Smartphones are amongst the most ingenious and widely appreciated inventions of the 21st century. These devices come with the best apps that help us with everyday tasks from waking up in the morning to organizing a productive day and staying connected. Mobile apps are the best part of smartphones. The features and functionalities on these apps are super interesting and some of them have stood out more than others over the years. Out of all these wonderful apps, we’re bringing you the most used and downloaded best apps of all time.
Best Social Media Apps
It is no surprise to see that some of the most popular apps in Africa and the rest of the world are for social media use. People love to get connected and stay connected. As social beings, it is only natural that these five apps top any chart.
Founded by a son of an immigrant in the United States, WhatsApp now has over 5 billion downloads on Android and iOS, this is one of the best apps for instant messaging in the world. Users can chat, video call, share images, voice recordings, files, and links. This ubiquitous app is perfect for international communication. That is probably why it is so popular with billions of smartphone users around the world.
It is no surprise that the king of social media is on this list. With over 2.7 billion active users every month and 4.5 total downloads, we cannot hide Facebook even if we tried. All over the world, people are utilizing this number one social media app for news, group communication, live streaming, and sharing media content with friends and family. Over the years, Facebook has acquired other social media apps including Instagram and WhatsApp bringing all Facebook-owned apps to 16 billion downloads and counting.
Facebook Messenger
This messaging app has more than 1.3 billion users across the globe. Facebook users can take their chats to the app, share media, chat in groups, and even play games. The app newly upgraded with a video call feature also has a masking software that can protect the caller’s identity.
More than 100 million pictures and videos are shared on this platform every day. People just love to interact with visuals and this Facebook-owned platform is the perfect tool for that.
YouTube
Whether you’re on mobile or desktop, this video sharing platform is an excellent way to keep watching.YouTube has more than 1.3 billion users and over 5 billion videos are watched on this platform daily.This social platform is owned by Google and has been rated the 9th most downloaded app of the last decade.
Best Apps Internationally
After social media apps, these are by far the best apps of all time according to downloads, functionality, and features. Whether you’re an Android or iOS user, we’re sure you have one or more of these top international apps on your phone right now!
Candy Crush
There are endless options in the gaming category but this app is the clear winner of them all. This app has been popularly voted as one of the best apps for gaming. With more than 2.7 billion downloads, this simple but engaging puzzle game has been a hit in the past few years.
Amazon
You can’t do much to stop online shopping in today’s fast-paced world and apps like Amazon are ahead of the game. The online shopping giant services nearly 200 million shoppers every month. It is no wonder why this shopping app is more popular than others. Apart from regular shopping, app users get to enjoy flash deals and other deals of the day.
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Uber
Available in 80 countries around the world, this taxi-hailing service is by far the most popular of all time. Users can select their destination, car, and driver from the app and get rides to any destination. The transportation giant boasts of completing more than 5 billion rides since they started in 2009.
Gmail
Ever since its launch in 2004, the popular email service now has more than 1.5 billion users around the world. Google’s Gmail is the most widely used messaging platform with an app around the world. Users can combine mobile with web usage and still have all their activities synced.
Google Maps
Before this was an app, it was just a web-based service. Google Maps has become the household name for detailed information on sites and geographical locations. Users can view maps in street view, aerial view, and a satellite view from their mobile phones. Well over 150 million people use Google Maps every month.
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Best Apps In Africa
When it comes to app development, African developers have not been left behind. These five apps are the best produced in Africa and are also very widely used throughout the continent.
Med-Africa
The lack of access to health care in developing countries is a major cause of delayed illness and death. Developed in Kenya, this medical app helps diagnose health complaints and connect users with hospitals and doctors around them for treatment. The best part is you don’t need to have a smartphone to use this app, it works on all phones!
M-Pesa
Launched by Kenyan Vodafone affiliate, Safaricom, this mobile money transfer service is a hit in Africa. M-Pesa has more than 37 million users and has completed over 11 billion money transactions. Apart from Kenya, this service is available in Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania, India, Egypt, and Afghanistan.
Mwabu
This is another education-focused company that provides modern, interactive learning for users all over Africa. Students can learn in their local language and it is all done out of the classroom in exciting ways that encourage fast learning. There are currently 5,000+ interactive lessons available in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Ghana.
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Tress
This hair and beauty mobile app is dedicated to helping black women look and feel good. Founders Esther Olatunde, PriscillaHazel, and Cassandra Safro aimed to provide ample information for black women to find hair, beauty, and style information with just one click. Users can find styles with names, products used, and even salon locations to replicate those styles.
Tutorama
Then it comes to education, Tutorama is one of the best apps of all time in Africa. Through their smartphones, parents can get connected with approved tutors in their vicinity and set up lessons for their children’s continued education.
Takeaway
New mobile apps are released on the Android and iOS platforms daily. There are so many apps around that it can become confusing to know which ones you must have on your phone. According to millions of people around the world, these 15 choices above are the best apps of all time. What do you think of our list? Which apps do you think should be on this list that we have left out? Let us know your suggestions in the comments below.