Australia’s most downloaded apps revealed in study
Market research company Sensor Tower has released new data looking at how local apps, including streaming services, are dominating Australia's mobile devices as some of the most downloaded apps in the first quarter of this year.
Government apps topped the list, with myGovID, Express Plus Medicare and ServiceWA taking the top three spots out of 20.
The usual social media suspects of Tik Tok, Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Whatsapp followed.
Sensor Tower regional director Eugene Du Plessis says Australia is one of the world's top 10 largest mobile app markets by revenue and is off to a raring start in 2022.
"What's clear to see is that the app economy has become increasingly entwined with world events and trends," she says.
"For example, government apps that offer identity and vaccination verification functionality have become fixtures in our nation's app stores amid the ongoing pandemic, as has the adoption of QR code scanning.
However as life continues to go back to normality, Du Plessis expects the popularity of government apps to subside.
"I expect to see government apps follow the same trend as entertainment and social networking apps like Disney+ and Facebook," she says.
"These have seen their standings dip year-on-year as the COVID-19-fuelled adoption wave buoying them has gradually subsided. TikTok has successfully bucked this trend, climbing from seventh place in Q1 2021 to fourth place in Q1 2022 - a testament to its growing popularity in Australia.
Sensor Tower says most interestingly though is the likes of two Australian streaming services, Binge and 9Now, making it onto the top 20 list of apps.
Binge outpaced Netflix, coming in at 11 and 13 respectively. Sensor Tower says perhaps that is unsurprising, given Netflix's announcement about their recent earnings which saw a 19% decrease in users.
Binge also put up a $10 million investment into digital ads in Q1 of this year. That's more than their entire digital ad budget for 2021.
"This correlates to the huge uptick in app downloads, demonstrating the power of digital advertising on consumer behaviour," says Du Plessis.
"Most of Binge's downloads can be attributed to its sports offering - Kayo and I believe more streaming service providers will look to implement similar offerings in order to remain competitive and increase user retention.
Eugene Du Plessis also says the apps that adapt quickly to trends will be the ones that are successful.
"As Australia's mobile economy continues to grow, look out for the apps that react to the latest trends - they'll be the ones leading the way and setting the market in our mobile-first economy.
Sensor Tower market insights have been used by the likes of Nestlé, Twitter, HBO and Target.
