An analysis of iPhone App Store data shows that Facebook has been struggling to maintain its position in the top 10. As younger consumers shift to newer social networking experiences like TikTok and BeReal, the tech giant's big blue app has lost traction.
Seven times last year, Facebook fell out of the Top 10 free iPhone apps in the US. Facebook may be losing ground as new apps push their way into the App Store's top rankings.
The app fell out of the Top 10 apps just six times during the first half of the year. It has dropped out of this grouping a total of 59 times in the first half of the 21st century.
The firm noted that it was out of the Top 10 for 37 consecutive days in 2022, up from two days in 2011.
The additional analysis provided by data.ai also supported the conclusion. In April, May and June, the drop-off times were the most concentrated. The app's rank fell into the 30s on April 18 and then plummeted to 44 on April 21. BeReal was climbing the App Store's Top Charts when this happened. BeReal is the top non-gaming app in the US.
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It's not clear if this trend should be a concern for Facebook.
In the past, the company hasn't held onto a strong position in the Top 10. A ranking in the Top 10 is only one indicator of an app's success, it's not an indicator of its ability to maintain traction with existing ones. Facebook has yet to concede. As of the most recent quarter, it remains the top app for monthly active users.
When Facebook is losing its Top 10 position to newcomers in social networking, it is more problematic than it would be if it were losing its rank due to growth.
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A failure to inspire a new generation of users is something the company is concerned about and a topic Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has talked about before.
The company has been retooling its teams to make serving young adults its north star instead ofoptimizing for the larger number of older people. This sort of shift could take a long time. It was not known if the company would be successful in marketing to a new generation.
Meta was aware of its teen issues long before the signs appeared in the top charts.
The time spent by U.S. teenagers on Facebook was down 16% as of March 2021. The data shows that young adults in the US are spending less time on Facebook. The report was one of hundreds released by a Facebook whistle blower.
Another metric was announced by Meta.
Facebook isn’t growing anymore
In February 2022, the company reported to investors that it had lost daily active users for the first time in its history. The platform lost more monthly actives after it was banned in Russia, a sign that a single market loss could hurt the company.
As of the most recent quarter, the daily active users had risen back up from the 1.959 billion reported in February.
Sizable numbers can make it difficult to spot issues on Facebook. It is still alive and well, after all. The company has other arrows in its quiver.
According to data.ai's "State of Mobile" annual report, Facebook was the leader in terms of monthly active users last year. The past quarter still shows Facebook at the top, but it's followed by Messenger, Amazon, and nowInstagram. TikTok has climbed up the rankings.
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Older adults combined with strong usage in both large and emerging internet markets boost Meta's apps. India has the highest number of Facebook users. The picture of where Facebook may go in the future is clouded by this. The platform of the future will be driven by the upcoming generation of social networking users.
Keep an eye on the App Store's Top Charts to forecast where that market could go. The charts show a window into new app installations. One of the largest markets for social networking apps is the U.S. data and it helps drive significant revenues.
The downloads fueling the Top Charts include people installing an app for the first time, a metric that can skew younger as, today, it represents the Gen Alpha demographic and tail end of Gen Z. The Top 10 position of the app will be hard to maintain in the year 2022. The Top Charts are dominated by newer apps like TikTok and Be Real.
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Research shows that Facebook is losing its ability to reach a new generation of users. Only 32% of teens in the US say they use Facebook, according to a recent study. The App Store's charts are an indication of what people are actually doing, while the studies are based on users' statements.
For now, what people are doing is seeking out Facebook alternatives in the form of novel social networking experiences driven by recommendation engines, like TikTok or BeReal.
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