TikTok Leads May 2024 App Revenue with $203M, YouTube Follows with $131M; Top 10 Hit $791M

This week, AppFigures released an analysis of the highest-earning and most-downloaded apps for May 2024, which came up with findings that were more or less a continuation of the trends observed in April.

Here are some of the key highlights for highest-earning apps.

TikTok topped the revenue charts, generating an impressive $169 million from the iOS App Store and another $34 million from Google Play in one month, bringing its total revenue to $203 million. Coming in second place was YouTube, with revenue of $131 million from the iOS App Store.

Disney+ grossed a total revenue of $107 million, with $76 million earned through iOS and the rest through Google Play. Fourth was Tinder, with a total of $88 million in earnings, whereas Max app was in the last position in the top five, with $70 million.

Combined Total	Revenue	iOS App Store	Revenue	Google Play	Revenue
TikTok	$203M	TikTok	$169M	Google One	$35M
YouTube	$131M	YouTube	$131M	TikTok	$34M
Disney+	$107M	Disney+	$76M	Disney+	$31M
Tinder	$88M	Tinder	$72M	Max	$18M
Max	$70M	Max	$52M	Tinder	$16M
Bumble	$42M	Tencent Video	$38M	Spotify	$14M
LinkedIn	$40M	Bumble	$34M	Crunchyroll	$14M
Tencent Video	$38M	LinkedIn	$33M	Twitch	$11M
Crunchyroll	$36M	QQ Music	$32M	Amazon	$9M
Google One	$36M	Hulu	$30M	Peacock TV	$9M

Further down the list, 腾讯视频 (Tencent Video) made $38M on iOS alone, and Bumble brought in $42M overall. LinkedIn took in $40M, most of which from iOS, and QQ音乐 (QQ Music) brought in $32M on that platform. Hulu rounded out the top ten with $36M in overall revenue.

Standouts across the top lists for the month included Spotify, which received an estimated $14 million from Google Play. In comparison, Crunchyroll grossed an equivalent $14m, Twitch $11m, and both Amazon and Peacock TV $9m apiece just from Google Play store. In total, the top 10 applications accumulated $791 million in net revenue during May month, both from iOS and Android stores.

Most Downloaded Apps Worldwide in May

May proved to be the most active month in mobile app downloads, with a significant shift in rankings compared to April, i.e. according to Appfigures.

Instagram led the downloads chart with a combined total of 66 million number, driven by the largest share from Google Play—58 million. TikTok came in second, with 51 million—split between 15 million on iOS and 36 million on Google Play.

Facebook stood third with 50M downloads, all from Google Play. WhatsApp sustained fourth with a total of 38M downloads. CapCut and Temu took the fifth and sixth spots, respectively, with 28M and 29M downloads each.

Combined Total	Downloads	iOS App Store	Downloads	Google Play	Downloads
Instagram	66M	TikTok	15M	Instagram	58M
TikTok	51M	CapCut	10M	Facebook	43M
Facebook	50M	Temu	9M	TikTok	36M
WhatsApp	38M	Google Maps	9M	WhatsApp	31M
CapCut	29M	Google	9M	Messenger	24M
Temu	28M	Instagram	8M	Telegram	21M
Messenger	28M	ChatGPT	8M	JioCinema	20M
Telegram	27M	YouTube	8M	Temu	19M
Snapchat	21M	WhatsApp	7M	CapCut	19M
JioCinema	20M	Threads	7M	WhatsApp Business	17M

Considerable successes, primarily on Google Play, were also registered by Messenger and Telegram, with nearly 27 and 28 million downloads. In the top ten, there were also Snapchat and JioCinema, downloaded 21M and 20M times. Notably, high download numbers were also recorded by WhatsApp Business app, with 17M downloads; CapCut and Telegram, both at 19M; JioCinema, 20M, on Google Play. TikTok was a decently large downloader on iOS, with 15M; CapCut was at 10M; Temu hit 9M, among several others. The report from Appfigures found that in May, the top 10 apps together racked up 358 million downloads across both major app stores—a solid 10% share higher than in April.

