Telegram beats TikTok; becomes Jan's most downloaded non-gaming app with 6.3 mn installs

Telegram has become the most downloaded non-gaming app overall in January 2021, leaving TikTok behind, according to Sensor Tower's report. If compared with last year, the messaging platform recorded 6.3 million installs which is 3.8 times more than January 2020. As WhatsApp’s new privacy policies caused a stir among users it appears to have definitely benefited Telegram which has gained further acceptance, earlier being seen somewhat as a niche app or one for below-the-radar activities.

Telegram was the most downloaded non-gaming app on the Play Store followed by Signal and TikTok. In Apple’s App Store, TikTok still remains at the top followed by Youtube, Zoom and Telegram at the fourth spot. Telegram was at the 9th position in December 2020 and managed to rise at the top in January 2021. The maximum percentage of downloads was recorded in India.

READ | TikTok Asphyxiation Clip 'dangerous', Italian Police Accuses Woman Of 'inciting Suicide'

Signal App Recorded Spike In Downloads

However, not only Telegram but Signal is another messaging platform that experienced a massive boost in downloads. After Facebook-owned WhatsApp updated its terms of service user agreement seeking permission from customers to share their data with Facebook, the users started looking for alternatives. “Use Signal,” the Tesla Inc. and SpaceX chief executive officer (CEO) Elon Musk wrote on Twitter on Jan. 7, which prompted thousands of users to switch their accounts from WhatsApp to Signal over privacy concerns. 

READ | Signal App Servers Down After Record Spike In Downloads, WhatsApp Delays Privacy Update

Signal App Servers Down

On January 16, messaging app Signal appeared to be down just a day after it was downloaded by millions of users. Over 2,000 reports were received by the users experiencing the issues as they were unable to send messages on both the mobile and desktop apps. According to the estimates in India, Signal was downloaded by 3 million people. Signal posted a series of tweets and acknowledged the issue as it said that the company was experiencing technical difficulties and working hard to restore the service as quickly as possible.

READ | TikTok Posts Gratitude Note For Team In India Days After Slashing Staff Amid Prolonged Ban

READ | Elon Musk Responds To Signal's Global Outage Tweet After Millions Of New Sign-ups