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Facebook Owns Four Out of the Five Most Downloaded Apps Worldwide (thenextweb.com)

Posted by msmash on from the global-domination dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: Facebook continues to storm the numbers as the company has claimed four out of the five spots for the most downloaded apps across the globe during the last quarter. Interestingly, Netflix still lords over everyone as far as revenue goes. New research by app analytics firm Sensor Tower reveals that WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Snapchat were the most downloaded apps for the first three months of this year. While the numbers differed across the App Store and Google Play, one thing both platforms shared is that Facebook owned four out of the top five spots for the most downloaded apps worldwide. While Messenger topped the App Store download charts, Facebook headed the race on Google Play.

54 comments

  1. To quote Kevin Bloody Wilson by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 1

    DILIGAF

    --

    Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

    1. Re:To quote Kevin Bloody Wilson by OutOnARock · · Score: 1

      DILLIGAF

      Do
      I
      Look
      Like
      I
      Give
      A
      Fuck


      FTFY

    2. Re:To quote Kevin Bloody Wilson by ProudParanoid · · Score: 1

      Indeed.

      Apparently, people with cell phones like downloading applications that allow them to send messages to each other.

      Oh, and photos.

      Profound stuff, man, profound stuff.

  2. Uh oh, this could be a Berlusconi by TimothyHollins · · Score: 3, Informative

    This seems like the kind of problem that could potentially give a certain Zucker the power to decide who wins what election and so forth.

    If the government should not have the power to censor or direct the flow of information, shouldn't a similar rule be applied to corporations with equal or greater (non-military) power?

    I have always assumed the censorship law reflected the balance of power at the time (i.e. there was no other entity that came close to matching the civil power of the government, hence the government had to be "kind" to other opinions), and had Facebook or social media been around then, similar clauses would have been made for them.

    1. Re:Uh oh, this could be a Berlusconi by pr0fessor · · Score: 2

      Actually the most downloaded is a booby prize the real winner is the most pre-installed...

    2. Re:Uh oh, this could be a Berlusconi by fisted · · Score: 1

      came here to say this.

      --
      CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
    3. Re:Uh oh, this could be a Berlusconi by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

      This seems like the kind of problem that could potentially give a certain Zucker the power to decide who wins what election and so forth.

      Being that we live in a time of Hollywood remakes now, it's just about time for . . . wait for it . . .

      . . . "Citizen Zucker" . . . !

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    4. Re: Uh oh, this could be a Berlusconi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      facebook is preinstalled quite a bit too.

    5. Re: Uh oh, this could be a Berlusconi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and its going to be be a zinger *drum roll*

    6. Re:Uh oh, this could be a Berlusconi by thunderclees · · Score: 1

      Funny that, Pop media had suggested along with rumblings in the tech blogs that Zuckerface was considering a run for office. Why not, he's rich and he has the backing of the alphabet mafia since Fazebook has filled their board with ex 3 letter folks.

    7. Re:Uh oh, this could be a Berlusconi by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      Zuckerberg simply looked at Trump and said "He's rich, evil, and a stupid fuck, and he won the presidency! I'm rich, evil and not a stupid fuck! I'd be a shoe-in!"

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    8. Re:Uh oh, this could be a Berlusconi by guises · · Score: 1

      I have always assumed the censorship law reflected the balance of power at the time

      It kind of does, sometimes, this was the idea behind the Fairness Doctrine. Before that though, there were few limits on what the media could say and there's been at least one American war fought essentially purely for the sake of selling newspapers (the Spanish American War).

      I think you were going somewhere else with that comment, but I don't see it. The Fairness Doctrine is the only thing I can think of which fits that description.

    9. Re:Uh oh, this could be a Berlusconi by thunderclees · · Score: 1

      Zuckerberg is better than smart, he is extremely lucky (and evil).
      Fakebook was stolen property, but he got rich enough and in bed with government enough to survive that.

  3. No, Minecraft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Top of the charts for like 24 months running. Well, maybe not on the google store or whatevs the poor people use

    1. Re:No, Minecraft by unrtst · · Score: 1

      So wrong.

      Minecraft: 5839 downloads in past 24hr (https://minecraft.net/en-us/stats/)

      Facebook Messenger: averaged 348000 downloads per day in September 2016 (https://medium.com/@sm_app_intel/13-eye-popping-app-download-statistics-42f176356637)

      I'm sure minecrafts numbers are larger overall, since there are other platforms not counted in that figure (it's just PC/Mac, but parent *did* state, "maybe not on the google store or whatevs the poor people use", so I don't feel bad about using that stat). I'm also guessing minecraft has far more downloads per day when they push out an update. Regardless, there's still a few orders of magnitude to make up.

