Which Apps Do Brits Use the Most?

Smartphones are now an indelible part of our everyday lives, with nearly 54 million people in the UK owning a smartphone – and an incredible 99% of 16–34-year-olds in possession of one. Smartphones are more than just a communication device; they are a portal to peerless connectivity and a world of information.

As Apple’s famous marketing strategy for their early iPhones intimated, there is an app for everything. Apps are the programs and applications that enable us to directly access a wide array of products and services with the click of a button. We all know what apps are, but which are the most popular amongst the UK’s smartphone users?

News Apps

News apps are naturally a leading provision for many in the UK, being an inexpensive and often free point of access for information on current events. Major newspapers now release their stories and articles via apps as well as physical print, as more and more people move away from purchasing print editions of papers to sourcing their news via digital means.

Social Media and Communication

Social media and communication apps dominate user trends, though, as the core function of the phone wins through even in the digital realm. Social media applications are widely regarded to be the single most indispensable form of smartphone utility.

Direct messaging applications like Whatsapp lead the charge for consumer usage. But social media platforms have been era-defining in their cultural impact, with image-sharing site Instagram and short-form content platform Twitter shaping societal trends for the generation to come. Indeed, well over a third of all Gen-Z phone users have stated they could not live without their social media apps.

Entertainment Apps

Smartphones were also uniquely placed to replace other entertainment devices such as the MP3 player at launch, providing the potential to become a complete entertainment centre. This has been borne out with continued development, as streaming services like Netflix can be run seamlessly on even lower specs of smartphone.

Smartphones also offer access to interactive entertainment, in the form of online gaming apps. Millions of users in the UK and around the world play bingo online with their smartphone, while online-enabled multiplayer video games like Fortnite have exploded in popularity amongst younger generations.

Online Banking

Smartphones have also provided a new level of convenience when it comes to practical applications. Banking apps enable consumers to directly control their personal finances without having to log in to a computer, or walk into their local branch.

Retail trading apps have also grown in stature recently, giving more people the opportunity to grow their wealth on their own terms. The fintech industry as a whole has experienced key growth, as a direct result of a newfound consumer interest in retail trading and app-based financial tools.