Sensor Tower Q2 2021 Data Digest
Sensor Tower Q2 2021 Data Digest
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 35.9B in 2Q21, TikTok was the top app by global downloads in Q2
a 4.8% year-over-year decrease from the 2021, the fifth time in the past six quarters since
unusually high total of 37.7B in 2Q20 driven by the beginning of 2020. It reached 200 million
COVID-19. App Store downloads fell 13.3% to 7.9B, quarterly installs for the first time since it was
while Google Play downloads dropped 2.1% to 28B. removed from India’s app stores in Q2 2020.
Consumer spending in Niantic’s Pokémon GO The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S.
reached $5 billion in the five years since its July helped the demand for gig work apps return
2016 launch. It became just the eighth mobile game towards pre-pandemic levels. Uber provided
ever to reach $5 billion in gross revenue since the incentives for drivers to address diverging adoption
beginning of 2014.
rates between its driver and consumer apps.
2
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Store Intelligence 3
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Market Overview:
35.9 Billion
7.9 Billion
28.0 Billion
App Store + Google Play Downloads App Store Downloads Google Play Downloads
4
Top Apps
—
Top Apps by Downloads in Q2 2021
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Overall - Worldwide
App Store Google Play
TikTok from ByteDance was the top app by
TikTok .
global downloads in Q2 2021. It has held the
Facebook .
No. 1 spot in five out of the past six quarters, and
Instagram .
surpassed 200 million downloads for the first
WhatsApp .
Messenger .
time since it was removed from the app store in
Zoom . India in 2Q20.
Snapchat .
Telegram . Facebook-published apps rounded out the
CapCut . rest of the top five apps. Zoom also had a
Google Meet . strong quarter at No. 6, and it has ranked among
WhatsApp Business . the top 10 apps each quarter since the start of
PicsArt . the pandemic in early 2020.
YouTube .
Twitter .
Spotify . Note Regarding Download Estimates
WhatsApp .
Facebook .
CapCut . Google Maps had its best quarter on the App
Zoom . Store since before the pandemic as travel
Google Maps . started to return in Q2 2021. It reached 25
Messenger . million downloads in a quarter for just the
Gmail . second time ever.
Google Chrome .
WeChat .
Telegram .
Google .
Netflix . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Spotify .
Telegram .
Google Meet . Photo and video editors also had a strong
WhatsApp Business . quarter on Google Play. Some top apps
CapCut . included CapCut, PicsArt, and InShot.
Josh .
PicsArt .
Kuaishou .
InShot . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Zoom .
Cash App . The high demand for cryptocurrency helped
Netflix . Coinbase rank among the top 20 apps in the
WhatsApp . U.S. for the first time in Q2 2021 with 6.2
Snapchat . million downloads.
Amazon .
Disney+ .
SHEIN .
Robinhood . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Facebook .
Messenger .
Instagram . Despite more businesses reopening in the
Gmail . U.S. as COVID-19 vaccines became available,
Google Maps . Zoom still managed to return the top 10 apps
Netflix . on the App Store. Zoom had ranked No. 3 in Q1
Zoom . 2021 and No. 1 in each of the three quarters
Amazon . before that.
Cash App .
Snapchat .
Disney+ .
WhatsApp . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Hulu .
Messenger .
HBO Max .
Google Pay .
Finance apps built on the gains in Q1 2021
Zoom . when the category had four of the top 20
Crypto.com . apps. Crypto.com had more than half of its all-
Cash App . time downloads in Q2 2021, and only
WhatsApp . PictureThis had more quarter-over-quarter
Instagram . growth among non-game apps.
Tubi .
Snapchat .
PictureThis .
Disney+ .
PayPal . Note Regarding Download Estimates
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M
Overall - Europe
App Store Google Play
TikTok was the top app by adoption in Europe
TikTok .
for the fourth consecutive quarter. Besides
WhatsApp .
TikTok, Zoom was the last app to rank No. 1 in
Instagram .
Q2 2020.
Telegram .
Facebook .
SHEIN . SHEIN, a top online shopping app focusing on
Zoom . women’s clothing, had its best quarter in
Messenger . Europe yet with 13.8 million downloads.
Spotify . Europe accounted for nearly a third of SHEIN’s
CapCut . downloads in Q2 2021.
Pinterest .
Snapchat .
Microsoft Teams .
McDonald's .
YouTube . Note Regarding Download Estimates
YouTube .
