Sensor Tower Q1 2021 Data Digest

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 Q1 2021 was a dynamic quarter for finance apps,
1Q21, an 8.7% year-over-year increase. App Store with increased demand for stock trading apps
downloads fell 8.6% to 8.4B (due to an outsized total caused by the WallStreetBets subreddit and soaring
in 1Q20 during the initial spread of COVID-19), while cryptocurrency prices. As a result, stock trading
Google Play downloads increased 15.3% to 28.2B. and cryptocurrency apps saw installs skyrocket.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run from King showed Secure messaging apps continued to gain
the power of popular console and PC properties popularity in Q1 2021. Apps such as Telegram and
on mobile, releasing worldwide on March 25. The Signal experienced rapid growth last quarter and
game was a massive success in its first week, gained market share versus the top established
becoming the most downloaded title in Q1 2021. messaging apps.
2
About This Data:

Methodology
Could your business benefit from
Sensor Tower’s Mobile Insights team compiled the download estimates
provided in this report using the Sensor Tower Store Intelligence platform.
access to Store Intelligence insights
and the highly accurate data used to
● Figures cited in this report reflect App Store and Google Play build this report? See the fastest
download estimates for January 1, 2016 through March 31, 2021.
growing apps and publishers by
● Download estimates presented are on a per-user basis, meaning that
only one download per Apple or Google account is counted towards downloads or revenue.
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 REQUEST DEMO
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.
Store Intelligence 3
Market Overview:
Q1 2021 Worldwide Download Growth
Worldwide App Store and Worldwide App Store Worldwide Google Play
Google Play Downloads Downloads Downloads
40B +8.7% 40B 40B
35B 35B 35B
+15.3%
30B 30B 30B
25B 25B 25B
20B 20B 20B
36.6B
33.7B
15B 15B 15B 28.2B
-8.6% 24.4B
10B 10B 10B
5B 5B 9.2B 8.4B 5B
0 0 0
Q1 2020 Q1 2021 Q1 2020 Q1 2021 Q1 2020 Q1 2021
36.7 Billion 8.4 Billion 28.2 Billion

App Store + Google Play Downloads App Store Downloads Google Play Downloads
4
Top Apps
—
Top Apps by Downloads in Q1 2021
Overall - Worldwide
App Store Google Play
TikTok was once again the top mobile app
TikTok .
by worldwide downloads, ranking as the
Facebook .
Instagram .
top app for the third consecutive quarter.
Telegram . The only time TikTok did not rank No. 1 in a
WhatsApp . quarter since the start of 2020 was when
Messenger . Zoom edged it out in Q2 2020 at the
Zoom . beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Snapchat .
MX TakaTak .
Some short video apps were able to take
Moj .
advantage of TikTok’s ban in India. MX
CapCut .
Google Meet .
TakaTak, Moj, and Josh were some examples
Josh . among the top 20 apps.
Signal .
WhatsApp Business . Note Regarding Download Estimates
YouTube . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
Pinterest . iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report
Microsoft Teams .
unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-
Spotify .
party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all app
Netflix .
versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
0 20M 40M 60M 80M 100M 120M 140M 160M 180M
Q1 Apps by Worldwide Downloads 6

App Store - Worldwide

iPhone iPad
The top five apps held their positions from
TikTok .
the previous quarter. Zoom’s installs
YouTube .
Zoom .
decreased for the third consecutive quarter,
Instagram . but it still managed to rank No. 3 in Q1 2021.
WhatsApp .
Facebook . Telegram and CapCut were the only new
Messenger . entrants into the top 10. Telegram saw
Telegram .
downloads spike 60 percent quarter-over-
Gmail .
quarter to an all-time high, while CapCut, a
CapCut .
video editing app from TikTok’s publisher
WeChat .
Google Maps .
ByteDance, had its second best quarter so far.
Google Chrome .
Taobao .
Microsoft Teams . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Netflix . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Google . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps
are excluded. We report unique installs only (one download
Spotify .
per user). Figures represent aggregate installs of all app
Twitter .
Pinterest .
0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M

Google Play - Worldwide

Short video apps continued to perform
Facebook .
well on Google Play, and in India in
Telegram .
TikTok .
particular. MX TakaTak, Moj, Josh, and
Instagram . SnackyTakatak combined for more than
WhatsApp . 250M installs in Q1 2021 with nearly all of
Snapchat . them coming from India. TikTok still ranked
MX TakaTak . No. 3 despite not being available in India.
Messenger .
Moj .
Secure messaging apps also had a great
Zoom .
quarter. Telegram moved up seven spots to
Josh .
Signal .
rank No. 2 and Signal’s installs grew from 2
Google Meet . million in Q4 2020 to more than 50 million.
WhatsApp Business .
Likee . Note Regarding Download Estimates
CapCut . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Pinterest . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report unique
installs only (one download per User). Google preinstalled apps
PicsArt .
are excluded. Android download estimates do not include
SnackyTakatak .
third-party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all
Truecaller .
app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
0 20M 40M 60M 80M 100M 120M 140M

Overall - United States

Zoom’s reign as the top app in the U.S.
TikTok .
ended in Q1 2021 after three consecutive
Zoom .
YouTube .
quarters at No. 1. TikTok ranked as the top
Facebook . app for the first time since a year prior.
Messenger .
Instagram . Robinhood entered the top 20 after it
HBO Max . received increased attention during the
Cash App .
market volatility caused by so-called
Netflix .
“meme stocks”. It also benefited from the
Disney+ .
cryptocurrency boom during the quarter.
Amazon .
Robinhood .
Telegram .
WhatsApp .
DoorDash . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Hulu . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
Discord . iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
Snapchat .
Reddit .
Gmail .
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M 16M 18M 20M
Q1 Apps by U.S. Downloads 9

App Store - United States

iPhone iPad
TikTok was also the top app by App Store
TikTok .
downloads in the U.S. The top five apps
YouTube .
Zoom .
were the same as the overall rankings, with
Facebook . the only difference in order being YouTube
Messenger . and Zoom switching places for the App Store.
Gmail .
Instagram . The subscription video on demand (SVOD)
Netflix .
space remained competitive in the U.S.
Amazon .
Netflix led the pack at No. 8, with HBO Max
Google .
(No. 11), Disney+ (No. 12), and Hulu (No. 14)
HBO Max .
Disney+ .
close behind.
Cash App .
Hulu .
Google Maps . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Google Chrome . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Robinhood . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps
DoorDash .
Discord .
WhatsApp .
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M

