Zoom and NHS Covid-19 app take lead in Apple’s most popular App Store downloads
2 December 2020, 05:04
Video conferencing tools, social media and chat apps dominate in a year influenced by the coronavirus.
Zoom, Microsoft Teams and the NHS Covid-19 app were among the most popular downloads from Apple’s App Store in the UK this year.
The impact of coronavirus was evident across the top free list on iPhone for 2020, with Zoom ranked number one and Microsoft Teams at seven, as people turned to video conferencing technology to work from home, stay in touch with family and continue schooling.
Taking the second spot is the NHS Covid-19 app which was released late September, as a tool to help alert users if they have been in close proximity with anyone who has tested positive for coronavirus.
Social networks and chat apps such as WhatsApp, Houseparty, Instagram and Snapchat also sit in the top 10, with TikTok leading the pack at third.
Driving Theory Test 4 in 1 Kit and Official DVSA Theory Test Kit were once again revealed as the top paid-for iPhone apps of 2020.
Online multiplayer social title Among Us! was named most popular free iPhone game, while Football Manager 2020 Mobile was top in the paid game category.
On iPad, Zoom also landed at number one in the free apps chart, followed by Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Graphic editing software Procreate and note-taking app GoodNotes 5 led the top paid iPad apps.
“This year, more than ever before, some of our most creative and connected moments happened in apps,” said Phil Schiller, Apple fellow.
“This was thanks to the amazing work of developers who introduced fresh, helpful app experiences throughout the year.”
Alongside the most downloaded apps, Apple also revealed its own editorial picks for best apps of 2020.
Light exercise app Wakeout! was named iPhone app of the year, while iPhone game of the year went to action role player Genshin Impact.
Elsewhere, Zoom was awarded iPad app of the year and Legends of Runeterra iPad game of the year.
Five winners were also celebrated as app trends of the year: Shine for helping users practice self care, Explain Everything Whiteboard for helping bring remote classrooms to life, Caribu for connecting families to loved ones, Pokémon Go for reinventing the way we play and ShareTheMeal, a crowdfunding app by the United Nations World Food Programme to fight hunger.
“Around the world, we saw remarkable efforts from so many developers, and these Best of 2020 winners are 15 outstanding examples of that innovation,” Mr Schiller added.
“From helping us stay fit and mindful, to keeping our children’s education on track, to helping fight hunger, their impact was meaningful to so many of us.”