Google Maps .
Telegram . On the App Store, 15 of the top 20 apps by
SHEIN . European downloads were from United
Zoom . States-based publishers. Google alone had five
Facebook . apps among the top 20, and Facebook had
Microsoft Teams . another four.
Spotify .
Gmail .
Messenger .
Google .
Snapchat . Note Regarding Download Estimates
CapCut .
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M
SHEIN .
QR & Barcode Scanner . Zenly and Wombo were two new entrants to
Messenger . the top 20 in Q2 2021. Zenly is a location
Zoom . tracking app that gained popularity as COVID-19
CapCut . restrictions loosened. Its installs more than
Pinterest . doubled quarter-over-quarter.
Snapchat .
QR & Barcode Reader .
Spotify .
YouTube Kids . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Overall - Asia
App Store Google Play
Facebook became the top app in Asia in Q2
Facebook .
2021, passing MX TakaTak and Instagram
TikTok .
compared to the prior quarter. Facebook,
Instagram .
TikTok, and Instagram each surpassed 80 million
Zoom .
Snapchat .
downloads in the quarter, while Zoom ranked
Messenger . No. 4 with 50 million downloads.
WhatsApp .
Josh . The influx of short video apps looking to
CapCut . replace TikTok in India slowed in 2Q21. MX
Google Meet . TakaTak, Moj, and Josh had ranked among the
Telegram . top 10 apps in Q1 2021. Of those, only Josh
MX TakaTak . returned to the top 10 in Q2 2021.
WhatsApp Business .
PLAYit .
Moj . Note Regarding Download Estimates
WeChat .
No. 2 app, WeChat. China accounted for 72
National Anti-Fraud Center .
percent of TikTok’s App Store downloads in Asia
Taobao .
CapCut .
in Q2 2021, followed by Vietnam.
PinDuoDuo .
QQ . The top apps were similar to last quarter, with
YouTube . TikTok, WeChat, Taobao, and CapCut each
Alipay . returning to the top five. China’s National Anti-
Instagram . Fraud Center app from the Ministry of Public
Zoom . Security was the lone new entrant to the top five
iQIYI . in 2Q21.
Facebook .
Tencent Video .
McDonald's . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Messenger .
Zoom .
WhatsApp . TikTok moved up seven spots from Q1 2021 to
Messenger . rank No. 3 in 2Q21 with 47 million installs in
Google Meet . Asia. This was despite it being banned in India,
MX TakaTak . by far the largest market for Google Play.
Telegram .
WhatsApp Business .
PLAYit .
Moj .
Snack Video . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Overall - Worldwide
App Store Google Play
Bridge Race from Supersonic Studios was the
Bridge Race .
most downloaded mobile game globally in Q2
Hair Challenge .
2021 with nearly 90 million installs. Zynga had
Garena Free Fire .
two games among the top five with Hair
High Heels .
Challenge and High Heels.
Ludo King .
Count Masters .
Subway Surfers . Garena Free Fire ranked among the top five
Candy Crush Saga . mobile games by worldwide downloads for
Roblox . the fifth consecutive quarter. Among Us was
Going Balls . the only other game to rank among the top five
Paper Fold . in even three of these quarters.
My Talking Tom Friends .
8 Ball Pool .
Animal Transform .
PUBG Mobile . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Roblox .
Subway Surfers . Tencent’s PUBG Mobile has been remarkably
Paper Fold . consistent on the App Store, ranking as the
Call of Duty: Mobile . No. 5 or 6 app each of the past four quarters.
Slice It All . In Q2 2021, 39 percent of its App Store
Among Us . downloads came from China, where it is
Honor of Kings . localized as Game for Peace.
Parking Jam 3D .
Mole's World .
Bounce and Collect . Note Regarding Download Estimates
High Heels . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Magic Tiles 3 . iPhone and iPad for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple apps
are excluded. We report unique installs only (one download
Water Sort Puzzle .
per user). Figures represent aggregate installs of all app
Homescapes .
versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
8 Ball Pool .
Subway Surfers .
Count Masters . More than half of the top games were in the
Going Balls . Hypercasual genre. The Traversal subgenre of
My Talking Tom Friends . Hypercasual was particularly popular last
Candy Crush Saga . quarter with seven of the top 20 titles, led by
Animal Transform . Hair Challenge, High Heels, and Count Masters.
Prison Escape .
WormsZone.io .
