These Are the Most Popular Apps of 2017 Meanwhile, Facebook-owned WhatsApp raked up more downloads, overall, than any other app, excluding games, in 2017, according to Sensor Tower.
By Angela Moscaritolo •
This story originally appeared on PCMag
Not including games, Netflix was the world's No. 1 grossing app of 2017, a spot held by Spotify in 2016 and communication app Line in 2015, according to new data from mobile app analytics firm Sensor Tower.
"The streaming video giant saw gross subscriber revenue of approximately $510 million last year according to our estimates, representing a huge year-over-year increase of 138 percent, or about 2.4 times the $215 million users spent in the app during 2016," Randy Nelson, Sensor Tower's Head of Mobile Insights, wrote in a Friday blog post.
Dating app Tinder also had a good 2017, ranking as the world's No. 2 grossing non-game app. Line came in third, while Pandora and China's Tencent Video rounded out the top five, respectively. Overall, mobile users spent about $60 billion in apps on Apple's App Store and Google Play last year.
Meanwhile, Facebook-owned WhatsApp raked up more downloads, overall, than any other app, excluding games, in 2017, according to Sensor Tower. Facebook's main app came in second in terms of downloads, followed by Facebook Messenger, then another Facebook-owned app: Instagram. Snapchat ranked No. 5.
As for games, the Japanese hit Monster Strike ranked as the world's top grossing mobile game of 2017. It was also the highest-earning mobile app overall, for a third consecutive year. China's Honor of Kings came in second, followed by Fate/Grand Order, Clash Royale and Candy Crush Saga.
"Last year's global sensation Pokémon Go didn't crack the overall or App Store revenue top 10, despite sustained efforts by publisher Niantic to reignite the frenzy of 2016 with new Pokémon and other content," Nelson wrote.
