Google tops app downloads in Q4 2019

US-based search engine giant Google has, for the first time in five years, unseated Facebook as the top publisher of mobile apps.

In the last quarter of 2019, Google amassed close to 850 million downloads compared to Facebook‘s nearly 800 million, analytics firm Sensor Tower revealed recently. 

When it comes to overall downloads for the year, however, Google still trails behind Facebook.  

While Google raked in nearly 2.3 billion downloads, Facebook gained almost 3 billion downloads over the past 12 months.

Facebook owns four out of the top five most downloaded apps worldwide, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, that does not come as a surprise. 

ByteDance-owned video sharing app TikTok was the world's second-most downloaded app in 2019. 

The figures show that TikTok downloads reached an all-time high in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2019, with nearly 220 million installs, which represented a 24 per cent increase over Q3 2019.

Sensor Tower also reports that TikTok's revenue grew by a massive 540 per cent year-on-year in Q4 2019.

Additionally, Disney+ was downloaded more than 30 million times in Q4 2019 in the US, which is more than double of its next nearest competitor, TikTok.

In terms of revenue, Disney+ grossed more than $50 million in its first 30 days, beating out other subscription video on demand (SVOD) rivals, like HBO NOW and Showtime.