Body Race .
8 Ball Pool . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Join Clash 3D . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Paper Fold . Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. We report unique
installs only (one download per User). Google preinstalled apps
Stack Ball .
are excluded. Android download estimates do not include
Carrom Pool .
third-party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all
My Talking Tom 2 .
app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
Project Makeover .
Slice It All . Voodoo had three of the top 20 games,
Among Us . including Slice It All and Bounce and Collect
High Heels . among the top 10. Fat 2 Fit, Voodoo’s third
Bounce and Collect . most-installed title in the quarter, ranked No. 18.
Subway Surfers .
Call of Duty: Mobile .
Magic Tiles 3 .
Parking Jam 3D .
Rob Master 3D . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Deep Clean Inc. 3D . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
Jelly Dye . iPad, and Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple
apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report
Fat 2 Fit .
unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-
Catwalk Beauty .
party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all app
Sword Play .
versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M 8M
Count Masters .
Slice It All . Among Us from InnerSloth remained popular
Among Us . in the U.S., ranking as the No. 8 game with
Call of Duty: Mobile . nearly three million App Store downloads. Its
Subway Surfers . U.S. App Store downloads peaked at nearly 18
Bounce and Collect . million in Q4 2020.
High Heels .
Parking Jam 3D .
Magic Tiles 3 .
Rob Master 3D . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Deep Clean Inc. 3D . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Like A Dino . iPhone and iPad for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple apps
are excluded. We report unique installs only (one download
Fat 2 Fit .
per user). Figures represent aggregate installs of all app
Bingo Clash .
versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M
Fidget Toys 3D .
Paper Fold .
Slice It All . Crash Bandicoot: On the Run followed up a
Roblox . huge launch in the U.S. in March 2021 and
High Heels . remained in the top 20 for Q2 2021. The King
Catwalk Beauty . title moved back four positions to rank No. 13.
Animal Transform .
Bounce and Collect .
Jelly Dye .
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run .
DIY Makeup .
Among Us . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Smash Colors 3D . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Magic Tiles 3 . Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. We report unique
installs only (one download per User). Google preinstalled apps
Sword Play .
are excluded. Android download estimates do not include
Fat 2 Fit .
third-party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all
Ball Run 2048 .
app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
Overall - Europe
App Store Google Play
Hair Challenge from Zynga, the No. 2 game
Hair Challenge .
globally in Q2 2021, ranked as the top game in
Bridge Race .
Europe. Bridge Race from Supersonic Studios
Count Masters .
and Count Masters from Tap2Play rounded out
Paper Fold .
Fidget Toys 3D .
the top three.
Brawl Stars .
Going Balls . Top non-Hypercasual genre games in the
Roblox . quarter included Brawl Stars, Roblox, and
Body Race . PUBG Mobile. Three Arcade genre games also
Prison Escape . ranked among the top 20, with Subway Surfers,
High Heels . Among Us, and Geometry Dash.
Slice It All .
Roblox . Project Makeover, a Puzzle & Decorate theme
Subway Surfers . game from Magic Tavern, returned to the top
Brawl Stars . five for the third straight quarter. Its best
Paper Fold . quarter was Q1 2021 when it had more than 5.5
Water Sort Puzzle . million App Store installs in Europe.
Like A Dino .
Bounce and Collect .
Parking Jam 3D .
Clash Royale . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Geometry Dash . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Soccer Super Star . iPhone and iPad for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple apps
are excluded. We report unique installs only (one download
High Heels .
per user). Figures represent aggregate installs of all app
Among Us .
versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
Homescapes .
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M
Body Race .
Brawl Stars . Supersonic Studios had two of the top 10
Prison Escape . games, with Going Balls joining the No. 1
Comics Bob . game Bridge Race. Another Israel-based
Roblox . publisher, Crazy Labs, had three games among
Animal Transform . the top 20, as did SayGames.
DOP 2 .
DIY Makeup .
War of Rafts . Note Regarding Download Estimates
High Heels . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Phone Case DIY . Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. We report unique
installs only (one download per User). Google preinstalled apps
Sculpt People .
are excluded. Android download estimates do not include
Bounce and Collect .
third-party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all
Muscle Rush .
app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M 12M
Overall - Asia
App Store Google Play
Ludo King was the top game in Asia, driven by
Ludo King .
its popularity in India. India accounted for
Bridge Race .
nearly 80 percent of Ludo King’s global
Hair Challenge .
downloads in Q2 2021, followed by Indonesia
Garena Free Fire .
