Worldwide App Store Downloads Reached 8.6 Billion in Q1 2022

Worldwide App Store downloads grew 2.4 percent to hit 8.6 billion in the first quarter of 2022, according to data shared today by Sensor Tower (via TechCrunch). Between the ‌App Store‌ and the Google Play store, there were 36.9 billion total app downloads, an increase of 1.4 percent.

iOS App Store General Feature Black
As there are far more Android users than iPhone users, there were a much higher number of apps downloaded on Android devices, with Google Play downloads hitting 28.3 billion during the quarter.

app store downloads sensor tower
TikTok was the most downloaded app on the ‌iPhone‌ and the iPad worldwide, surpassing 70 million ‌App Store‌ downloads. YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook were the other top downloaded apps, which is unchanged from the year-ago quarter.

TikTok has been downloaded more than 3.5 billion times since its launch, and it is the first non-Meta app to hit that milestone. In fact, since the beginning of 2018, no app has surpassed TikTok in downloads, according to Sensor Tower.

As for games, Subway Surfers, Wordle (the original from 2016), Coloring Match, PUBG Mobile, and Roblox were the most downloaded apps. Subway Surfer had more than 15 million downloads during the quarter.

game downloads sensor tower
Sensor Tower's full report on the state of the ‌App Store‌ in Q1 2022 can be found on the company's website. [PDF]

Top Rated Comments

TinyMito Avatar
26 months ago
What is TikTok?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
26 months ago

Yes they do. Holy crap!

I knew it was a lot... but 28 billion downloads... in just 3 months?

Well when there that many Android phones on Earth... I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But still.



Does anyone have a purchases and/or revenue chart? I'd love to see how that compares to free downloads.

???

The report is full of interesting information, clearly displayed. I thought that the chart showing top countries by download was particularly interesting, both in the volumes shown for the top 10 countries, as well as for the differences between the App Store and Google Play in each country. Notice that China is not present in the top 10 because Google Play is not available in China:



Those numbers are crazy! Android totally overshadows iOS yet people still claim that Apple is a monopoly.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unregistered 4U Avatar
26 months ago
The number of apps downloaded to Android devices is ONLY counting Google Play. The actual number is likely even millions higher. Apple’s downloads aren’t even a half of what Google Play is seeing.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unregistered 4U Avatar
26 months ago

Knowing apple marketing team, they are including all app updates in the download numbers
Sensor Tower produced the data and they define what they count in the download numbers. Not sure what say Apple would have over the data Sensor Tower is presenting.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sir_Macs_A_Lot Avatar
26 months ago
Does anyone else remember when Apple used to give prizes to users when Apple reached certain milestones? They've gotten lazy and complacent (like an old marriage mate who takes the other for granted).

The AppStore has been a confusing nightmare for some time now.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
26 months ago

a lot of these are FREE downloads.

Android has lots of FREE downloads too.
Yes they do. Holy crap!

I knew it was a lot... but 28 billion downloads... in just 3 months?

Well when there that many Android phones on Earth... I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But still.



Does anyone have a purchases and/or revenue chart? I'd love to see how that compares to free downloads.

???

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Friday April 12, 2024 11:11 am PDT by
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...
iGBA Feature

Game Boy Emulator for iPhone Now Available in App Store Following Rule Change [Removed]

Sunday April 14, 2024 8:06 am PDT by
A week after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to permit retro game console emulators, a Game Boy emulator for the iPhone called iGBA has appeared in the App Store worldwide. The emulator is already one of the top free apps on the App Store charts. It was not entirely clear if Apple would allow emulators to work with all and any games, but iGBA is able to load any Game Boy ROMs that...
top stories 13apr2024

Top Stories: M4 Mac Roadmap Leaked, New iPads in Second Week of May, and More

Saturday April 13, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's hardware roadmap was in the news this week, with things hopefully firming up for a launch of updated iPad Pro and iPad Air models next month while we look ahead to the other iPad models and a full lineup of M4-based Macs arriving starting later this year. We also heard some fresh rumors about iOS 18, due to be unveiled at WWDC in a couple of months, while we took a look at how things ...
new best buy blue

Best Buy Opens Up Sitewide Sale With Record Low Prices on M3 MacBook Air, iPad, and Much More

Saturday April 13, 2024 7:41 am PDT by
Best Buy this weekend has a big sale on Apple MacBooks and iPads, including new all-time low prices on the M3 MacBook Air, alongside the best prices we've ever seen on MacBook Pro, iPad, and more. Some of these deals require a My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total membership, which start at $49.99/year. In addition to exclusive access to select discounts, you'll get free 2-day shipping, an...
iGBA Feature

Apple Removes Game Boy Emulator iGBA From App Store Due to Spam and Copyright Violations

Sunday April 14, 2024 9:22 pm PDT by
Apple today said it removed Game Boy emulator iGBA from the App Store for violating the company's App Review Guidelines related to spam (section 4.3) and copyright (section 5.2), but it did not provide any specific details. iGBA was a copycat version of developer Riley Testut's open-source GBA4iOS app. The emulator rose to the top of the App Store charts following its release this weekend,...
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

Apple's First AI Features in iOS 18 Reportedly Won't Use Cloud Servers

Sunday April 14, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's first set of new AI features planned for iOS 18 will not rely on cloud servers at all, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "As the world awaits Apple's big AI unveiling on June 10, it looks like the initial wave of features will work entirely on device," said Gurman, in the Q&A section of his Power On newsletter today. "That means there's no cloud processing component to the...