Google Play - United States

Zoom managed to hold onto the No. 1 spot
Zoom .
on Google Play for the fourth consecutive
TikTok .
Google Pay .
quarter. Meanwhile, Discovery+ was a
Messenger . notable new entrant to the top 10 following
Facebook . its launch in early January, 2021.
HBO Max .
Cash App . Finance apps had a great quarter on
Telegram .
Google Play, with payment apps Google
Discovery+ .
Pay and Cash App leading the way. Stock
Disney+ .
trading and cryptocurrency apps like
Tubi .
WhatsApp .
Robinhood and Coinbase also performed
Robinhood . very well.
PayPal .
Instagram . Note Regarding Download Estimates
DoorDash . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Snapchat . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report unique
Likee .
Coinbase .
Signal .
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M

Overall - Europe
Telegram ranked No. 2 by downloads in
TikTok .
Europe in Q1 2021, receiving 40 percent
Telegram .
Zoom .
Q/Q growth to 27.3 million installs. Signal
WhatsApp . was also quite popular in Europe, surpassing
Instagram . 14 million downloads in the quarter.
Microsoft Teams .
Facebook . Zoom and Microsoft Teams were still
Messenger .
among the top apps in Europe a year into
Signal .
the pandemic. Video conferencing apps have
Pinterest .
continued to find success as many physical
SHEIN .
AliExpress .
offices have remained closed or at limited
Spotify . capacity.
Vinted .
Netflix . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Snapchat . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
YouTube . iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
Discord .
Google Meet .
Reface .
0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M 30M 35M
Q1 Apps by European Downloads 12

App Store - Europe

iPhone iPad
WhatsApp was the top app on the App
WhatsApp .
Store across Europe, followed by TikTok
TikTok .
Zoom .
and Zoom. Telegram, the No. 4 app, also
Telegram . surpassed 10 million installs in the quarter.
Instagram .
Microsoft Teams . Nine of the top 10 apps in Q4 2020 returned
YouTube . to the top 10 this quarter. Google Maps
Facebook .
replaced Messenger as the lone return
Google Maps .
entrant to the top 10 in Q1 2021.
Gmail .
Netflix .
Messenger .
SHEIN .
Clubhouse .
Vinted . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Pinterest . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Spotify . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps
Signal .
Google Chrome .
Google .
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M

Google Play - Europe

Secure messaging apps were especially
TikTok .
popular on Google Play. Telegram ranked
Telegram .
Zoom .
No. 2 with nearly 17 million Google Play
Facebook . downloads in Europe, and Signal joined it
WhatsApp . among the top 10 at No. 8.
Messenger .
Instagram . A few shopping apps ranked among the top
Signal .
20 in Q1 2020, including AliExpress, SHEIN,
Microsoft Teams .
and Wish. SHEIN’s Google Play installs in the
Pinterest .
region reached a new high at 7 million for the
Likee .
AliExpress .
quarter.
QR & Barcode Scanner .
Reface .
SHEIN . Note Regarding Download Estimates
QR & Barcode Reader . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Wish . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report unique
Discord .
Snapchat .
Spotify .
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M 16M 18M 20M

Overall - Asia
Many of the top apps in Asia were most
MX TakaTak .
popular on Google Play and in India.
Instagram .
Facebook .
ByteDance’s TikTok was the only app among
TikTok . the top 20 to have more App Store downloads
Moj . than Google Play, and its app CapCut had the
Snapchat . next highest share from the App Store.
Josh .
Telegram .
Success in India propelled some short
WhatsApp .
video apps towards the top of the rankings
Messenger .
in Asia. MX TakaTak outpaced powerhouse
CapCut .
Zoom .
apps like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
SnackyTakatak .
WhatsApp Business .
Truecaller . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Signal . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
VPN Master . iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
Flipkart .
PhonePe .
Sharechat .
0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M 90M
Q1 Apps by Asia Downloads 15

App Store - Asia

iPhone iPad
On the App Store, China was by far the
TikTok .
largest market in Asia and many of the top
WeChat .
Taobao .
apps were from Chinese publishers. TikTok,
CapCut . known as Douyin in China, had nearly 37
iQIYI . million downloads, well ahead of the No. 2
YouTube . app WeChat at 22.7 million.
Alipay .
QQ .
Poizon, a sneaker trading app, saw global
Poizon .
installs climb from 8.8 million in Q4 2020 to
PinDuoDuo .
12.2 million in Q1 2021 and ranked among
Facebook .
Instagram .
the top 10 App Store apps in Asia. Nearly all
Little Red Book . of its downloads were from China.
Tencent Video .
Zoom . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Traﬀic Management 12123 . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Messenger . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps
Kwai .
Baidu .
Kwai .
0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M 30M 35M 40M

Google Play - Asia

India banned a number of apps from
MX TakaTak .
Chinese publishers in 2020, including
Moj .
Instagram .
TikTok and UC Browser. Short video
Facebook . alternatives to TikTok immediately began to
Snapchat . emerge and have had lasting success. MX
Josh . TakaTak and Moj were the top two apps in
Telegram . Asia on Google Play, and Josh also ranked
WhatsApp .
among the top 10.
Messenger .
TikTok .
TikTok still managed to rank at No. 10. Its
SnackyTakatak .
WhatsApp Business .
top Google Play markets in Asia were
VPN Master . Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Truecaller .
Signal . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Flipkart . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report unique
Sharechat .
CapCut .
PhonePe .
0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M 90M

Top Games
—
Top Games by Downloads in Q1 2021
Overall - Worldwide
Join Clash 3D from Supersonic Studios was
Join Clash 3D .
the top mobile game by worldwide
Among Us .
DOP 2 .
downloads in Q1 2021. After two
Phone Case DIY . consecutive quarters in the top spot, Among
Garena Free Fire . Us fell to No. 2 last quarter.
High Heels .
Subway Surfers . Supersonic Studios was one of three
Water Sort Puzzle . hypercasual games publishers to have
Project Makeover .
multiple apps in the top 20, along with
Giant Rush .
Crazy Labs and Azur Interactive. Its second
Candy Crush Saga .
Homescapes .
best performing game was Stacky Dash at No.
Stacky Dash . 13.
Roblox .
Sushi Roll 3D . Note Regarding Download Estimates
PUBG Mobile . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
Hit Master 3D . iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
My Talking Tom Friends .
Stack Ball .
Roof Rails .
0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M 90M
Q1 Games by Worldwide Downloads 19


iPhone iPad
Project Makeover from Magic Tavern was
Project Makeover .
the top game on the App Store, moving up
Among Us .
High Heels .
four spots from Q4 2020. This was the
Call of Duty: Mobile . second quarter in a row it was the top Puzzle
PUBG Mobile . & Decorate game on the App Store ahead of
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run . Playrix’s hit games like Homescapes.
Homescapes .
Roblox .
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run from King
Subway Surfers .
was a top 10 game despite not launching
Blob Runner 3D .
until the final days of the quarter. It
Water Sort Puzzle .
Arena of Valor .
surpassed 12 million downloads after being
Shortcut Run . launched in late March.
Giant Rush .
Roof Rails . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Parking Jam 3D . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Join Clash 3D . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps
Stacky Dash .
Gardenscapes .
Nail Salon 3D .
0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M