Carrom Pool .
with 7 percent.
High Heels .
Candy Crush Saga . There was less turnover among the top games
Subway Surfers . in Asia compared to the U.S. and Europe. Six
Bubble Shooter . of the top 10 games in Q1 2021 returned in 2Q21,
WormsZone.io . including Ludo King, Garena Free Fire, Candy
Temple Run . Crush Saga, Subway Surfers, Bubble Shooter,
Subway Princess Runner . and WormsZone.io.
Join Clash 3D .
My Talking Tom Friends .
8 Ball Pool . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Hill Climb Racing . Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
PUBG Mobile . iPad, and Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple
apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report
Temple Run 2 .
unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-
Going Balls .
party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all app
My Talking Tom 2 .
versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
Anipop .
Project Makeover . One Piece: Blood Routes from ByteDance was
Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds . the No. 4 game. It launched in April 2021, and
Subway Surfers . reached 3.2 million App Store installs in the
Genshin Impact . quarter. Like Mole’s World, it was also only
Uma Musume Pretty Derby . available in China.
Homescapes .
Plants vs Zombies 2 .
QQ Speed .
Hair Challenge . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Count Masters .
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M 7M 8M
High Heels .
Bubble Shooter . Asia had fewer Hypercasual genre games
Candy Crush Saga . among the top 20 on Google Play than the
Subway Surfers . U.S. and Europe, though most games were
WormsZone.io . still Casual category games. Garena Free Fire
Temple Run . and FPS Commando were the only Mid-Core
Subway Princess Runner . games among the top 20 in Q1 2021.
Join Clash 3D .
My Talking Tom Friends .
Hill Climb Racing . Note Regarding Download Estimates
8 Ball Pool . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Going Balls . Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. We report unique
installs only (one download per User). Google preinstalled apps
My Talking Tom 2 .
are excluded. Android download estimates do not include
Real Bike Racing .
third-party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all
Temple Run 2 .
app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
Overall - Worldwide
App Store Google Play
Google and Facebook were once again the top
Google .
two publishers worldwide in Q2 2021. Google
Facebook .
had more than 700 million installs in the quarter,
AppLovin .
while Facebook surpassed 600 million installs.
ByteDance .
Voodoo .
Supersonic Studios . Many Hypercasual genre games publishers
Azur Interactive . ranked among the top 10, including AppLovin,
Zynga . Voodoo, and Supersonic Studios. Zynga was
Crazy Labs . among the top 10 publishers for the first time in
Outfit7 Limited . Q2 2021, boosted by its entrance into the
Say Games . Hypercasual genre.
Microsoft .
BabyBus .
Tencent .
OneSoft . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Alibaba Group .
include third-party stores.
InShot .
ByteDance .
Voodoo .
Alibaba Group . Two Israel-based games publishers,
AppLovin . Supersonic Studios and Crazy Labs, ranked
Microsoft . just outside the top 10 at No. 11 and 12,
Zynga . respectively. These publishers also held these
Amazon . same positions in Q1 2021.
Supersonic Studios .
Crazy Labs .
NetEase .
Say Games .
Zoom . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Good Job Games . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
Baidu . iPhone and iPad for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple
Adobe .
download per User).
Activision Blizzard .
Electronic Arts .
Azur Interactive .
Supersonic Studios .
Voodoo . Supersonic Studios, publisher of the top game
Crazy Labs . on Google Play in Q2 2021, ranked among the
Outfit7 Limited . top five publishers for the first time. Its
ByteDance . installs have climbed steadily since Q1 2020
Zynga . from less than 20 million that quarter to more
BabyBus . than 260 million in Q2 2021.
Say Games .
OneSoft .
Miniclip .
Microsoft . Note Regarding Download Estimates
InShot . Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. We report
Facebook .
Zynga .
Amazon . ByteDance was the only publisher to enter the
Supersonic Studios . top 10, achieving this ranking for the first
Crazy Labs . time since Q2 2020. The emergence of CapCut
Microsoft . as its clear No. 2 app in the U.S. behind TikTok
ByteDance . helped boost the publisher’s total this quarter.
Azur Interactive .
Say Games .
Good Job Games .
AT&T .
PayPal . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Alictus .
We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not
Electronic Arts .
include third-party stores.
Activision Blizzard .
