It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single person in possession of a good phone app must be in want of ten more. A new app seems to pop up every day, promising the perfect solution to your most pressing problem. However, with so many options available today, it can be hard to decide which apps are worth downloading.
Here are the top 10 most popular apps in 2021.
10: Instagram
With over 500 million monthly active users, Instagram is a social media app that allows users to share photos and videos with their followers.
9: YouTube
If there’s one app that’s set to dominate the next five years, it’s YouTube. With a plethora of platforms to choose from, you can browse the biggest hits, most popular videos, and most hilarious moments in history. Then, you can even choose from a number of different comment sections, which means you can be an active participant in your favorite videos. With the help of YouTube, you can share your favorite videos and connect with friends and family. Whether you are a producer, an activist, a performer, or a vlogger, this is the top app in 2021.
8: Uber
It is easy to dismiss Uber as simply another ride-hailing app. After all, it has some pretty big competition in Lyft, Via, and Gett. But to date, Uber has not had an overall great year. Its valuation has fallen significantly, as it’s been accused of doing shady business and sexually harassing employees. In early January 2017, Uber’s CEO Travis Kalanick was forced to resign amid allegations of questionable business tactics. In October 2017, Uber was found to be using a secret program called “Hell” that paid drivers to report on each other. Uber’s executives have yet to explain why this program was necessary or even what it was.
But it looks like Uber will right the ship.
7: Amazon
Sale: 99 cents
The user-friendly online retail giant, Amazon, has grown immensely in the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. Amazon makes buying everything you need for any reason a breeze. Buy baby clothes, new slippers, household items, or any other thing you could ever need for around the house. Shopping at Amazon is convenient and user-friendly, and it’s available at just about any time.
6: Gmail
Google’s email service remains the de facto standard. It is also the one most likely to be found in your phone.
At this point, the only advantage Gmail has over the competition is ease of use. In terms of functionality, it is pretty much equal to Google Inbox, with the ability to store and track mailboxes, drag and drop the folders of emails, and setting up sophisticated filters to sort through email messages.
Gmail has matured over the last few years and most people would still recommend it over Google Inbox, which offers some interesting new features, such as weather forecasts and personal weather calendars. However, Inbox is only two years old, while Gmail has been around for a decade and is now over 15 years old. For this reason, I have placed it at the top of my list.
5: Netflix
Nowadays, television is becoming obsolete. People don’t need to watch shows in the same way they used to, as there are countless different ways to watch your favorite movies and TV shows. That’s where Netflix comes in. Netflix users can stream movies and TV shows from a vast library of content. To top it all off, Netflix can even be watched on mobile devices, or on the most retro of devices – a computer! The only negative thing you can say about this app is that the content is becoming more and more limited by the day. However, in five years, Netflix will be the go-to app for streaming television.
4: WhatsApp
WhatsApp has been around for over 6 years and is available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and even Linux. WhatsApp’s primary function is to facilitate sharing of messages between mobile devices. It is also used to make calls, send files, or share media.
3: Linkedin
By 2021, Google’s social network will reach its 20th birthday. Although it has seen a decline in its usage, it will continue to be a dominant player in the social networking space for years to come. A study by Singularity Hub showed that LinkedIn’s developer community is expected to surpass that of Pinterest’s by then. As the company evolves, it will become more prominent as a social network than it is today, as it offers more analytics and allows for some fairly sophisticated scheduling and calendar features.
2: Zoom
With Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack, all those of us with wired headphones are in search of a reliable audio fix. Zoom allows you to listen to audio files that have been “tuned to your ears” via Bluetooth headphones.
1: Facebook
Everyone I know uses Facebook, either as a friend or to stalk people they know. As Facebook continues to expand, I think it will continue to be the go-to app for its network of users. It has been redesigned countless times, becoming ever more addicting. Users report becoming addicted after just a couple of months. When the app first launched, I didn’t see the need. But with the new users coming on to the platform, it has become extremely popular. The concept of the social network is still too new to become tired.
