Leading Android apps worldwide 2023, by downloads

In June 2023, Instagram was the most-downloaded app in the Google Play Store worldwide, generating almost 70 million downloads from Android users. Facebook was the second-most popular app with approximately 38.5 million downloads from global users.

The Google Play Store ecosystem

Launched in March 2016, the Google Play Store is the major app distributor for global Android users, as well as one of the most important mobile app stores in the industry. As of the first quarter of 2022, over 3.29 million mobile apps were available on the Google Play Store, after hitting the record number of 4.67 million apps available to users during the previous quarter. Android users browsing the Google Play Store can find any type of mobile app, from dating to mobile productivity, with gaming apps being the most popular app category on the platform. Maintenance of apps hosted in the Google Play Store helps improve the overall quality of content proposed to users. On average, the first apps appearing to users on the platform’s results page were updated in the previous 60 days.

Built for success: app optimization in the Google Play Store

Being featured in the first positions on mobile app stores results page is key to the success of an application, as it improves impressions and increases the chances of downloads. User satisfaction and good experiences are, as always, the top variables to determine apps’ popularity. As of February 2022, the average rating of mobile apps figuring in the first 10 positions on the Google Play Store was almost four stars, with reviews ranging from 3.90 to 3.98 stars. When it came to SEO optimization, it was found that mobile apps spotting category-specific target keywords in the titles ranked higher than those who did not. Additionally, app icons in the Google Play Store presented industry-specific colors for different categories, like black for gaming apps and red for food and drink apps. Highly recognizable app category colors might not only help users in their app search endeavors, but also increase brand awareness.