Which apps were downloaded the most in the first quarter of 2022? The results are clear; no big surprises on the lists

TikTok stands out as one of the fastest growing social media platforms in the world. In the “Q1 2022: Store Intelligence Data Digest” report published by Sensor Tower recently, it is stated that TikTok is the most downloaded application worldwide in the first quarter of 2022. The app has surpassed a total of 3.5 billion downloads by the end of the first quarter of 2021, making it the fifth (and only non-Meta) app to reach this milestone.

As of the beginning of 2022, TikTok has been downloaded more than 175 million times. TikTok surpassed 10 million downloads in the last nine quarters, while YouTube crossed the same threshold for eight consecutive quarters. According to the report, no app has been downloaded more than TikTok since the beginning of 2018, when WhatsApp had 250 million downloads worldwide.

There is a lot that can be said about the success and future of TikTok. The social media app occupies a dominant position for its relevant streams, unique algorithm, and diverse set of communities for each niche topic. Recent updates include interactive plugins for in-stream ads, as well as different features such as a test on a dedicated dislike button for comments. It also recently launched its own AR development platform, Effect House.

Looking at downloads across the US, TikTok has been the top application in every quarter since the first quarter of 2021. Finally, in the 4th quarter of 2020, Zoom managed to get ahead of TikTok. Also, since Q1 2021, TikTok and YouTube have been the top two apps in the US App Store each quarter. In addition, TikTok became the number one app on Google Play for the third consecutive quarter, with a 19% increase in installs compared to the same period last year.

The same five apps ranked top in Europe in each of the last four quarters. TikTok and WhatsApp took the top two places, while Instagram fell to fourth place in the last quarter. While WhatsApp was the top-ranked App Store app in Europe in each of the last seven quarters, TikTok also took the top spot on Google Play during the same period.