0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M 60M 70M 80M 90M 100M
Amazon .
Microsoft . ByteDance was the only non-games publisher
ByteDance . based outside of the U.S. to rank among the
Supersonic Studios . top 20. Outside of Hypercasual genre, it has
Crazy Labs . been a challenge for internationally based
AT&T . publishers to compete with U.S. based
Good Job Games . publishers in the U.S. market.
Say Games .
Disney .
Uber . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Electronic Arts . iPhone and iPad for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple
PayPal .
download per User).
Azur Interactive .
Activision Blizzard .
Voodoo .
No. 2 publisher on the App Store, ranked
Facebook .
Zynga .
No. 3 on Google Play behind AppLovin.
Supersonic Studios .
Azur Interactive . More games publishers ranked among the top
Crazy Labs . 20 on Google Play than on the App Store.
Amazon . Seventy percent of the top 20 publishers on
Microsoft . Google Play focused primarily on games.
Say Games .
ByteDance .
OneSoft .
Good Job Games .
Miniclip . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Outfit7 Limited . Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
PayPal . Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. We report
Overall - Europe
App Store Google Play
Google, AppLovin, and Voodoo have been the
Google .
top three publishers in Europe for each of the
AppLovin .
past three quarters. AppLovin was the only one
Voodoo .
of the three to see positive year-over-year
Facebook .
Azur Interactive .
growth in Q2 2021 following the boost seen in
Zynga . 2020 due to COVID-19.
Supersonic Studios .
Crazy Labs . Half of the top 10 publishers in Europe are
Say Games . headquartered in the U.S., led by Google,
Microsoft . AppLovin, and Facebook. Voodoo was the top
Outfit7 Limited . publisher based in Europe, ranking No. 3 overall
ByteDance . behind Google and AppLovin.
OneSoft .
Yandex .
Abishkking . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Playgendary .
include third-party stores.
InShot .
Zynga .
ByteDance . Yandex was the only publisher to move into
Supersonic Studios . the top 10 this quarter. Its installs were up 25
Amazon . percent from Q2 2020, with its navigation and
Yandex . taxi apps aided by the recovery from COVID-19.
Crazy Labs .
Say Games .
Telegram .
Supercell .
Good Job Games . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Shein Group . iPhone and iPad for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple
Miniclip .
download per User).
Zoom .
Azur Interactive .
Crazy Labs .
Zynga . Games publishers were dominant on Google
Say Games . Play, taking eight out of the top 10 spots.
Facebook . Google and Facebook were the only non-game
OneSoft . publishers among the top 10.
Outfit7 Limited .
Abishkking .
Microsoft .
ByteDance .
Yandex . Note Regarding Download Estimates
BabyBus . Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. We report
Overall - Asia
App Store Google Play
Google’s downloads climbed 6 percent
Google .
quarter-over-quarter in Asia, enough for it to
Facebook .
pass Facebook to take the top spot with 301
Tencent .
million downloads. Facebook was right behind
ByteDance .
AppLovin .
it with 296 million downloads.
Supersonic Studios .
BabyBus . While most of the top publishers had the
Azur Interactive . majority of their downloads from Google
Outfit7 Limited . Play, a few Chinese publishers were able to
Voodoo . find huge success on the App Store in China.
Miniclip . Tencent and ByteDance took the No. 3 and No. 4
Alibaba Group . spots, respectively.
Zynga .
Crazy Labs .
Say Games . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Microsoft .
We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not
Snap .
include third-party stores.
InShot .
Alibaba Group .
Facebook .
NetEase . Given that China accounts for more than half
Baidu . of the App Store installs in Asia, it is not
Microsoft . surprising that many China-based publishers
NAVER . ranked among the top 20 in Q2 2021. Twelve of
Ministry of Public Security . the top 20 publishers are from China, including
Pinduoduo . three of the top five.
AppLovin .
Voodoo .
Sankuai Technology .
Zoom . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Beijing Jingdong . iPhone and iPad for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple
Zynga .
download per User).
bilibili .
iQIYI .
BabyBus .
Outfit7 Limited . Publishers among the top 20 are from 11
Miniclip . different countries. The U.S. had the most
Voodoo . publishers at six, followed by India with three
Crazy Labs . and Israel and China with two apiece.
Zynga .
ByteDance .
Say Games .
OneSoft .