Three of the top five apps in Q4 2020
Join Clash 3D .
returned in Q1 2021, including Join Clash
DOP 2 .
Phone Case DIY .
3D, Garena Free Fire, and Among Us. Two
Garena Free Fire . new hypercasual games, DOP 2 and Phone
Among Us . Case DIY joined the top five.
Candy Crush Saga .
Water Sort Puzzle . More than half of the top games were in
Subway Surfers .
the Hypercasual genre. The Arcade and
Hit Master 3D .
Puzzle genres were each represented by two
Stacky Dash .
of the top 20 games.
Giant Rush .
Sushi Roll 3D .
Stack Ball .
Ludo King . Note Regarding Download Estimates
High Heels . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Homescapes . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report unique
Girl Genius .
WormsZone.io .
Roblox .
0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M


Crash Bandicoot: On the Run had a huge
Project Makeover .
launch in the U.S. in late March. The U.S.
High Heels .
Among Us .
accounted for 26 percent of its worldwide
Roblox . installs, good enough for it to rank No. 5 in
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run . the U.S. for the quarter.
Blob Runner 3D .
Giant Rush . Roblox’s popularity surged in the U.S. at
Sushi Roll 3D .
the start of the pandemic. It ranked among
Oh God .
the top five apps by U.S. downloads for the
Call of Duty: Mobile .
fourth consecutive quarter in Q1 2021.
Stacky Dash .
Phone Case DIY .
Water Sort Puzzle .
Roof Rails .
Subway Surfers . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Jelly Dye . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
Deep Clean Inc. 3D . iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
Magic Tiles 3 .
DOP 2 .
ABC Runner .
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M
Q1 Games by U.S. Downloads 22


iPhone iPad
Project Makeover was the top game on the
Project Makeover .
App Store worldwide, in the U.S., and in
High Heels .
Among Us .
Europe. It was an immediate success
Roblox . following its launch in November 2020.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run .
Blob Runner 3D . Zynga had two of the top 10 games on the
Call of Duty: Mobile . App Store, with High Heels at No. 2 and
Jelly Dye .
Blob Runner 3D at No. 6. Zynga expanded
ABC Runner .
into the hypercasual games space with its
911 Emergency Dispatcher .
acquisition of Rollic Games in late 2020.
Subway Surfers .
Deep Clean Inc. 3D .
Giant Rush .
Sushi Roll 3D .
Water Sort Puzzle . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Stacky Dash . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Oh God . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps
Homescapes .
Roof Rails .
Nail Salon 3D .
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M 8M


Among Us from InnerSloth has held the top
Among Us .
spot on Google Play for the last three
Project Makeover .
High Heels .
quarters. The game, launched in 2018, took
Red Imposter . off during the pandemic with the help from
Sushi Roll 3D . influencers on YouTube and Twitch.
Giant Rush .
Phone Case DIY . 80 percent of the top 20 games were
Oh God .
hypercasual titles, although the top two
games made up half of the exceptions. The
Roblox .
only other non-Hypercasual genre games
Join Clash 3D .
Hit Master 3D .
were Crash Bandicoot: On the Run (Arcade)
Girl Genius . and Roblox (Simulation).
Stacky Dash .
DOP 2 . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Blob Runner 3D . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Roof Rails . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report unique
Smash Colors 3D .
Lumbercraft .
Water Sort Puzzle .
0 1M 2M 3M 4M

Overall - Europe
Draw One Part (DOP) 2 from the Belarus-
DOP 2 .
based publisher Say Games was the top
Among Us .
Phone Case DIY .
game in Europe in Q1 2021. Say Games also
Join Clash 3D . had the No. 13 title, Sushi Roll 3D.
Project Makeover .
Water Sort Puzzle . Supercell’s Brawl Stars continued to be
Giant Rush . popular in Europe, ranking among the top
Homescapes .
10 again in Q1 2021. Europe accounted for
Brawl Stars .
47 percent of Brawl Stars installs to date.
Stacky Dash .
Roblox .
Sushi Roll 3D .
Oh God .
Hit Master 3D .
Fat Pusher . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Sculpt People . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
PUBG Mobile . iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
High Heels .
Gardenscapes .
Girl Genius .
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M 16M 18M
Q1 Games by European Downloads 25

App Store - Europe

iPhone iPad
Puzzle & Decorate games performed well
Project Makeover .
on the App Store in Europe, with Project
Among Us .
Makeover leading the way on more than
Water Sort Puzzle . 5.5 million downloads. Playrix had two
Homescapes . Puzzle & Decorate genre games among the
Roblox . top 20 with Homescapes and Gardenscapes.
High Heels .
Subway Surfers .
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run had a strong
Happy Printer .
launch in Europe as well as the U.S. It
DOP 2 .
ranked as the No. 3 App Store game behind
Shortcut Run .
Brawl Stars .
only Project Makeover and Among Us.
Stacky Dash .
PUBG Mobile .
Blob Runner 3D . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Gardenscapes . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Giant Rush . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps
Going Balls .
Phone Case DIY .
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M


The top 10 on Google Play was dominated
DOP 2 .
by hypercasual games, with only Among
Phone Case DIY .
Among Us .
Us and Brawl Stars representing other
Join Clash 3D . game genres. The hypercasual space was
Giant Rush . also extremely competitive, with seven
Water Sort Puzzle . different publishers accounting for the eight
Oh God . hypercasual games among the top 10.
Hit Master 3D .
Stacky Dash .
PUBG Mobile was the top Shooter genre game
Brawl Stars .
on Google Play. 44 percent of its Google Play
Sushi Roll 3D .
downloads in Europe were from Turkey,
Sculpt People .
followed by Russia at 26 percent.
Fat Pusher .
Homescapes .
Girl Genius . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Roblox . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Red Imposter . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report unique
PUBG Mobile .
Lumbercraft .
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M 14M 16M