So, there you have it — TikTok's making it rain with $203 million, and Instagram's just casually collecting 66 million downloads. Welcome to the wild world of apps in May 2024!

Read next: How to Build Strong Passwords For Your Apps and Keep Hackers at Bay
by Asim BN via Digital Information World

New Analysis Finds that Webmasters and SEOs Need Thousands of Backlinks to Appear in Google's Top Search Results

According to a new analysis by Internet Market Ninja, it was found that it is not possible to rank in top 10 search results of Google if your website doesn’t have a lot of links. The analysis found out that the websites that were ranking in top 10 on Google all had more than 1,000 backlinks. Only 0.3 websites in the top 10 results were the ones who had less than 100 backlinks.

This shows that despite Google saying that backlinks aren’t the top factors to rank in Google search result pages, websites still need a lot of backlinks to get ranked. The findings from the analysis suggest that 3.4% websites with 100 to 1,000 backlinks have ranked in top 10 on Google. 33.7% websites with 1,000 to 10,000 backlinks are in top 10 results, while among the top-ranking websites, 36.9% had between 10,000 to 100,000 referring domains. 5% of websites with more than one million backlinks were also ranked in the top 10 on Google.

• Also read: Google Prioritizes Relevance in Links, Ignoring Those from Irrelevant Sources and Emphasizing Local Links

Some other interesting things that were found from the analysis were the presence of Amazon and Walmart in top 10 rankings. Amazon ranked in 164 out of 200 keywords on Google’s top 10 search results which was followed by Walmart for 57 keywords. The website which was the weakest in terms of rankings had 54 referring domains. The minimum requirement for ranking in top 10 Google results is 164 domain backlinks on average. The study also says that not all links hold the same value. It all depends on relevance of anchor text, authority/importance of linking site and the total number of clicks on the link.

Read next: 

• Study Reveals Rising User Frustration with Online Searches; Calls for Improved AI Solutions and Transparent Advertising

• Study Reveals Gen Z's Shift from Search Engines to Social Media; Signals Changing Trends in Online Discovery
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Microsoft Turns Its ‘Recall’ Feature Into An ‘Opt-In’ Endeavor After Privacy Concerns

After the launch of Microsoft’s ‘Copilot+ PCs’ that was backed up by Snapdragon processors, we saw the company debut another rollout dubbed Recall.

This endeavor was designed to enable users to look for anything and everything that was done via machines. After such privacy issues are on the rise, we’re now seeing the software giant announce how Recall would only be present as an opt-in option.

The feature first gained a lot of momentum when it was working alongside the wave of Snapdragon with X Plus laptops. It was revealed how users would be allowed to look for anything via the option on their PCs.

For those who might not be aware, it functioned with the help of screenshots that were made in a few seconds. This enabled AI to be searched via the screenshots so that users would get exactly what they were in search of quickly.

While most of it got done through devices seen online, experts and critics spoke about how it brought about major privacy implications. This had to do with capturing and storing data belonging to users.

But the tech giant seems to be backtracking on whatever claims it generated in the past. The announcement had to do with the option working as an option.

Seeing Microsoft’s default behavior across Copilot+ PCs, we saw how it could get turned off but then soon get enabled via default via the entire process for setup.

The company mentioned through a new blog post how it was doing a lot on this front to ensure options like Recall would ask users directly if they wish to opt in or not. If yes, it would be activated and if not, you can miss out on it at any time and choose to alter it at a later date.

The company added how it hopes to make the feature more secure in a few days with the addition of encryption for all data stores through Recall. This is right after a host of security researchers added how most of the data was stored using plain text.

The post was seen reiterating how all information gets stored as well as processed through devices. Meanwhile, the company did add how the feature would still be active and users would have great controls regarding whatever is getting captured.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Social Media Algorithms Barred From Recommending Content To Kids In New York As New Legislation Comes Into Play
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Social Media Algorithms Barred From Recommending Content To Kids In New York As New Legislation Comes Into Play

A new legislation in New York was passed yesterday that bars social media algorithms from recommending content to underage users.