MX Media . Note Regarding Download Estimates
Snap . Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. We report
App Store
Q2 2020 Q2 2021
3.0B While many top categories saw year-over-year
declines in installs, much of this was
explained by outsized performance in Q2
2.5B 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Utilities was
the only category among the top five with
-22.3% positive growth Y/Y.
2.0B
Games was the only top category not to see
positive growth over 2Q19, with installs down
7 percent since that quarter and 22.3 percent
1.5B
Y/Y. The slowdown for games was largely driven
2.69B
by China.
2.09B
1.0B
-17.9% +4.7% Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
-14.4%
-14.1% iPhone and iPad for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple
500M
apps are excluded. We report unique installs only (one
703M
577M 549M 575M 618M 547M download per User).
529M 470M
0
Games Photo & Video Utilities Entertainment Shopping
Google Play
Q2 2020 Q2 2021
14B Google Play installs have stayed close to the
level achieved after a huge baseline increase
in Q2 2020. Game installs only declined slightly
-4.4%
12B year-over-year, while the rest of the top five
categories saw positive Y/Y growth.
10B
Top growing categories included Tools (27.6
percent Y/Y) and Finance (25 percent). Finance
8B was just the eighth largest category in Q2 2020
behind Communication, Video Players & Editors,
and Photography.
6B 12.35B
11.81B
4B
Note Regarding Download Estimates
+27.6% Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. We report
Overall
App Store Google Play
India continued to be the largest market by
India . combined App Store and Google Play installs,
surpassing 7 billion downloads in a quarter
U.S. . for the third time. After two quarters with
quarter-over-quarter decreases, India’s
Brazil . downloads bounced back in Q2 2021 with a 9
percent Q/Q increase.
Indonesia .
Turkey .
Vietnam .
Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
iPhone and iPad for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple
Philippines .
As Google Play is not available in China, we have
Q2 Countries by Downloads 48
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
App Store
Q2 2020 Q2 2021
2.5B Each of the top five iOS markets saw
downloads decline year-over-year in Q2 2021.
All of these countries saw a spike in installs the
previous year as consumers turned to their
2.0B
-16.0% phones to adjust to life during the pandemic.
-14.9%
500M
Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
-21.4%
-9.5% iPhone and iPad for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. Apple
516M
438M apps are excluded. We report unique installs only (one
365M
287M 280M 253M
download per User).
0
U.S. China Japan U.K. Russia
Q2 Countries by Downloads 49
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Google Play
Q2 2020 Q2 2021
8B Similar to the App Store, many countries also
+7.9%
saw a year-over-year download decrease on
7B
Google Play. India was a notable exception with
nearly 8 percent Y/Y growth, perhaps partially
explained by new lockdowns in response to the
6B
resurgence of the COVID-19 there.
5B
Installs in India, Brazil, and Indonesia are still
up considerably compared to 2019. India’s
4B installs climbed by 2 billion between 2Q19 and
7.23B
6.70B 2Q21, while Brazil experienced growth of 36.8
3B
-5.3% percent over this period.
2B +0.3%
-11.3% Note Regarding Download Estimates
2.72B 2.58B -14.0% Our estimates include worldwide daily download totals for
1B 1.78B 1.79B Google Play for Apr. 1 through Jun. 30, 2021. We report
1.53B 1.36B 1.27B 1.09B unique installs only (one download per User). Google
preinstalled apps are excluded. Android download estimates
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
Q2 Countries by Downloads 50
Stories of the Quarter
—
Key Trends in Mobile
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Introduction
Could your business benefit from
downloads or revenue.
Pokémon GO surpassed $5 billion in worldwide revenue, five years
after its huge launch back in July 2016.
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3. New Photo & Video Apps Emerge
consumers staying home or opting for travel options that didn’t break their bubbles, while access to Store Intelligence insights
demand for food delivery jumped in the first few months of the pandemic. As rideshare
and the highly accurate data used to
began to bounce back in 2021, top apps have found that new drivers are adopting the
services at slower rates than consumers.
build this report? See the fastest
● In Q2 2021, Uber’s installs surpassed the total from Q1 2020 for the first time since
downloads or revenue.
the start of the pandemic. Lyft’s downloads nearly reached their Q1 2020 level.
● Most top food delivery apps saw U.S. downloads decline after a huge spike in Q2
2020. Interestingly, these apps have continued to gain new users for their driver apps.
● For Uber and Lyft, driver adoption returned at a slower rate than consumer adoption, REQUEST DEMO
leading to a driver shortage. These apps made a push to increase the number of drivers,
and higher downloads in May and June 2021 suggest that it is working.
