Facebook and Google have dominated smartphone screens for the past three years

Facebook has three and Google has six of the top 15 apps, says comScore.

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Measurement firm comScore released its latest round of online and mobile rankings for the US market. Since comScore began reporting on mobile app penetration roughly three years ago, Facebook has been and continues to be the number one app. Moreover, the entire top 15 has been relatively stable.

The chart below reflects the current mobile audience reach of the identified apps.

Top Apps April 2017

Screen Shot 2017 05 24 At 8.37.04 PM

Facebook has three apps in the top 15. Google has six. After that, Apple has three, followed by Snapchat, Pandora and Amazon.

Let’s compare the same list for the preceding three years around the same time. The chart immediately below is from February 2016 (released in April). Appearing below but not on the 2017 list are Yahoo Stocks and Pinterest.

Top Apps February 2016

Screen Shot 2017 05 24 At 8.31.39 PM

Going back another year to 2015, Twitter is present, and so is Snapchat, which wasn’t on the 2016 list. It should be noted that these charts are just point-in-time checks, not necessarily representative of the rest of the year.

Top Apps April 2015

Screen Shot 2017 05 24 At 8.33.05 PM

If we go back farther still, to April 2014, we find Yahoo Stocks and Weather, Twitter and the Weather Channel. None of them are present in April 2017.

Top Apps April 2014

Screen Shot 2017 05 24 At 9.12.38 PM

Each year, two (or three) apps swap in or out of the Top 15 list, while particular apps may migrate up or down the list. What’s striking to me, however, is that the top 15 apps list has been surprisingly stable during a period of accelerating change and market upheaval.


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About the author

Greg Sterling
Contributor
Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land, a member of the programming team for SMX events and the VP, Market Insights at Uberall.

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