San Francisco (AFP)

Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram were the four most downloaded mobile applications of the 2010s, according to a ranking published Monday by App Annie, a US company specializing in measuring app audiences.

The Californian giant therefore wins the first four places with its main platform, its messaging services (it bought WhatsApp in 2014) and Instagram, the network centered on photos and videos on smartphones, acquired in 2012.

Social networks largely dominate this list, with Snapchat and TikTok (fifth and seventh positions), two platforms acclaimed by young people, as well as YouTube and Twitter.

Skype, Microsoft's internet calling service, and UC Browser, Alibaba's browser, are also among the top 10 of the decade.

In 2019, we find the four vessels of Facebook and the Chinese TikTok who dethrones Instagram from fourth position. The American Snapchat is relegated to eighth position, behind Likee, which has exploded the counters since its launch in 2017.

Based on the TikTok model, the platform for creating and sharing short videos bases its success on both the social aspect and the editing tools (users can exchange their face for that of a celebrity, for example).

Last August, Likee had nearly 81 million monthly users, an increase of 374% in one year, according to the financial results of YY, the Chinese company which owns the application. It is particularly popular in India and Southeast Asia.

In terms of video games, Subway Surfers, Candy Crush Saga and Temple Run 2 topped the downloads of the decade. The Danish game Subway Surfers owes its gold medal in particular to a strong adoption in India, according to App Annie.

Of the 10 most downloaded games, only Clash of Clans and Candy Crush Saga also appear in the top 10 of mobile games that generated the most spending from players.

All applications combined, the Americans Netflix, Tinder and Pandora Music hold the top of the charts in terms of user spending, followed by the Chinese Tencent Video and the Japanese Line (instant messaging and voice and video calls).

Over the past year, the Tinder dating app has taken Netflix first place in this category.

© 2019 AFP