Facebook reportedly losing its grip as top 10 app in US: Here’s why

As per the report, Facebook only fell out of the Top 10 free iPhone apps in the US seven times in 2021. But in 2022, that figure has already soared to 97 — an indication that Facebook may be losing ground as new apps push their way into the App Store’s top rankings.

For a more direct comparison, Facebook’s app fell out of the App Store’s Top 10 apps just six times during the first half of 2021. In the first half of 2022, however, it has dropped out of this grouping a total of 59 times, per data provided to TechCrunch by app intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

It even once stayed out of the Top 10 for as long as 37 consecutive days in 2022, the firm noted, up from just two consecutive days in 2021.

Additional analysis provided by another App Store data provider, data.ai, formerly App Annie, also supported this conclusion — though it found the app dropped out of the Top 10 on iPhone in the US only 4 times throughout 2021, compared with 110 days in 2022 so far.

It found Facebook’s drop-off times this year were mainly concentrated in April, May and June. April was Facebook’s worst month so far, as the app’s rank fell into the 30s on April 18, and then reached as low as No. 44 on April 21.

Notably, this was around when BeReal was climbing the App Store’s Top Charts, breaking into the Top 5.

Currently, BeReal is the No. 1 non-gaming app on the US App Store.

A ranking in Top 10 Apps is only one means of measuring an app’s success. It is seen only an indicator of a company’s ability to attract new users. But does not determine the ability to maintain traction with existing ones- front that Facebook has not yet conceded as it still remains the top app by monthly active users as of the most recent quarter, per data.ai’s analysis.

What is problematic is Facebook losing its Top 10 position to newcomers in social networking — like the current No. 1 app BeReal due to growth from COVID-era necessities, like Zoom.

(With inputs from IANS)

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