    2. Re:No, Minecraft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      im sorry but why does minecraft the top of the app store when i open it!

    3. Re: No, Minecraft by link-error · · Score: 1

      Isn't this around the time they disabled messaging in the mobile browser? Forcing all users to download thier new spyware?

      --
      -Unresolved symbol? Byte me!
  4. Monopoly really by parallel_prankster · · Score: 3, Informative

    FB and messenger are pretty much one and the same. The other two are companies that Facebook bought to continue its dominance. If this does not show monopolization due to corp then I dont know what does!

    1. Re:Monopoly really by TheCastro1689 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You have to have messenger to send and read messages on a phone. It's annoying as hell. I deleted my Facebook app though, so much more battery life.

    2. Re:Monopoly really by unrtst · · Score: 2

      THIS. This is all I was planning on saying, more or less.
      You can't even view facebook messages on a phone via the browser. I'm pretty sure I would have installed the app if I wasn't so stubbornly opposed to forcing stuff on people.

      I don't think it's a monopoly practice (as the GP stated). Separating messenger off to its own app is actually a good design, and we should probably give them credit for that. However, comparing its download stats to other stand alone apps is disingenuous, and forcing it on people viewing the website via a browser is, IMO, a dick move.

    3. Re:Monopoly really by bondsbw · · Score: 1

      Even if it were a monopoly, I wouldn't say it's necessarily the worst kind of a monopoly (yet). Messenger is free and cross-platform. It is quite feature rich and most people I know already have access to it. And it has helped to replace SMS and its per-message charges for most of my phone text conversations.

      I still personally prefer open software with encrypted communications though.

      --
      All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
    4. Re:Monopoly really by hackel · · Score: 2

      Messenger Lite is your friend. I would never install the full-blown, privacy-invading Messenger.

      http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/f...

    5. Re: Monopoly really by link-error · · Score: 1

      You can switch to desktop mode on your phone and the messages will work again.

      --
      -Unresolved symbol? Byte me!
    6. Re:Monopoly really by Marillion · · Score: 2

      The number is artificially high. Two are from acquisitions (instagram and whatsapp) and one is because they split one app into two separate apps (Facebook and Facebook Messenger)

      --
      This is a boring sig
    7. Re:Monopoly really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i try and tell friends this all the time. Facebook is killing your battery. They respond with sure what ever you say.

    8. Re:Monopoly really by Radical+Moderate · · Score: 1

      +1 on Messenger being annoying as hell. Can't be said enough.

      --
      Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.
    9. Re:Monopoly really by Kkloe · · Score: 1

      yes you can actually, you either tell the browser to use desktop mode or use mbasic.facebook.com

  5. At least check the effin' links by Opportunist · · Score: 1, Funny

    I know, nobody on /. RTFA, most don't even RTFS, but once in a blue moon someone might, and then it would be REALLY awesome if the links didn't just point back at the summary...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:At least check the effin' links by msmash · · Score: 1

      Fixed, thanks.

  6. Of course they did! by Type44Q · · Score: 1

    Of course they did.

    1. Re:Of course they did! by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      According to Sturgeon's Law, half of one of those apps should not be crap. From the list, I can't figure out which one...

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  7. One out of the four... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

    I use Instagram to keep up with the hotties on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and other TV series I watch on Hulu.

    1. Re:One out of the four... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i know her name is bennett but did you know the one is chinese
      totally threw me for a loop man
      i bet the henstridge one is like a slav or something too even with her name being henstrige
      also does the one who had the nails have an insta
      the one whos mutant power was having little can openers grafted onto her finger tips and she was so dangerous they had to put her in the mutant pokie
      on the count of her fingernails

    2. Re:One out of the four... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      i know her name is bennett but did you know the one is chinese

      I've met Chloe Bennet last year at the Heroes & Villains Fan Fest last. She's very cool young woman.

      https://blog.cdreimer.com/2016/09/04/attending-the-heroes-villains-fan-fest-2016/

    3. Re:One out of the four... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yes but chinese!
      is it her madein name or something

    4. Re:One out of the four... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      is it her madein name or something

      Bennet is her father's first name. Wang is the family name. When she worked under Wang, she got cast for Chinese roles. When she worked under Bennet, she got better roles.

    5. Re:One out of the four... by hackel · · Score: 1

      That is incredibly sad and disturbing. "Liberal Hollywood" my ass!