Overall - Asia
Join Clash 3D was the top game in Asia,
Join Clash 3D .
well ahead of the No. 2 title Ludo King. 37
Ludo King .
Garena Free Fire .
percent of Join Clash 3D’s global installs were
Bubble Shooter . from India.
Subway Princess Runner .
Subway Surfers . Similar to the top apps charts, the top
WormsZone.io . games in Asia were led by titles most
Candy Crush Saga .
popular on Google Play. None of the top 20
Phone Case DIY .
games had more App Store downloads than
PUBG Mobile .
Google Play, although PUBG Mobile was
Carrom Pool .
DOP 2 .
closest due to its popularity in China where it
Temple Run . is known as Game for Peace.
Water Sort Puzzle .
FPS Commando . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Hunter Assassin . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
Among Us . iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
High Heels .
Stacky Dash .
0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M 30M 35M 40M 45M 50M
Q1 Games by Asia Downloads 28

App Store - Asia

iPhone iPad
The top three games on the App Store were
Arena of Valor .
hugely popular titles in China. 77 percent of
PUBG Mobile .
their combined Asia downloads in the
Homescapes . quarter were from China. All three games
Project Makeover . were published by Tencent in China as well.
Master of Emerald .
High Heels . There was a large gap between the top
NieR Re[in]carnation .
three games and the rest. Call of Duty:
Genshin Impact .
Mobile had nearly 3.7 million downloads
Among Us .
more than the No. 4 game, Homescapes.
Happy Landlords .
Subway Surfers .
Blob Runner 3D .
Join Clash 3D .
Parking Jam 3D . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Shortcut Run . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Mini World: Block Art . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple apps
Snake Battle .
Cookie Run .
Save Them All .
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M 8M 9M

Google Play - Asia

Join Clash 3D was the top games globally
Join Clash 3D .
on Google Play, with Asia leading the way.
Ludo King .
Garena Free Fire .
It was the No. 4 game on Google Play in
Bubble Shooter . Europe and No. 11 in the U.S.
Subway Princess Runner .
WormsZone.io . Asia had fewer Hypercasual games among the
Carrom Pool . top 20 on Google Play than the U.S. and
Candy Crush Saga . Europe, though most games were still Casual
Temple Run . games. Garena Free Fire and FPS Commando
Phone Case DIY .
were the only mid-core games among the top 20
DOP 2 .
in Q1 2021.
Subway Surfers .
FPS Commando .
Hunter Assassin .
Water Sort Puzzle . Note Regarding Download Estimates
My Talking Tom Friends . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Crazy Car Stunt Driving . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report unique
Hill Climb Racing .
Stack Ball .
Stacky Dash .
0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M 30M 35M 40M 45M

Top Publishers
—
Top Publishers by Downloads in Q1 2021
Overall - Worldwide
Google was the top publisher for the fourth
Google .
consecutive quarter. The gap between
Facebook .
Voodoo .
Google and Facebook narrowed to the
AppLovin . closest it’s been since Google surpassed
Crazy Labs . Facebook in Q2 2020 at 107 million.
ByteDance .
Azur Interactive . Publishers focusing on hypercasual games
Supersonic Studios .
rounded out the top five, including
Say Games .
Voodoo, AppLovin, and Crazy Labs.
Microsoft .
Supersonic Studios also entered the top 10
Outfit7 Limited .
BabyBus .
for the first time.
Zynga .
Tencent .
Miniclip . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Amazon . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad,
OneSoft . and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021.
Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded.
MX Media .
We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not
InShot .
include third-party stores.
Alibaba Group .
0 100M 200M 300M 400M 500M 600M 700M 800M
Q1 Publishers by Worldwide Downloads 32


iPhone iPad
Top publishers on the App Store were
Google .
mostly from the U.S. and China, with
Tencent .
Facebook .
France-based Voodoo as the only top 10
ByteDance . company not headquartered in those
Alibaba Group . countries. The U.S. had nine publishers in
Microsoft . the top 20 and China had five.
Voodoo .
Zynga .
ByteDance moved up three spots from Q4
AppLovin .
2020 to rank No. 4 in Q1 2021. The rise of
Amazon .
video-editing app CapCut into the top 10 App
Crazy Labs .
Store apps for the quarter helped boost its
NetEase . downloads, along with the No. 1 app, TikTok.
Zoom .
Say Games . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Activision Blizzard . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Adobe . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
apps are excluded. We report unique installs only (one
Playrix .
download per User).
Good Job Games .
Baidu .
0 50M 100M 150M 200M 250M 300M


Facebook passed Google to take the top
Facebook .
spot on Google Play for the first quarter
Google .
AppLovin .
since Q1 2020. Both publishers surpassed
Voodoo . 450 million downloads on the platform for
Crazy Labs . the seventh straight quarter.
Azur Interactive .
Supersonic Studios . A handful of hypercasual game publishers
Say Games .
were among the top 10, including two
BabyBus .
Israel-based publishers, Crazy Labs and
Outfit7 Limited .
Supersonic Studios. Crazy Labs installs
ByteDance .
OneSoft .
climbed 80 million Q/Q, while Supersonic
MX Media . Studios saw downloads grow by 50 million.
Miniclip .
Zynga . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Microsoft . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
InShot . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report
unique installs only (one download per User). Google
Abishkking .
preinstalled apps are excluded. Android download estimates
Telegram .
do not include third-party stores.
Amazon .
0 50M 100M 150M 200M 250M 300M 350M 400M 450M 500M


Google had more than twice as many U.S.
Google .
downloads as any other publisher in Q1
AppLovin .
Voodoo .
2021. It was its seventh straight quarter
Facebook . where it surpassed 100 million installs.
Zynga .
Amazon . Zynga moved into the top five publishers in
Microsoft . the U.S. with its installs up 58 percent
Crazy Labs .
quarter-over-quarter. Zynga saw a boost
from its late 2020 acquisition of Rollic Games.
Say Games .
ByteDance .
Azur Interactive .
Activision Blizzard .
Good Job Games .
AT&T . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad,
PayPal . and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021.
Disney .
Miniclip .
Amanotes .
0 20M 40M 60M 80M 100M 120M
Q1 Publishers by U.S. Downloads 35


iPhone iPad
Google continued its dominance on the
Google .
U.S. App Store with nearly 80 million
Voodoo .
Facebook .
downloads. Voodoo ranked No. 2 with 31
AppLovin . million installs.
Zynga .
Amazon . Zynga and ByteDance were the only top 10
Microsoft . publishers in Q1 2021 that weren’t among
Crazy Labs .
the top 10 in Q4 2020. ByteDance’s
ByteDance .
downloads grew 35 percent Q/Q.
Good Job Games .
Say Games .
Activision Blizzard .
AT&T .
Uber . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
PayPal . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
Alictus .
download per User).
Magic Tavern .
Disney .
0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M


