Apple just revealed a list of the top most popular downloaded apps on its hardware this year and the results aren't as shocking as 2020 has been a year that had people finding new ways to connect while staying at home. There are two apps in the list that particularly stand out: the video chat platform Zoom and the social game Among Us.
Among Us was launched only in 2018 and managed to become the biggest game of 2020. Especially because its mobile version is free to download, the game saw a high level of usage.
Zoom also had more and more people turning to it for face-to-face video conferencing during the pandemic, whether for the purpose of socializing or business.
Other game apps in the list include Roblox, and Minecraft which remains to be the best-selling game to this day. Social apps like TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, and others also made it to the list, of course.
Apple also announced its annual app awards and introduced a new series of awards based on ‘'helpfulness’'. The award categories included app of the year and game of the year for iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Apple TV; app of the year for Apple Watch, Apple arcade game of the year, and 5 awards for App trend of the year.
A lot of the apps and games that made it to the winners list were released before 2020, but the tables turned when users particularly started discovering them this year for social connections and distractions. For instance, Pokemon Go saw its biggest update this year as it allowed users to play the game indoors.
The Apple Arcade launch title Sneaky Sasquatch became more relevant to kids in terms of its theme as it resonates with the freedom and enjoyment of childhood, and most kids who have been deprived of enjoying a normal childhood due to being stuck at home were attracted to the game.
Moreover, a lot of these games and apps decided to adapt their functionalities according to the current circumstances of social distancing. On the other hand, some services didn’t feel the need to adapt their features. For instance, CEO and founder of an interactive video chat app called Caribu explained that the app was originally designed for parents to talk to their kids, and so the service simply needed to be expanded to cater to the needs of the audience this year.
