Telegram crosses 100 million downloads in Q1 2021, TikTok remains most downloaded app

Privacy-focused messaging app Telegram has emerged as the fifth most downloaded app with over 100 million downloads across Google Play Store and Apple App Store during March 2022 quarter, app analytics firm Sensor Tower said in its latest quarterly report.

Sensor Tower report also claims that the total number of global app installs on App Store and Play Store reached 37 billion in March quarter. TikTok became the fifth app to cross 3.5 billion all-time downloads. 

TikTok, despite facing a ban in key markets such as India, continues to be the most downloaded app in the world with over 175 million downloads during the quarter. Meta, formerly Facebook Inc, accounted for over 600 million app downloads. Instagram was the most downloaded Meta app with over 160 million downloads, even though its installs fell 7% quarter on quarter (QoQ).

Other Meta apps in the top five include Facebook that was downloaded over 150 million times, while WhatsApp was the fourth most downloaded app with 125 million downloads.

The increase in downloads of Telegram can be attributed to the growing dissatisfaction of users with Meta apps.

Though WhatsApp remains popular due to the network effect, many users are increasingly looking for alternative messaging apps such as Telegram and Signal that offer end-to-end encryption but seek relatively lesser data from its users.

Last January, WhatsApp received a lot of backlash when it tried to force its users into accepting its new privacy policy. During the same month, Telegram recorded 63 million downloads, according to Sensor Tower.

WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy is currently under the scanner of Competition Commission of India (CCI) for allegations of excessive data collection.

“Out of the top five most popular apps, Telegram is the only one that doesn’t spend billions on marketing to buy downloads. In a way, we are the only app that is on the list purely because it is genuinely loved by the people,” Telegram chief executive Paul Durov said in a statement.

Durov has been vocal about WhatsApp’s alleged double standards on privacy and failure to protect its users from Pegasus spyware and sharing user data with parent company Meta.

Among Indian apps, online shopping platform Meesho, with over 50 million downloads was the 14th most downloaded app during the quarter. Meesho has been on a growth spree and has raised over $1 billion over several rounds of funding so far.