Last year, Instagram downloads reached 768 million.
20% increase compared to the previous year… TikTok only increased by 4%
It was revealed that social media Instagram surpassed TikTok in terms of app downloads last year.
On the 8th (local time), the British Financial Times (FT), citing data from market information company Sensor Tower, reported that the number of Instagram app downloads last year was 768 million, a 20% increase compared to the previous year.
He added that Instagram has become the most downloaded app in the world.
China’s ByteDance’s TikTok recorded 733 million app downloads last year, an increase of only 4% compared to the previous year.
Regarding the reason why Instagram overtook TikTok, Sensor Tower cited the fact that Instagram introduced ‘Reels’ in 2020, a form similar to TikTok’s short-form videos.
Sensor Tower noted, “Instagram has surpassed TikTok in (users’ app) choice over the past few years, with the popularity of the Reels feature along with basic social media features.”
There is also analysis that the growth of TikTok, which was launched in 2016, has begun to stagnate.
According to Sensor Tower, during the fourth quarter of last year, the number of monthly active users (MAU) of TikTok decreased by 12 million, reaching 1.12 billion. On the other hand, the number of Instagram MAUs increased by 13 million over the same period, reaching 1.47 billion.
Mark Shmulik, an analyst at the U.S. investment bank Bernstein, said that by introducing Reels, Instagram helped existing users stay on the app, which meant that users had no incentive to switch to TikTok.
He also mentioned that influencers are becoming more attracted to Instagram. While TikTok is a great place to become a star overnight, Instagram is a better platform for making money based on your followers.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.