Google was also the top publisher on
Google .
Google Play, though it held a much smaller
AppLovin .
Voodoo .
lead than on the App Store. Google Play
Zynga . accounted for 29 percent of Google’s U.S.
Facebook . downloads in Q1 2021, with the other 71
Amazon . percent coming from the App Store.
Azur Interactive .
Crazy Labs .
AppLovin passed Voodoo to rank as the
Say Games .
No. 2 publisher in Q1 2021 on Google Play.
Microsoft .
The two publishers have been neck-and-neck
OneSoft .
for the last five quarters.
Outfit7 Limited .
Miniclip .
ByteDance . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Activision Blizzard . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Amanotes . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report
Zoom .
PayPal .
Abishkking .
0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M 30M 35M

Overall - Europe
The top four publishers remained the same
Google .
as Q4 2020. The only change among the top
Voodoo .
AppLovin .
five was Crazy Labs and Microsoft flipping as
Facebook . the No. 5 and No. 7 publishers.
Crazy Labs .
Say Games . Publishers from across the globe found
Microsoft . success in Europe in Q1 2021. There were 14
Azur Interactive .
different publisher countries represented
among the top 20, with only the U.S. (six
Zynga .
publishers) and Israel (two publishers) having
Outfit7 Limited .
ByteDance .
more than one of the top 20 publishers.
Amazon .
Yandex .
Abishkking . Note Regarding Download Estimates
OneSoft . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad,
Playrix . and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021.
Miniclip .
Playgendary .
Telegram .
0 20M 40M 60M 80M 100M 120M 140M 160M
Q1 Publishers by European Downloads 38

App Store - Europe

iPhone iPad
Google was the top App Store publisher in
Google .
Europe as well as the United States. Its
Facebook .
Microsoft .
European installs came within 1 million of its
Voodoo . previous high from Q4 2020.
Zynga .
AppLovin . Zoom has been a top 20 publisher in
Amazon . Europe since Q1 2020. It ranked at No. 11
last quarter.
ByteDance .
Crazy Labs .
Zoom .
Say Games .
Yandex .
Telegram .
Activision Blizzard . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Playrix . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Adobe . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
Good Job Games .
download per User).
Miniclip .
Azur Interactive .
0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M


There was competition for the top spot in
Google .
Europe on Google Play, with Google,
AppLovin .
Voodoo .
AppLovin, and Voodoo separated by less
Crazy Labs . than 5 million downloads for the quarter.
Azur Interactive . AppLovin moved up from the No. 5 spot in
Say Games . the previous quarter.
Facebook .
Crazy Labs and Azur Interactive rounded
Outfit7 Limited .
out the top five. Crazy Labs saw growth of
Zynga .
more than 50 percent Q/Q, while Azur
Microsoft .
OneSoft .
Interactive had more modest growth of 9
Abishkking . percent Q/Q.
ByteDance .
Yandex . Note Regarding Download Estimates
BabyBus . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Playrix . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report
Amazon .
Miniclip .
Playgendary .
0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M

Overall - Asia
Facebook was the top publisher in Asia,
Facebook .
regaining the top spot for the first time
Google .
Tencent .
since a year prior. Facebook has been
ByteDance . consistently driven more than 300 million
MX Media . downloads of its apps in Asia each quarter
BabyBus . since Q4 2016.
Voodoo .
Azur Interactive .
Tencent managed to rank at No. 3 despite
Alibaba Group .
being outside of the top 20 on Google Play.
AppLovin .
Nearly 90 percent of its installs in Q1 2021
Outfit7 Limited .
came from the App Store, with about 10
Mohalla Tech . percent coming from Google Play.
Crazy Labs .
Say Games . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Miniclip . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone, iPad,
Reliance Jio . and Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021.
Snap .
Microsoft .
InShot .
0 50M 100M 150M 200M 250M 300M 350M
Q1 Publishers by Asia Downloads 41

App Store - Asia

iPhone iPad
Tencent was the top publisher on the App
Tencent .
Store in Q1 2021 with 162 million
Alibaba Group .
ByteDance .
downloads. Alibaba and ByteDance ranked
Google . No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, with 80 to 90
Facebook . million downloads apiece.
NetEase .
Baidu . More than half of the top 20 iOS publishers
NAVER .
were based in China, including all of the
Microsoft .
top three. China accounted for 56 percent of
Voodoo .
App Store downloads in Asia in Q1 2021,
iQIYI .
AppLovin .
followed by Japan at 13.5 percent and
Kuaishou . Vietnam at 5.5 percent.
Pinduoduo .
Zynga . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Shanghai Shizhuang . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Xingin . iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
Sankuai Technology .
download per User).
Zoom .
Amazon .
0 20M 40M 60M 80M 100M 120M 140M 160M 180M

Google Play - Asia

Facebook and Google were the top two
Facebook .
publishers on Google Play in Asia. Google
Google .
MX Media .
had passed Facebook for two quarters in
BabyBus . 2020, but that was the only time it had more
Azur Interactive . downloads than Facebook since at least
Voodoo . Q1 2014.
Mohalla Tech .
Four India-based publishers were among
Outfit7 Limited .
the top 20 publishers on Google Play.
AppLovin .
India’s ban on certain apps from Chinese
Crazy Labs .
Miniclip .
companies provided an opportunity for
Say Games . domestic publishers to gain market share.
Reliance Jio .
ByteDance . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Snap . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Ver Se Innovation . Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report
InShot .
Telegram .
OneSoft .
0 50M 100M 150M 200M 250M 300M

Top Categories
—
Top Categories by Downloads in Q1 2021
App Store
Q1 2020 Q1 2021
3.0B 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
2.5B games seeing especially high download
-22.4%
totals in China at the start of the pandemic.
2.0B Among the top five categories, only

Utilities and Social Networking saw
positive Y/Y growth. Finance also had 24
1.5B 2.97B percent Y/Y growth to rank just outside the
top five in Q1 2021 as interest in stock
2.31B training and cryptocurrency surged.
1.0B
Note Regarding Download Estimates

-4.8%
+5.9% -7.3% Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
+4.2%
iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
500M
658M 627M 583M 628M 582M download per User).
550M 480M 500M
0
Games Photo & Video Utilities Entertainment Social Networking
Q1 Categories by Worldwide Downloads 45

Google Play
+13.4% Q1 2020 Q1 2021
12B While many top App Store categories saw
downloads decline Y/Y, Google Play
categories performed well in the quarter.
10B Some of this difference is explained by the
download boost seen during COVID-19 hitting
top markets at different times. Google Play
8B did not see most of its growth until Q2 2020.
The top five categories were the same as

6B 11.81B Q4 2020 except for Finance replacing Video
10.42B Players. Finance had the highest Y/Y growth
among the top categories.
4B

Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
+36.0%
Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report
2B +25.2% +22.7% unique installs only (one download per User). Google
+38.7%
2.13B preinstalled apps are excluded. Android download estimates
1.56B 1.53B 1.41B do not include third-party stores. Figures represent aggregate
1.22B 1.15B 1.05B
759M
0 installs of all app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
Game Tools Entertainment Social Finance
Q1 Categories by Worldwide Downloads 46

Top Countries
—
Top Countries by Downloads in Q1 2021
Overall
Egypt was the only country to enter the
India . top 10 in Q1 2021, making the top 10 for
the first time since Q2 2020. The rest of the
U.S. .
order among the top countries was
unchanged from Q4 2020.
Brazil .
Indonesia .
The Philippines had the highest Y/Y growth
in Q1 2020 at 32 percent, followed by India
Russia . at 31 percent and Indonesia at 24 percent.
The U.S., Russia, and Vietnam were the only
Mexico . markets that saw downloads fall Y/Y.
Turkey .

