Isolation has given an uptick in some apps, a plummet for others and, a drastic increase in many that you are probably using right now. Since physical interactions have been taken out of our daily lives we have become reliant and dependent on apps that simplify our communication, shopping, staying fit and healthy, and entertainment.
A new report by MoEngage and Apptopia shares the winners and losers of the pandemic from the app world in North America. Here are their results
The High Rollers
As people shifted their office home there is no surprise that video calling apps skyrocket and are still holding pretty high up as this, for many, is the new norm and the new way of communicating. Video conferencing app Zoom expanded its worldwide user base by 300% in just under a month. It has not only been used for businesses to continue to work together but has also become a popular option for virtual conferences, festivals and even religious sermons.
As gyms closed down during the pandemic people turned heads to health and fitness apps Totalling to 656 million downloads in Q2 2020. Many apps took advantage of this and gave free monthly memberships so that people could continue their workout routines at home or even build new ones. Down Dog was one of these apps that let new users use the app for free. "With the recent shutdown of schools and physical workout spaces, we've seen a huge increase in usage of our apps. We've already provided over 300,000 free memberships and we are planning to continue as long as we can," said Carlos Ormachea, Co-Founder of Down Dog.
We also saw a big increase in entertainment apps like Netflix where there was a 19.% increase in downloads. Disney+ has also made smart moves in still making premiers to the movies they intended on releasing at the movie theaters and brought them to your living room. You can now stream the new release of Mulan’s remake for $30 dollars on top of your current Disney Plus monthly subscription.
Social Media has taken an obvious benefit out of this pandemic as we, social creatures, need to obviously socialize one way or another. Social media usage jumped from 20% of total mobile app usage in the U.S.. In fact, between January and March, daily active users on Instagram and Facebook rose to 127 million and 195 million, respectively. TikTok has also been one of the newcomers and growing stronger each passing day in quarantine.
The Not So High Rollers
Mobility apps like Uber, Hospitality apps like Airbnb, and Real-Estate apps like Zillow have shown a harsh decrease in usage. Since people have had less need to commute everywhere, Uber, one of the world’s favorite apps for transportation, has taken a fall. It has been slowly increasing again with the enforcement of wearing masks at all times during your trip.
Airbnb also took a huge fall as the whole travel industry suddenly felt as if it froze. Airbnb is now encouraging to travel more locally to support the travel industry. Even though Airbnb had to layoff 1,900 employees during the pandemic making that 25% of its workforce. Hopefully we see a big boom after the pandemic and see Airbnb come back to what it once was.
Zillow has seen a 23.6% decline in new downloads since March as people have been getting tight with money during this crisis.
All apps have been hit by our current situation and by the way we all consume. It is up to app developers to take this time to see how they can adapt and innovate, if needed, to successfully reach the needs and wants of their consumers in current times.