The latest move is designed to stop addictive apps from throwing explicit and harmful material in kids’ direction. Moreover, it’s mentioned how the state Governor is expected to sign this new law into the bill.

The passing of the bill is giving parents a huge sigh of relief as many spoke about how it was a long time coming.

This means saying hello to how kids use social media from now onwards and that means a lot.

The latest act will inhibit apps that are popular with the younger generation like TikTok and Instagram from rolling out content to those below a certain age group, and by that, we mean the minimal 18-year age limit.

Therefore, apps would now be forced to work in a reverse chronological manner that is rarely seen in today’s modern time.

The new law explains how such algorithms are said to be very addictive in nature and can have negative impacts on the mental health of young minds.

They have a tendency to roll out material that is prioritized and linked to users on certain devices. This compels state AGs from disseminating regulations that need to be enforced. Hence, any firm that violates this needs one month to correct the matter or would be liable to pay hefty fines that no tech giant would ever wish.

The bill was amended to get rid of provisions banning apps from rolling out alerts to kids between midnight to 6am hours. Moreover, laws limiting social media use for kids are not only a popular subject of debate on a local level but one that has been talked about in detail on an international level.

Companies causing harm to young minds are being shunned while others are being pressed to do more to help ensure they remain protected at all times.

Experts predict how such a bill might bring about challenges when signed into law. Furthermore, we had one trade group representing leading tech and social media firms talk about how such laws are not fair and bar apps from functioning in a certain manner, adding that they’re not in line with the American First Amendment.

Others accused the decision of having significant political weightage and therefore digital rights groups argue in terms of what the real motive here is.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Survey Reveals PR Pros' Social Media Secrets: LinkedIn Dominates, X Left in the Dust!
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Survey Reveals PR Pros' Social Media Secrets: LinkedIn Dominates, X Left in the Dust!

According to the latest State of PR Report, LinkedIn has left X behind as a useful platform for PR professionals. X, formerly known as Twitter, has always been an authentic and useful platform for journalists and Public Relations (PR) specialists. But most of the journalists and PR professionals stopped using the platform after Elon Musk took over it in 2022. After surveying 1116 PR specialists and professionals from April to May it was found that these PR professionals think of LinkedIn as the most valuable and useful platform instead of other platforms like X, Facebook and Instagram.

61% of the PR professionals who were surveyed said that they are trying to use LinkedIn more, while 15% are trying to spend more time on X and 11% on Facebook. A few years back, X was the second most used platform for hiring reporters after emails. Now, only 10% of the PR professionals use X for hiring reporters, which is even less than hiring reporters through phone calls and text messages.

• Also read: Young Users Are Turning To Social Media For Everything Resulting In Search Engine Use Decline

As everyone is using TikTok nowadays, each social media platform is introducing short-form videos on their platforms. LinkedIn is also introducing TikTok like videos on its platforms. This feature will help in attracting young creators towards the platform. On the other hand, Facebook has also introduced a professional mode on its platform and has also made it easier to share short videos to direct messages. Even with all these features on different apps, TikTok is still leading among PR professionals with an 8% YoY increase according to the report.

Read next: What Frustrates Users The Most During Online Search? This Study Says It All
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

What Frustrates Users The Most During Online Search? This Study Says It All

Turning to search engines to find the answer to something is not a new practice. But we’re sure there’s been plenty of occasions where things don’t go as planned, leading to frustration on the part of the searcher.

To better understand what it is that frustrates users during online search experiences, ScorpionCO rolled out a new study to gauge just this. And the results are out!

Today, most Americans spend more time exploring products, jobs, services, and whatnot. The trend is bigger now than it was five years back. As per this new study, people aren’t happy with frustrations at their peak.

Remember, this is important because search engines are designed to assist users in finding more data on what they need. Now the question is what really irritates the user and why aren’t they able to find what they are in search of.