4M 1.0M
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Quarterly U.S. Rideshare Downloads 54
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
DoorDash DoorDash Driver Uber Eats Uber Driver U.S. food delivery apps experienced a huge
adoption boost at the start of the pandemic,
10M 4M 5M 2.0M
especially for DoorDash, GrubHub, and
8M 4M
3M 1.5M Instacart. These apps were unable to sustain
6M 3M the gains into 2021.
2M 1.0M
4M 2M
2M
1M
1M
500K Meanwhile, DoorDash Driver and GrubHub for
0 0 0 0
Drivers saw record high installs in Q2 2021.
This suggests that there is still demand for food
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delivery drivers even as adoption for the
Q1
Q3
Q1
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Q1
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Q3
Q1
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Q1
consumer apps has declined.
5M 600K 5M 2.5M
4M 4M 2.0M
400K
Note Regarding Download Estimates
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Quarterly U.S. Food Delivery Downloads 55
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
100% Uber
Uber used a $250 million stimulus to boost
Lyft
driver pay in April 2021. It appears that the
incentive seems to be working, as Uber Driver
75%
adoption spiked in the next two months.
Consumer adoption
exceeded driver
adoption
50%
0%
0
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Uber Uber Eats Uber Driver By April 2021, driver app adoption was still
Pre-Pandemic
relatively low compared to consumer app
(Jan-20)
49.6% 36.4% 14.0%
adoption. Uber Driver accounted for 11.7
Early Pandemic
(Apr-20)
24.3% 67.5% 8.3% percent of Uber’s total installs, down from 14
Start of 2021
37.4% 52.5% 10.0%
percent in January 2020. Lyft Driver’s share fell
(Jan-21)
by 1.7 percentage points over this period.
Early Recovery
48.0% 40.4% 11.7%
(Apr-21)
End of 1H21
46.1% 35.8% 18.1% Facing a driver shortage, the rideshare apps
(Jun-21)
pushed to add new drivers in June 2021. Uber
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Driver had more than 18 percent of the
Lyf Lyft Driver
company’s downloads that month, and Lyft
Pre-Pandemic
(Jan-20)
86.5% 13.5% Driver also saw a higher share.
Early Pandemic
87.3% 12.7%
(Apr-20)
87.1% 12.9%
(Jan-21)
Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
Early Recovery
iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2020 through Jun. 30,
88.2% 11.8%
(Apr-21)
2021. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are
End of 1H21
85.9% 14.1% excluded. We report unique installs only. Android
(Jun-21)
estimates do not include third-party stores.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
global consumer spending across the App Store and Google Play.
access to Store Intelligence insights
● Pokémon GO has managed to keep pace with the global game market, seeing its
downloads or revenue.
revenue grow at roughly the same rate. This is impressive longevity for a game that’s
been available for five years.
● Pokémon GO had a relatively diverse market, with no country contributing more than
40 percent of its revenue. It was only one of two game in the top 10 by revenue since its REQUEST DEMO
launch to not have the majority of its revenue come from a single market.
Pokémon GO 58
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
50
16 Pokémon GO became the eighth game to
5 surpass $5 billion in revenue since 2014. Fate/
40 Grand Order and PUBG Mobile also reached this
threshold in 1H21.
14
30 3
10
2
20 40
2 Note Regarding Revenue Estimates
8
26
Our estimates include worldwide revenue for iPhone, iPad,
5
10 and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2014 through Jun. 30, 2021. We
18
report gross revenue (including the cut for Apple or Google).
12
10 Android estimates do not include third-party stores.
4
2
0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 1H21
Pokémon GO Has Kept Pace with the Game Market Since 2017
Worldwide quarterly revenue for Pokémon GO and all games, indexed to Q1 2017
Pokémon GO All Games Pokémon GO's Share
250% 2.5% Pokémon GO’s revenue growth has kept pace
with that from the mobile gaming market as a
whole since 2017, which is all the more
All
impressive given the influx of successful
200% Games 2%
launches during this period.
100% 1%
50% 0.5% Our estimates include worldwide revenue for iPhone, iPad,
and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2017 through Jun. 30, 2021. We
report gross revenue (including the cut for Apple or Google).
Revenue is indexed vs. the total from Q1 2017. Android
estimates do not include third-party stores.
