Facebooks Messenger is Fastest Growing App of 2015

Messenger.jpgFacebook has continued its stranglehold on the app ecosystem in 2015, with its main app continuing to hold the spot as most installed app on US smartphones (based on the average number of unique users), and its mobile messaging app growing more than any other app, according to Nielsen.

Facebooks primary app grew by eight per cent, up to 126.7m unique users a month, with YouTube taking second place with 97.6m users, up five per cent year-on-year. Facebook Messenger, Google Search and Google Play rounded out the top five.

In terms of year-on-year change, Facebook Messenger took first place with 31 per cent growth, followed closely by Apple Music, which was up 26 per cent, and Instagram, at 23 per cent. Given that Facebook forced users to migrate to Messenger in 2014, the continued high level of growth is hugely impressive.

Looking at operating systems, Android retained a slight lead on iOS, with 52.6 per cent of devices in Q3 2015, compared to Apples 42.7 per cent. Windows devices made up only 2.8 per cent of smartphones, while BlackBerry was only 0.7 per cent, barely hanging onto its market. Smartphone penetration in the US was at 80 per cent at the end of September, up from 78 per cent at the start of the year.