Philippines .
Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
Vietnam . apps are excluded. We report unique installs only (one
download per User).
Egypt .
As Google Play is not available in China, we have
0 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B excluded the country from this chart.
Q1 Countries by Downloads 48
App Store
Q1 2020 Q1 2021
3.0B Downloads surged at the start of the
pandemic in 2020 as consumers turned to
mobile devices to adapt to their changing
2.5B lifestyles. Installs fell year-over-year as a
result across top markets.
-3.3%
2.0B -28.1%
China experienced the biggest boost in Q1
2020 due to COVID-19 affecting the country
1.5B
earlier on in the year, and it saw the largest
Y/Y drop as a result. The U.S. also saw
2.61B
downloads decline Y/Y, though they were still
1.0B
2.10B 2.03B up 17 percent compared to Q1 2019.
1.88B

-0.2% Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
500M
-0.7%
-3.5% iPhone and iPad for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. Apple
449M 448M apps are excluded. We report unique installs only (one
344M 341M 285M 275M
download per User).
0
U.S. China Japan U.K. Russia
Google Play
Q1 2020 Q1 2021
7B +32.0% The download spike from COVID-19 started
on Google Play in Q1 2020 before
accelerating Q2. Downloads have remained
6B
high since, and the three largest markets saw
double-digit growth Y/Y in Q1 2021.
5B
The U.S. and Russia both saw downloads

4B fall slightly Y/Y. Growth in each market has
stalled in recent quarters, though both
6.72B
managed to have positive growth compared
3B
+10.9% to 2019.
5.09B
2B +25.2%
-0.8%
-0.9% Note Regarding Download Estimates
2.59B
2.33B Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
1B 1.80B Google Play for Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021. We report
1.44B 1.46B 1.44B 1.27B 1.26B unique installs only (one download per User). Google
0
do not include third-party stores. Figures represent aggregate
installs of all app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
India Brazil Indonesia U.S. Russia
Stories of the Quarter
—
Key Trends in Mobile
Stories of the Quarter:

Introduction
1. Investing and Crypto Apps Take Off access to Store Intelligence insights
Increased attention for stock trading apps plus skyrocketing
cryptocurrency prices created record demand for finance apps.
build this report? See the fastest
growing apps and publishers by
2. Launch of Crash Bandicoot: On the Run
downloads or revenue.
King’s latest game launch saw huge success in its first few weeks
and compared favorably to other King releases.
REQUEST DEMO
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.
Stories of the Quarter 52


1. Investing and Crypto Apps Take Off
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 access to Store Intelligence insights
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 growing apps and publishers by
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 REQUEST DEMO
from mobile banking and payment apps each month in Q1 2021.
Investing and Crypto Apps 53

Finance Download Growth

U.S. Europe
200M 250M With substantial interest in stock trading
and the rising prices of Bitcoin in Q1,
+34%
Finance category apps built on a
+34% pandemic-driven download boost.
200M
150M
U.S. and European Finance category installs
grew 34 percent Y/Y to reach new highs.
+23%
+24%
150M
+13%
U.S. finance app installs usually peak in
+10% the first quarter with the influx of demand
100M
for tax apps. Installs were boosted further
100M
this year by demand for apps such as
Robinhood and Coinbase.
50M Note Regarding Download Estimates

50M 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.
0 0
Q2 18
Q3 18
Q4 18
Q1 18
Q2 19
Q3 19
Q4 19
Q1 19
Q2 20
Q3 20
Q4 20
Q1 20
21
Q2 18
Q3 18
Q4 18
Q1 18
Q2 19
Q3 19
Q4 19
Q1 19
Q2 20
Q3 20
Q4 20
Q1 20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Q1
Q1
Quarterly Download Growth by Region 54

U.S. Finance Apps by Growth

Investing / Cryptocurrency Other Seven of the top 10 U.S. finance apps by Q/
Robinhood
Robinhood 5.2M +221% Q/Q
Q download growth were investing or
Robinhood
cryptocurrency apps. The only other apps
Turbo Tax
Turbo Tax
Intuit
3.8M +829% Q/Q among the top five were tax related apps,
IRS2Go which see installs surge in the first quarter
IRS2Go 3.8M +729% Q/Q
Internal Revenue Service each year with the coming tax season.
Coinbase
Coinbase 3.5M +290% Q/Q
Coinbase
Cryptocurrency apps performed
Webull
Webull
Webull 2.4M +323% Q/Q particularly well, with Crypto.com and Pi
Crypto.com Network seeing Q/Q growth of more than
Crypto.com 2.1M +574% Q/Q
Crypto.com 500 percent. Other investing / crypto apps
Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Investments 1.3M +248% Q/Q saw at least 200 percent Q/Q growth.
Fidelity Investments
Pi Network
Pi Network 1.2M +592% Q/Q Note Regarding Download Estimates
SocialChain
Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
Google Pay
Google Pay 1.2M +26% Q/Q iPad, and Google Play for Oct. 1, 2020 through Mar. 31,
Google
TD Ameritrade
TD Ameritrade 1.1M +254% Q/Q excluded. We report unique installs only. Android
TD Ameritrade
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M
U.S. Q/Q Download Growth 55

U.S. Finance Subcategories

Payment Mobile Banking Investing / Cryptocurrency
14M Downloads for the top investing / crypto
apps surged 3.3x in January 2021
versusDecember 2020 to nearly reach the
12M
level of payment apps. Installs decreased in
February and March but were still well above
10M Payment
the late-2020 totals.
It’s also worth noting that the investment

8M
and cryptocurrency market on mobile
remains competitive. Many apps outside of
6M the top five included here saw significant
growth in Q1 2021.
4M Mobile Banking
Investing / Crypto
2M 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.
0
20
20
20
20
21
1
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U.S. Downloads for Top 5 Apps 56