0% 0%
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Indexed Worldwide Revenue 60
© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Strategy RPG Shooter Geolocation AR Puzzle Simulation Pokémon GO ranks No. 4 by revenue since its
Honor of Kings
launch in 2016. It is the only top game to have
王者荣耀 $9.2B
Tencent
the U.S. as its largest market.
Monster Strike
モンスターストライク $6.1B
Mixi
Honor of Kings leads the way with more than
PUBG Mobile
Pokémon GO
Google Play since July 6, 2016. The game
Pokémon GO $5.1B
Niantic accumulated nearly $8.8 billion on the App Store
Fate/Grand Order
Sony
梦幻⻄游 $3.7B
NetEase
Clash of Clans
Supercell
Our estimates include worldwide revenue for iPhone, iPad,
LineageM
리니지M $3.5B and Google Play for Jul. 6, 2016 through Jun. 30, 2021. We
NCSOFT
report gross revenue (including the cut for Apple or Google).
Roblox
U.S. China Japan South Korea Rest of World Many top games received the vast majority of
Honor of Kings
their revenue from one country. Three games
王者荣耀 95% 5%
Tencent
had more than 50 percent of their revenue from
Monster Strike
Tencent
Pokémon GO
Candy Crush Saga 61% 36% of its revenue from one country. Supercell’s
King
Clash of Clans was the other.
梦幻⻄游 99%
NetEase
Clash of Clans
Supercell
Our estimates include worldwide revenue for iPhone, iPad,
LineageM
리니지M 87% 11% and Google Play for Jul. 6, 2016 through Jun. 30, 2021. We
NCSOFT
report gross revenue (including the cut for Apple or Google).
Roblox
Roblox
launch that’s steadily gained momentum (CapCut), and one app that’s been available for growing apps and publishers by
downloads or revenue.
● Each of these four Photo & Video apps reached the top spot on the free U.S. iPhone
app chart, including Voilá AI Artist topping the chart for nine straight days. This
reveals how much of these apps’ success can be driven by catching a viral moment.
● The successful monetization for some top photo and video editing apps shows REQUEST DEMO
potential for these apps that have rapidly expanded their user base.
Photo & Video Apps Saw Huge Install Growth in the U.S.
Top non-game apps by raw U.S. quarter-over-quarter download growth
Photo & Video Other Four Photo & Video apps were among the top
Voilá AI Artist
10 apps by raw U.S. download growth in Q2
Voila 4.5M NEW
Wemagine.ai
2021. Voilá AI Artist, released late in Q1 2021, led
PictureThis
PictureThis 4.1M +365% Q/Q the way with an increase of 4.5 million
Glority Software
downloads quarter-over-quarter.
CapCut
HBO Max
Top growing apps included a mix of new
HBO Max 2.2M +25% Q/Q
AT&T arrivals and more established apps. Poparazzi
Trust
GasBuddy
VSCO
Poparazzi
TTYL
Our estimates include worldwide downloads for iPhone,
PrendeTV
PrendeTV 1.7M +720% Q/Q iPad, and Google Play for Jan. 1, 2021 through Jun. 31,
Univision Interactive
2021. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are
Coinbase
Coinbase 1.5M +32% Q/Q excluded. We report unique installs only. Android
Coinbase
estimates do not include third-party stores.
0 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M
Five Photo & Video Apps Topped the Charts Since Late May
Days ranked as the top free U.S iPhone app by downloads
15
22
29
13
20
27
10
17
24
apps can rely on a viral moment to propel
4/
4/
5/
6/
4/
4/
4/
5/
5/
5/
6/
6/
6/
their adoption. Voilá AI Artist had the longest
Number of Day Ranked No. 1 in the Quarter consecutive stretch of days at No. 1 for any app
in the quarter at nine days.
15
10
Data includes daily top free apps rankings for iPhone
14 apps in the U.S. between Apr. 1, 2021 and Jun. 30, 2021.
5 10 9 9 Apps are categorized by their primary category on the
7 7 6 U.S. App Store.
5 5 4
0
TikTok HBO Max Robinhood Voilá Queen Bee YouTube Poparazzi Hair
Count
GasBuddy
Challenge Masters
Canva 1.9M FaceApp $4.6M Note Regarding Download and Revenue Estimates
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© 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved
About Us
Sensor Tower is the leading solution for mobile
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analysts who demand competitive insights on
the mobile economy. Sensor Tower’s product
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