--- title: "Social Networking and Communication Apps Lead Downloads" locale: "en" language: "en-HK" published: "2016-06-06T15:50:42+08:00" updated: "2026-03-17T23:07:25.485Z" canonical: "https://accordhk.com/blog/social-networking-and-communication-apps-lead-downloads-286" --- # Social Networking and Communication Apps Lead Downloads Facebook leads by downloads, while LINE stands out for its ability to generate in-app revenue. Communication and social networking apps attract the most downloads, and games account for a substantial share of revenue. ## In brief High download volume does not necessarily mean high in-app revenue. In the rankings discussed in this June 2016 article, Facebook excels in downloads, LINE performs strongly in revenue excluding advertising, and games account for 90% of Google Play revenue. The most downloaded apps are not necessarily the most profitable: Facebook vs LINE Across both mobile operating systems, Facebook holds four places in the top 10 most downloaded apps, with Facebook Message, Instagram and WhatsApp all making the rankings. On Google Play, Facebook even occupies the top four positions. By download volume, Facebook is the big winner in the mobile world at the time of writing. By revenue, however, including in-app purchases, LINE holds three places in the Android top 10 and two in the iOS top 10. These revenue figures exclude advertising, of course; otherwise, Google and Facebook would be virtually unbeatable in this area. But when it comes specifically to collecting payments through apps, LINE is certainly impressive. The most downloaded apps do not necessarily generate the most in-app revenue, and apps that earn money do not necessarily need large numbers of downloads, provided they reach the right target users. Communication + social networking = the leading categories By download volume, communication and social networking apps account for the largest share. Among communication apps, instant messengers are naturally the strongest performers. The three instant messaging apps Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Skype all rank in the top 10 on both Google Play and Apple's App Store. Google Play's top 10 also includes two more instant messaging apps: LINE and Viber. The App Store also features two tools for iOS devices: Find my phone and iTunes U. Games take a large slice of the pie On Google Play, games account for 40% of downloads and an even more staggering 90% of revenue. Non-game apps account for the remainder. On iOS, Clash of Clans and Candy Crash dominate. They attract large numbers of downloads and also hold the top two places in the revenue rankings. Supercell has three games in the top 10. By contrast, established gaming giant EA only just makes the revenue top 10, with he Simpsons: Tapped Out in tenth place. On Google Play, there is an unfamiliar but interesting name: Subway Surfers, a game from Danish company Kiloo. It actually ranks number one among the 10 most downloaded apps! Released three years earlier, the game still ranks highly in several countries at the time of writing. In the United States, for example, it remains in the top 10, although in Hong Kong it ranks only somewhere in the tens. http://news.memehk.com/posts/16104#sthash.2XOEvAmo.dpuf ## Frequently asked questions ### Do the most downloaded apps generate the most revenue? Not necessarily. The article explains that apps can generate in-app revenue by reaching the right target users without needing large numbers of downloads. ### How do Facebook and LINE compare in the article's rankings? Facebook holds four places in the download top 10 on both mobile operating systems and occupies the top four positions on Google Play. LINE holds three places in the Android revenue top 10 and two on iOS, with advertising excluded. ### Which instant messaging apps appear in both stores' top 10? Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Skype appear in the download top 10 on both Google Play and Apple's App Store. Google Play's top 10 also includes LINE and Viber. ### What share of Google Play downloads and revenue comes from games? In the figures reported in this June 2016 article, games account for 40% of Google Play downloads and 90% of its revenue.