Europe Finance Apps by Growth

Investing / Cryptocurrency Other In Europe, eight of the top 10 finance apps
Binance
Binance 5.8M +765% Q/Q
by Q/Q growth were investment and
Binance
cryptocurrency apps. The top five apps all
Pi Network
Pi Network
SocialChain
4.5M +436% Q/Q focused on cryptocurrency and had at least
Crypto.com 250 percent Q/Q growth in Q1 2021.
Cypto.com 2.0M +309% Q/Q
Crypto.com
Coinbase
Coinbase 1.7M +258% Q/Q
Revolut, a popular neobank in Europe, was
Coinbase
one of the two non-asset management
Paribu
Paribu
Paribu 1.7M +433% Q/Q apps among the top 10. However, Revolut
BtcTurk does have crypto and stock trading, perhaps
BtcTurk 1.5M +282% Q/Q
BtcTurk explaining the boost it saw this quarter.
Investing.com
Investing.com 926K +74% Q/Q
Investing.com
Papara
Papara 861K +91% Q/Q Note Regarding Download Estimates
Papara
eToro
eToro 826K +137% Q/Q iPad, and Google Play for Oct. 1, 2020 through Mar. 31,
eToro
Revolut
Revolut 671K +60% Q/Q excluded. We report unique installs only. Android
Revolut
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M
Europe Q/Q Download Growth 57

Europe Finance Subcategories

Payment Mobile Banking Investing / Cryptocurrency
8M Investing and cryptocurrency app installs
surged past those from top payment and
7M mobile banking apps in Europe. Unlike the
U.S., downloads for investing and crypto
Investing / Crypto
apps grew even higher in February.
6M
Demand remained high through the end of

5M
the quarter. The top five apps combined for
Payment
more than 6.2 million downloads in Europe in
4M Mobile Banking
March 2021, up from around 2 million
downloads in December 2020.
3M
2M Note Regarding Download Estimates

iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2020 through Mar. 31, 2021.
1M
Cohort includes the top five apps in each subcategory by
Europe downloads in the study period.
0
20
20
20
20
21
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-2
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Europe Downloads for Top 5 Apps 58


2. Launch of Crash Bandicoot: On the Run
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 access to Store Intelligence insights
March 2021—and it was an immediate success. It’s off to one of the best starts for any King and the highly accurate data used to
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 growing apps and publishers by
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, REQUEST DEMO
making it King’s most successful launch by downloads since 2016.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run 59

Top New Games in the U.S. for Q1

Arcade Hypercasual Simulation Crash Bandicoot: On the Run was the top
Crash Bandicoot: OTR
Crash Bandicoot 6.9M
new game launched in Q1 2021 in the U.S.
Activision Blizzard
with nearly seven million installs. It is all
Jelly Dye
Jelly Dye
Good Job Games
3.7M the more impressive considering that it
Deep Clean Inc. 3D launched in late March, while most of the
Deep Clean Inc. 3D 3.6M
Alictus other top games launched early in Q1.
Girl Genius
Girl Genius! 3.5M
AppLovin
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run was also one
Pencil Rush 3D
Pencil Rush 3D
Gismart
1.9M of the rare non-hypercasual games to
Real Drive 3D achieve such a high install total. Out of the
Real Drive 3D 1.6M
Coda Platform top 10 new games in Q1 2021, eight were
Pixel Assassin
Impostor vs Craftsman 1.5M hypercasual games.
OneSoft
Dodge Master
Dodge Master! 1.3M Note Regarding Download Estimates
Zynga
Fail Run
Fail Run 1.2M iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2021 through Mar. 31,
Voodoo
2021. New games are defined as games that did not
Z Escape
Z Escape 1.2M have any U.S. installs prior to 2021.
Homa Games
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M
U.S. Downloads in Q1 2021 60

U.S. Platformer/Runner Games

Downloads Revenue
Even with its launch late in the quarter, Crash
Crash Bandicoot:
6.9M Subway Surfers $1.7M
Bandicoot: On the Run was among the top
On the Run
10 Platformer/Runner games in the U.S. in
Cookie Run:
Subway Surfers 4.0M
Ovenbreak
$1.5M Q1 2021 by both revenue and downloads. It
was the top game by U.S. downloads and
Geometry Dash 1.9M Fun Run 3 $860K
ranked No. 9 by revenue.
Tomb of the Mask 1.4M Super Mario Run $670K
Subway Surfers has been the consistent
Super Mario Run 1.2M Geometry Dash $420K leader of the Platformer/Runner game
genre and represents how high the ceiling
Temple Run 1.2M Sonic Forces $410K
is for these games, with at least 3.6 million
Sonic Dash 1.2M Rodeo Stampede $400K U.S. installs each quarter since at least 2014.
Temple Run 2 1.1M Tomb of the Mask $350K Note Regarding Download and Revenue Estimates
Our estimates include worldwide downloads and revenue
Talking Tom Crash Bandicoot:
1.0M $330K $330K for iPhone, iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2021 through
Hero Dash On the Run
Mar. 31, 2021. Revenue figures are gross revenue (including
Minion Rush 851K850K Tag with Ryan $280K$280K the cut taken by Apple or Google).
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M $0 $500K $1.0M $1.5M $2.0M
Q1 2021 Downloads and Revenue 61

Activision Blizzard Downloads

225M With the help of Crash Bandicoot: On the
Crash Bandicoot: On The Run
Call of Duty: Mobile Run, Activision Blizzard’s downloads
200M Other surpassed 115 million for just the third
time since 2017. It was the publisher’s best
175M quarter by downloads since it launched Call
of Duty: Mobile in late 2019.
150M
172M
Activision Blizzard’s installs had fallen
125M
each quarter since the launch of Call of
24M Duty: Mobile. However, Crash Bandicoot: On
30M
100M
36M the Run helped propel downloads back
24M 26M above the Q1 2020 total in Q1 2021.
75M 0M
31M
7M
115M
50M 98M
89M
83M 87M 83M
90M 88M Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
82M 82M
76M
68M 66M 67M iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2017 through Mar. 31,
59M
25M 53M 2021. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are
44M
0
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Q1
Q2
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Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
62
Quarterly Worldwide Downloads 62
King’s Recent Launches Compared

$1.5M Crash Bandicoot: On the Run’s first week
compares favorably to many of King’s best
Candy Crush Jelly Saga
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.
$1.0M
First Week Consumer Spending
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run was also

No. 2 by first week consumer spend at
Crash Bandicoot: nearly $700K. This compares well to the first
Bubble Witch On The Run
3 Saga Candy Crush week revenue for many of King’s top Puzzle
Friends Saga
Knighthood
Farm Heroes
genre games.
$500K
Super 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
Diamond Diaries
Saga
the cut taken by Apple or Google).
$0
0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M
First Week Downloads
Worldwide Downloads and Revenue 63