The top three reasons for frustration on the users' part included looking through search results, looking for the correct search term, and even turning to several websites to get what they’re looking for.

Experts feel the issues can easily be solved soon thanks to ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and more search engines. But right now, the real potential that AI in search is yet to be utilized.

A lot of respondents spoke about how they need more search results to get what they need and it’s getting annoying, not to mention time-consuming. Time is of the essence here and you can’t spend hours in search of something.

Others have spoken about how the search quality at Google is really going down the drain. People adore AI Overviews, not really, but Google believes so. Moreover, the Android maker even mentioned how research is done deeply now more than before. What it may have forgotten is how things might be more difficult to find replies for and that’s why people need to spend more time.

Meanwhile, the stats also shed light on how people aren’t happy with the ads thrown in their direction with just 12% claiming they were relevant.

Interestingly, when asked to go into the depths of this, it was amazing how people found more relevant forms of ads on TV, YouTube, and even Meta’s Facebook and Instagram than others.

Other interesting findings are how 35% claimed to be skipping out on ads seen on website results and 33% were going to turn to those that were famous or renowned while 33% would search for those results featuring bigger star ratings.

30% of those taking part in the study added that services that pop up higher in search are those said to be more relevant. On the contrary, 46% feel getting greater credibility in results makes the entire search journey so much more pleasurable.

A whopping 86% of the majority felt they could not differentiate between results that were organic and those that were paid. Meanwhile, 47% felt it’s simpler to tell the differences between those that are real and others that are fake.

With that being said, we must consider how not everyone in this world is tech-savvy so that also goes a long way. Such surveys are curated to make sure there’s a national representation of all demographics so as you can imagine, it’s not the actual representation of everyone great with technology.

Read next: Internet Use Boosts Life Satisfaction Worldwide
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Meta Accused Of More Unfair EU Data Practices As Users Complain Of Data Breaches For Training AI

Tech giant Meta is in the hot seat again as a fresh wave of complaints from users based in the EU took center stage recently.

Facebook’s parent firm is accused of breaching users’ data again for the sake of training its AI models. The news comes after a leading privacy group by the name of NOYB mentioned through a series of complaints being filed how the latest privacy policy changes of the company can no longer be accepted.

This complaint is related to a privacy policy that is scheduled to come into play by the end of this month. As per the updates, Facebook’s parent firm says it hopes to use this content to train different AI models.

Such material might entail personal details linked to users via public data. Moreover, the latest policy change would also go about breaking the regulations enlisted in the GDPR and that is why the privacy advocacy wants authorities in this part of the world to step in and carry out an investigation so such changes are barred from taking place.

Instead of forcing such users to ask for respective content, Meta says it would argue how it's doing whatever it can for users’ best interest. The whole endeavor related to collecting and processing data would ensure personalized ad policies, it added but not everyone seems to be on the same page here.

Noyb added how this time around, Meta hopes to be more aggressive and utilize people’s data for AI training on a larger scale and that without any legal limits, it has no bounds.

For now, Meta is yet to unveil what purposes such data is going to be used for. It could be linked to chatbots aggressive advertising or killer drones. In the same way, the firm raised eyebrows by adding how data might be available to third parties which means anyone located anywhere in the world would get access.

Meta has made a lot of references to different third parties that it shares information with like advertisers, service providers, and whatnot. Others would use this for the sake of carrying out research as they could generate requests to the firm for data sharing.

Meanwhile, the company has opted to reject all claims made by the privacy advocacy group, adding how it only makes use of user data available publicly on different products and services.

But what it failed to mention is how the privacy notes that data could be processed on different people even if they’re not using the company’s goods was not mentioned by the tech giant.

The complaints against Meta do not end there. There is much talk about how Meta’s subscription model is based on unfair grounds that force people to pay or have their personal data tracked for ad purposes. Therefore, opponents of Meta see this as a means to justify data collection.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Adobe Faces Serious Backlash After New Policy Accused Of Stealing Users’ Unfinished Content For AI Training Purposes
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World