The most used apps worldwide in 2020 cannot be described accurately with one simple list unless the measurement is defined. Monthly active users, downloads and advertising reach each answer a different question. This article revisits ten platforms covered in The Media Lab’s original 2020 post and explains what the historical data can—and cannot—tell a business in Dubai.
Historical context: This is a review of 2020, not a current app ranking. The original article mixed platform audience estimates and dates. We have replaced that presentation with dated primary-source examples and a clearer guide to interpreting app popularity.
What does “most used” actually mean?
A download records an installation event under the publisher’s measurement rules. It does not establish that someone uses the app regularly. Monthly active users describe activity within a defined month, while daily active users describe a shorter window. Advertising reach is different again: it estimates the audience an advertising product can potentially reach.
These measures should not be placed in the same column and ranked as though they are equivalent. A service may also operate through a browser, television or desktop application, so a platform-wide user total is not necessarily a mobile-app-only figure.
- Downloads: useful for studying new adoption during a specified period.
- Active users: useful for understanding recurring platform use, subject to each company’s definition.
- Advertising audience: useful for campaign planning, but not a population count.
- Time spent: useful for studying attention, but different from audience size.
Two verified data points from 2020
Facebook reported 2.80 billion monthly active users as of 31 December 2020 in its fourth-quarter and full-year results. The date matters: this year-end figure should not be described as a January 2020 audience or as today’s audience.
Separately, WhatsApp announced more than two billion users on 12 February 2020 in its official milestone announcement. That announcement uses “users”; we do not relabel it as a downloads figure or assume it uses the same reporting definition as Facebook’s monthly active users.
These examples show the importance of recording both the source and the metric. They do not, on their own, establish a complete global top-ten ranking.
Ten platforms in the original article
The following is an editorial review of the original selection, rather than a new numbered ranking. Each platform illustrates a different way that people discover information, watch content or communicate.
Facebook represents a mix of social discovery, community activity and business communication. For a marketer, platform scale is a starting point. The practical decision is whether the intended audience responds to the planned content and whether the business can support the resulting enquiries.
YouTube
YouTube makes video a searchable resource as well as an entertainment format. A product explanation, interview or demonstration can answer questions that a brief advertisement leaves open. For UAE businesses, the language, subject and usefulness of the video matter more than assuming global audience size guarantees local demand.
WhatsApp illustrates the difference between attracting attention and handling a conversation. A business needs a clear response process when customers move into messaging. Our WhatsApp Business guide explains how to think about customer enquiries without treating every contact as permission for promotional messages.
Messenger
Messenger was also included in the original selection. When evaluating messaging channels, consider who will answer, which questions they can resolve and how an enquiry moves to the next step. An unattended messaging option creates friction even when the platform itself has a large audience.
Weixin and WeChat
The original article grouped Weixin and WeChat. For research, retain the naming and scope used by the original data publisher rather than assuming all products, markets and accounts are interchangeable. A global figure needs market-specific context before it becomes useful for a UAE campaign.
Instagram adds a visual discovery route for products, people and brands. A useful content plan gives each post a purpose: explain a feature, show an application or answer a customer question. Repeating attractive images without a clear message can leave visitors unsure what the business offers.
Douyin and TikTok
The old article combined Douyin and TikTok in a single entry. They should not be treated as one interchangeable campaign destination. Check which service, geography and reporting period a statistic covers. A figure for a combined category cannot automatically describe an audience available to one campaign.
QQ appeared in the original selection as a communication platform. Its inclusion is a reminder that worldwide app discussions extend beyond the platforms familiar to one local market. However, inclusion in a global article does not make a channel relevant to every Dubai business.
Qzone
Qzone was another platform in the historical list. When reviewing older material, first check whether a number refers to accounts, people or active use, then record the date. An old figure without its original definition should not become the foundation of a new media plan.
Weibo completed the original ten entries. Audience research should account for language and market context, not only the size of a service. For a business considering a new market, local customer research is more useful than simply copying a global popularity table.
How Dubai businesses can use historical app research
Historical data helps explain how digital habits developed. It is less useful for choosing today’s budget without current evidence. Start with a customer journey, then assign channels to the moments where they can help.
For example, a UAE product brand could use a short video to introduce an unfamiliar feature, a detailed product page to answer specifications and a contact route for purchase questions. This is a planning example, not a claim about a campaign result. Each stage needs its own content and measure of success.
- Define the audience: identify the customer, location, language and problem.
- Choose the task: decide whether the channel must generate discovery, explain a product or handle an enquiry.
- Check fresh evidence: use recent platform information and your own results.
- Plan the destination: connect the content to a relevant, working page.
- Review outcomes: compare useful actions and lead quality, not only views.
The Media Lab’s social media marketing services in Dubai bring content planning and channel management together. Our video production team develops the stories and demonstrations those channels need. A well-planned website gives interested visitors a clear next step.
Frequently asked questions
Was Facebook the most downloaded app in 2020?
The monthly active user figure cited here cannot answer a downloads question. A downloads ranking requires a separate source with a stated period, market and app-store coverage.
Can I use 2020 figures in a current marketing presentation?
Yes, when they are clearly labelled as historical and support a historical comparison. Do not present them as current audience sizes or mix incompatible metrics in one ranking.
Does a large global audience mean a platform is right for a UAE brand?
No. Evaluate local audience relevance, content suitability, available resources and the action you want customers to take. A channel should serve the business objective.
Can The Media Lab help choose channels and create content?
Yes. Share your audience, product or service, current channels and objectives through our contact page. That gives the team a useful starting point for a focused content plan.
