet. Even adults, like you, would surely enjoy role-playing and practicing how to stay calm in situations where panic is apparent.
This is probably the reason why this game makes the top spot in the free tier. We all love role-playing, and what more to prepare ourselves when these kinds of situations come. Try to make decisions that a true-to-life 911 dispatcher might have to deal with.
Amazon
Amazon began in the mid-1990s as an e-commerce bookstore, that eventually also started catering to the world as the largest retailer. It has expanded and now includes music, video downloads, furniture, electronics, food, toys, and apparel.
Even the idea of putting user reviews and rating scales to boost sales and the trust of the people was led by Amazon. Amazon started a revolution and made history in the e-commerce industry as a one-stop-shop. It is, of course, still the leading with 169 million users and still the major e-commerce platform in most countries except for India and China.
Downloads: more than 500 million
Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga comes in second with 1.1 billion downloads, indeed its users love lining up colorful candies.
How this popular game started dates back to the humble beginnings that Ricardo Zacconi, the Chief Executive Officer of King, the company behind Candy Crush, had to go through just to succeed. From business bankruptcy in 2003 and bad investments, he and his co-founder were so nearly giving up. He was so ready to pack his bags and go back to Italy.
Zacooni was just so grateful that their proposition for the financing of Candy Crush was approved and the rest is what we know Candy Crush Saga now- the most popular game in raw downloads.
Netflix App
When you want to watch your favorite movies over and over again, the Netflix app will let you do that, watch movies, videos, TV Series, and many more through your mobile device or pc.
Through the mobile app, you may watch your favorite movies and shows anytime and anywhere you want as long as you have your mobile device with you because it’s free to install, and has in-app purchases for other premium benefits.
Downloads: Over 1 billion
LastPass
LastPass is a paid app, but it is one of those must-have Android apps. No wonder it now has more than 10 million installs. Why? It will save your life. Literally!
LastPass is a password manager app that helps you keep your login data in a secure way, safe from anything and everything. This app also comes with additional features like helping you generate nearly unique passwords that you can use in your accounts. And all of these are controlled with a master password in just one app!
The premium version has cross-platform support that’s why you may use it on computers, mobile, and on your other gadgets. It is free and offers in-app purchases.
Tinder
Tinder is the most popular dating app with 30 billion matches to date. With just a swipe to the left or to the right, now you can even undo swipes, match with people without borders, be popular through super likes, and have your profile boosted for increased visibility. All of these are for an affordable monthly fee.
Tinder is named, “The Most Dependable Matchmaker”, as it journeys with you to find your match. It is a free app but the premium top-tier subscription has features that you’ll love more.
Google Meet
With more than 100 million installs, Google Meet is helping the world cope with its lack of face-to-face meet-ups. This app is totally helping the world as it has made its services free with the most number of people in a meet compared to the other platforms. No wonder most schools use it to meet in the absence of actual classroom meetings.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is also one of the most popular apps because it’s the only app that has chats, tasks, files, calendar, and of course meetings all in one app!
So, whether you’re working with your team on work or just planning anything Microsoft Teams helps bring the world closer to each other so that things can be done in no time at all.
To use this app commercially, you must have a paid Microsoft commercial subscription or a trial of Microsoft Teams for work.
Downloads: over 100 million
PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile is a battle royale shooter game that is still being enjoyed by its more than 1 billion players around the world. This game app is addictive in that it has gained a really loyal community of fans. And it doesn’t only let you play games, this app earns so much because of its in-app purchases and ads.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal gives you access to a fit body through its biggest food database that is backed up by accurate nutrition facts for over 14 million foods. This app by Underamour which struggled the first time was able to obtain new users that have founded its community of loyal followers.
Tracking what you eat and how it could affect your body has never been easier. This is the reason why this app has a very engaged online community of 200 million members.
This app will help you lose those extra pounds and strive for a healthy lifestyle. All by keeping your nutrition and calories on track.
Zoom
Zoom has consistently gathered the votes of those who use it. Complete customer satisfaction indeed!
With over 500 million installs, it is also becoming a favorite especially now that meetings are mostly virtual. Zoom has now more features that allow the attendees to enjoy the other services that it used to offer to premium members.
Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is known as the world’s most powerful platform for podcasts. It is an app that does not only provides an avenue for sharing your interests but also has search and discovery tools. It is an app by listeners and for listeners.
This app has designed podcast recommendations so you could find the ones you like and just enjoy your favorite shows for free.
With over one million installs, this app is growing.
Snapchat
With over one billion downloads, Snapchat’s charms aren’t going anywhere. This app offers a fun way to share precious moments with friends and family all for free. How?
Snap
The snap happens because it opens right to the camera by tapping to take a pic and holding the snap longer to take a video. Plus it has other features like a variety of ways to express with lenses, bitmojis, filters, and more!
What more? There are new lenses that are added regularly, created by the Snapchat community!
Chat
Snapchat’s chat features let you stay in touch with friends through live messaging and by sharing Group Stories. It allows video chatting with 16 friends at one meeting while using filters and lenses. It has these cool emojis that you can use or even make for a friend.
Snapchats’ features are those that you don’t usually find in a messaging or even social networking app. That’s why its charms never fade.
456 Survival Game
If you are a fan of Challenge Survival 456 and the other survival challenge games like it, then you’ll love this app- the 456 Survival Game.
It has many levels with varying difficulty which are always updated. What the reviews say about this game is that users love the realistic sounds and beautiful vivid graphics while enjoying the challenge of being participant 456.
This game is free but has in-app purchases and ads in it.
Telegram
Telegram is one of the world’s top 10 most downloaded with more than 500 million active users. It offers pure instant messaging, fast, secure, and simple.
But, what makes Telegram powerful? It lets you create group chats with up to 200,000 members to whom you may share large videos, any type of documents, with any type it means docx, MP3, ZIP, etc, up to 2 GB each. But there’s more! It even has bots for specific tasks!
Indeed, Telegram is the perfect tool for hosting bigger online communities and coordinating teamwork.
Google News
Our smartphones must serve every purpose it can, such as giving us the recent news with Google News.
It is free and has more to offer besides its daily headlines. It has a “For You” tab that features news that you are interested in.
Remember
So many applications are always available for you to choose from and enjoy. To say that one is less important than the other, and deserves a space in your devices, is all up to you. These applications will come in handy each time you need them, and also will surely adapt to the changing times.
And when we talk about apps, there is no doubt that they can be very popular and adaptable with the changing times. And so must we.
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