Sensor Tower, the industry-leading market intelligence company, has released data revealing which apps were the most downloaded by Australians in Q1. 

While TikTok, Facebook and WhatsApp predictably reached the top of the list, two Australian streaming platforms also made the cut. Binge and 9Now both made the top twenty list. 

Binge especially performed well, as it outpaced Netflix in overall downloads. Netflix, recently announcing a decrease in users, as well as a shift towards incorporating ads in the streaming services. 

However, this isn’t the sole cause of Binge’s success; the Australian streaming service spent $10 million on digital ads just for Q1 2022, which is more than its entire 2021 advertising budget. 

COVID and health dominates apps

Other Australian apps that topped the list were government and medical related services, such as myGovID, Express Plus Medicare, and Service WA. 

Eugene Du Plessis, regional director for Sensor tower, said: “What’s clear is that the app economy has become increasingly entwined with world events and trends. Government apps that offer identity and vaccination verification functionality have become fixtures in [Australia]’s app stores amid the ongoing pandemic, as has the adoption of QR code scanning.”

Du Plessis also predicted that the surge in entertainment and streaming apps during the pandemic will level off. 

“Entertainment and social networking apps […] have seen a standing dip year-on-year as the COVID-fuelled adoption wave buoying them has gradually subsided.”

The most important insight for Australian businesses is the clear impact digital advertising had on Binge’s popularity. Its increased advertising budget directly correlated with a massive increase in downloads. It serves as another reminder of how effective digital advertising is at influencing consumer behaviour. 

“As Australia’s mobile economy continues to grow,” du Plessis continued, “look out for the apps that react to the latest trends. It’ll be the ones leading the way and setting the market in our mobile-first economy.”