If there is any one piece of technology that has defined the past decade, it’s the smartphone.
The iPhone has consolidated Apple’s spot as one of the largest companies in the world, while rivals Samsung, Huawei and LG have all grown significantly on the back of their handheld devices.
But one of the biggest changes the smartphone has brought is the rise of apps, which are now integral to the experience of every smartphone user.
And now app analytics firm App Annie has revealed the most popular apps of the past decade, highlighting the dominance of tech giants Facebook and Google since 2010.
It is worth remembering Facebook hasn’t always owned WhatsApp and Instagram, acquiring the platforms in 2014 and 2012 respectively.
However, the list does highlight just how dominant the social media company has been in the past decade – especially considering it only became profitable in 2009.
Snapchat’s position at fifth on the list shows just how much the photo-sharing app has challenged its larger competitors, while YouTube and Twitter confirm just how popular social media has been.
But perhaps the most noteworthy name on the list is TikTok, which only changed its name from Musical.ly last year and was first launched in 2016.
The Chinese-owned app recently reached 1.5 billion downloads and, as this list shows, is now a legitimate threat to the popularity of the likes of Instagram and Snapchat.
