Sarah Tew/CNET
TikTok has become the first non-Facebook mobile app to surpass 3 billion downloads globally, according to a Tuesday analysis from Sensor Tower. The milestone makes TikTok the fifth non-game app to cross the threshold, following WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook and Instagram.
In the first half of 2021, TikTok became the most downloaded non-game app globally, touting 383 million first-time installs early in the year despite being down 619 million installs in the first half of 2020. The 38% downswing of 2020 was attributed to the app’s removal from the market in India.
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In Q1 of 2021, downloads climbed 2% quarter-over-quarter to 177.5 million, spiking again in Q2 with 16% quarter-over-quarter gains accounting for 205 million installs. In 2020, TikTok accumulated 315 million downloads, breaking global records in Q1 and nabbing more downloads in a single quarter than any app.
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