3. Consumers Turn to Secure Messaging
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 access to Store Intelligence insights
time, and Signal had a huge quarter with more than 60 million installs. and the highly accurate data used to
● Telegram passed long-standing top messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and build this report? See the fastest
Snapchat in by worldwide downloads in Q1 2021. Signal ranked No. 5 in the quarter. growing apps and publishers by
● 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., REQUEST DEMO
Europe, or Asia.
Secure Messaging Apps 64

Top Messenger Apps

Telegram passed WhatsApp, Messenger,
2019 2020 Q1 2021
and Snapchat to take the top spot in Q1
2021. Its downloads grew 48 percent quarter-
WhatsApp WhatsApp Telegram over-quarter to nearly 135 million.
1 Facebook 1 Facebook
- 1 Telegram
+3
Signal surged to take the No. 5 spot with

Messenger Messenger WhatsApp more than 60 million downloads in the
2 Facebook
2 Facebook
- 2 -1
Facebook
quarter. That was more than double
WeChat’s total.
3 Snapchat 3 Snapchat - 3 Messenger -1

Snap Snap Facebook
4 Telegram 4 Telegram - 4 Snapchat -1

Telegram Telegram Snap Note Regarding Download Estimates
5 Viber Messenger 5 WeChat NEW 5 Signal NEW

Rakuten Tencent Signal excluded. We report unique installs only. Android
Top Apps by Worldwide Downloads 65

Messenger App Downloads

Telegram WhatsApp Messenger Snapchat Signal WeChat Viber Messenger
300M Prior to 2020, WhatsApp and Messenger
had dominated the messaging app market,
with Snapchat as the clear No. 3. That had
250M changed by 2021, with the top four hovering
between 100 and 135 million installs.
200M While Telegram downloads spiked in Q1

2021, it had seen steady strong growth
even in earlier quarters. Signal emerged
150M Telegram
after having never reached 4 million
WhatsApp
downloads in a previous quarter.
Messenger
100M
Snapchat
Signal Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
50M iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2017 through Mar. 31,
WeChat 2021. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are
Viber Messenger estimates do not include third-party stores.
0
17
17
17
17
18
18
18
18
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
21
20
20
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20
20
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20
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20
20
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Quarterly Worldwide Downloads 66
Messenger App Market Share

India Indonesia Brazil U.S. Russia Other
While India was the top market for each
messaging app, the apps’ popularity
Telegram varied substantially by market. Snapchat
saw more than 50 percent of its installs come
India Indonesia Brazil U.S. Mexico Other from India, while Messenger’s top five
markets combined for only 42 percent of its
WhatsApp
total downloads.
India U.S. Brazil Vietnam Indonesia Other

Some European countries ranked among
Messenger the top five for Telegram or Signal. Russia
was the No. 5 market for Telegram in Q1,
India U.S. Pakistan Mexico Egypt Other while Germany and France ranked for Signal.
Snapchat
India U.S. Brazil Germany France Other iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2017 through Mar. 31,
Signal excluded. We report unique installs only. Android
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Q1 2021 Worldwide Downloads 67

Market Share by Region

Among the top five apps worldwide, no
U.S. Europe Asia
messaging app was able to surpass 30
percent market share in any region. This
Messenger Telegram Snapchat indicates how competitive the space is even
1 Facebook
29% 1 Telegram
29% 1 Snap
26%
within regions.
Telegram WhatsApp Telegram A different app held the No. 1 spot in the
2 Telegram
20% 2 Facebook
26% 2 23%
Telegram
U.S., Europe, and Asia. Telegram and
WhatsApp had at least 20 percent of the
WhatsApp Messenger WhatsApp market in all three regions, while Snapchat
3 20% 3 17% 3 21%
Facebook Facebook Facebook was especially popular in Asia (largely driven
by India).
4 Snapchat 18% 4 Signal 16% 4 Messenger 19%

Snap Signal Facebook Note Regarding Download Estimates
5 Signal 13% 5 Snapchat 12% 5 Signal 11%

Signal Snap Signal 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.
Q1 2021 Download Share 68

Sensor Tower
Solutions
Store App Ad Usage App Consumer

Intelligence Intelligence Intelligence Intelligence Teardown Intelligence
Make strategic Drive organic growth Develop winning Benchmark app Evaluate which SDKs Access unfiltered
decisions with the with the leading App User acquisition usage, engagement, apps are using and mobile user
industry’s most Store Optimization campaigns with and demographics. measure SDK engagement for
accurate estimates. platform. crucial mobile adoption across financial analysis.
advertising insights. market segments.
69
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contained in this report, please email
[email protected] for further
This report and all original content contained within information.
are wholly owned by Sensor Tower, Inc. © 2021.

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71
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Q1 2021:

About This Data:

36.7 Billion 8.4 Billion 28.2 Billion

Q1 Apps by Worldwide Downloads 6

App Store - Worldwide

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

Q1 Apps by Worldwide Downloads 7

Google Play - Worldwide

Q1 Apps by Worldwide Downloads 8

Overall - United States

Q1 Apps by U.S. Downloads 9

App Store - United States

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

Q1 Apps by U.S. Downloads 10

Google Play - United States

Q1 Apps by U.S. Downloads 11

Q1 Apps by European Downloads 12

App Store - Europe

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

Q1 Apps by European Downloads 13

Google Play - Europe

Q1 Apps by European Downloads 14

Q1 Apps by Asia Downloads 15

App Store - Asia

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

Q1 Apps by Asia Downloads 16

Google Play - Asia

Q1 Apps by Asia Downloads 17

Q1 Games by Worldwide Downloads 19

App Store - Worldwide

0 5M 10M 15M 20M 25M

Q1 Games by Worldwide Downloads 20

Google Play - Worldwide

Q1 Games by Worldwide Downloads 21

Overall - United States

Q1 Games by U.S. Downloads 22

App Store - United States

Q1 Games by U.S. Downloads 23

Google Play - United States

Q1 Games by U.S. Downloads 24

Q1 Games by European Downloads 25

App Store - Europe

Q1 Games by European Downloads 26

Google Play - Europe

Q1 Games by European Downloads 27

Q1 Games by Asia Downloads 28

App Store - Asia

Q1 Games by Asia Downloads 29

Google Play - Asia

Q1 Games by Asia Downloads 30

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

Q1 Publishers by Worldwide Downloads 32

App Store - Worldwide

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

Q1 Publishers by Worldwide Downloads 33

Google Play - Worldwide

Q1 Publishers by Worldwide Downloads 34

Overall - United States

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