    6. Re:One out of the four... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      That is incredibly sad and disturbing. "Liberal Hollywood" my ass!

      Just the typical Hollywood whitewashing. See the recent Ghost In The Shell movie, where Scarlett Johansson got cast for a Japanese woman and then Asianized with CGI. On the flipside, the one Japanese actor they had spoke only Japanese while everyone else spoke English. Go figure...

    7. Re:One out of the four... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is incredibly sad and disturbing. "Liberal Hollywood" my ass!

      Just the typical Hollywood whitewashing. See the recent Ghost In The Shell movie, where Scarlett Johansson got cast for a Japanese woman and then Asianized with CGI. On the flipside, the one Japanese actor they had spoke only Japanese while everyone else spoke English. Go figure...

      Yeah, it's totally inappropriate for somone who needs to be enhanced with technology to play the role of a full-body cyborg.

  8. They're trying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Note the calls to control "fake news".

    Who decides what's "fake news"? The same people who say no black-on-white violence is racist but whites are inherently racist just for being white?

  9. Just say No to Facebook etc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    and get your life back again.

    Facebook wants you to become addicted to their apps. They want your life and for you to be totally dependant upon them for your instantaneous fix of gratification that they dish out like any drug dealer. Don't get addicted. Say No.

  10. Netflix revenue is irrelevant by omnichad · · Score: 1

    Netflix still lords over everyone as far as revenue goes.

    Yeah, paying massive license fees to media companies all over the world will require you to do that. It doesn't mean it's particularly impressive or profitable - most of it is not their money.

    Contrast that to Facebook, their costs are mostly internal. While not all their revenue is profit either, a much larger portion is spread around their own operation.

  11. In Soviet Russia... by DogDude · · Score: 0

    ... the apps own you!

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
  12. I haven't seen any of those apps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Any chance the popularity is because they're preinstalled on some phones?

  13. We should finally replace Facebook. by Qbertino · · Score: 1

    I always have been of the opinion that Facebook is only so successful, because all other Services and protocols are so bad. Usenet and E-Mail ancient don't fit in todays Messaging needs. I would argue that even fidonet was a better solution for that.

    conclusion: We, the FOSS and Internet community finally need to come up with a distributed Service and protocol that does what Facebook does and get rid of this proprietary data-hog abomination. And we need to build reference Implementations for all Major Plattforms that work and are usable für normal people.

    my 2 cents (sorry, German Spelling due to Swipe)

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
    1. Re:We should finally replace Facebook. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      WebRTC?
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebRTC

    2. Re:We should finally replace Facebook. by hackel · · Score: 1

      "We" have done this. Over and over and over. XMPP, Diaspora, GNU social, etc. etc. The fact is, apps these days are all about marketing. Getting the plebs to use anything that isn't advertised and made to seem trendy and popular will never happen. The only hope we have is getting these larger corporations on board with standards-compliance, and sadly that seems to have disappeared as well.

      Usenet and e-mail may have been lacking in certain regards, but they at least adhered to an interoperable standard that allowed people to use whichever client they want. This advantage cannot be underestimated.

  14. Awesone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    New research by app analytics firm Sensor Tower reveals that WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Snapchat were the most downloaded apps for the first three months of this year.

    And I have exactly zero of these apps on my devices. I do have Netflix however...

    1. Re:Awesone by Z00L00K · · Score: 2

      I don't even have Netflix and neither any of the listed apps.

      Good to get a list of apps to not install though.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
  15. Not possible. by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    I have it on good authority from /. posters that no one uses 3 of those 5 apps.

  16. what by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    is facebook?

    is it some kind of e-business card.

  17. Yay me! by hackel · · Score: 1

    I don't have any of them installed! I must be awesome. Or something. I do have Messenger Lite installed, though, just because so many people insist on using it to communicate. It's very frustrating. I wish Facebook would find a way to add RCS compatibility for Messenger and WhatsApp. Standards are a good thing. *sigh*

  18. 10 Ten Lists by mcolgin · · Score: 1

    Welcome to the "Top 10" list, where only giant, billion dollar companies roam.

    --
    I made this: http://www.bpftpserver.com
  19. Such. Bad. Software. by blibbo · · Score: 1

    If I ever find myself with too many apps on my phone, the fastest, least disruptive and most effective way to save space is to delete Facebook and Facebook messenger. Large apps with large cache, no substantial improvement over website.

    So many large updates, but if you check the Google play store, the perennial "what's new" blurb is simply "improvements for reliability and speed".

    If you're a top engineer with no respect for for your customers go work there. Facebook, how do you sleep?