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Google's dedicated Assistant app hits 500 million installs on the Play Store
It's still just a shortcut, but a very popular one
If you've ever had to send a text while driving or set a timer while cooking, you know how helpful Google Assistant can be. It's as essential a tool as anything else you'll find on your phone, and since it's built right into the standard Google app, you can be confident it's on every Android device. Of course, Google offers a dedicated Assistant shortcut app in the Play Store, and while it's not necessary, it sure is popular. Less than a year after its last milestone, Assistant has hit 500 million installs on the Play Store.
Google Go passes 500 million downloads on the Play Store
It's a good indicator of Android Go's success
Back in November 2019, we reported Google Go passed 100 million downloads on the Play Store. That success was fueled both by the fact that the app is pre-installed on Android Go devices but also thanks to its data-saving approach, which helps millions of users around the world limit their data consumption. The app just passed 500 million installations on the Play Store, which confirms its global success.
Google's phone dialer application started off as a Pixel-exclusive replacement for the AOSP Phone app, but it has made plenty of appearances on devices from other companies, and Google even started allowing most people to download it from the Play Store. Now the app has passed a new milestone, according to the Play Store: 500 million installations.
Zoom now has just as many installs on Android as Spotify and SwiftKey
The app has now passed 500 million downloads
Zoom was already a popular video-conferencing tool before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Still, as it became one of the top choices for video calls at the start of 2020 (much to Google's chagrin), it quickly turned into a household name. If you needed another indicator of how popular Zoom has become, the Android app just passed 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store.
Google One passes 100 million installs on Play Store
The number is partially boosted by pre-installations
Android devices have to include at least some of Google's own applications if they want access to the Play Store (which is an issue on its own), so it's not too surprising when one of the company's apps reaches a significant number of installs. The management app for Google One is the latest application to reach 100 million installs, placing it in the same range as Google Classroom and YouTube Studio.
Google added its Contact and Phones apps to the Play Store in December 2015, so they could receive updates outside of full system upgrades. That allows the Contacts app to be installed on devices that shipped with a different contact picker, helping push it over the 500 million installs mark to join YouTube GO, Android Auto, and Google Files.
Android Auto recently passed 500 million installs on the Play Store, possibly thanks to its inclusion on most phones shipping with Android 10, and now two more Google-made applications have passed significant milestones.
Android Auto hits 500 million installs on the Play Store
Buoyed by Google's new GMS agreement for Android 10, no doubt
Android Auto is on a roll this year. Merely six months ago, the Play Store app listing hit 100 million downloads, and already the app has now crashed through the half-billion barrier. Of course, most phones ship with the app pre-installed these days, easily inflating those numbers. Still, it's a milestone for Google's smart in-car infotainment system.
I don't think it's a stretch to say SwiftKey is one of the most important Android apps ever released. It's largely responsible for popularizing swipe-typing, which can now be found on pretty much every other software keyboard. Now the app has passed 500 million installations on the Play Store.
Facebook's Messenger has grown from being a simple texting solution to an independent messaging and video chatting software. Because of its numerous features, the company separated Messenger into a dedicated app, which ended up being quite heavy. However, Facebook released Messenger Lite in 2016 to offer a less resource-hungry alternative for more limited devices. The lighter app has become so successful that it just passed 500 million downloads on the Play Store.
Google's been heavily working on improving its Messages app, by enriching it with advanced features such as context-aware recommendations, a dark mode, RCS support, and a web interface. Thanks to these, it's only natural for the software to be one of the most installed messaging apps on the Play Store, as it's in the top 25 communication software on the Play Store according to App Annie. It's actually so popular it's been downloaded more than 500 million times by Android users.
Someone needs to go buy a green-frosted cake because we're about to celebrate this momentous occasion for Spotify. The app just passed the cap of 500 million "downloads" or "installs" on Android, depending on whether you want to take into account the Play Store's app or web wording choice, respectively.
Clash of Clans used to be one of the most popular mobile games, consistently ranking high in app stores' top charts. In fact, it was so popular that it spawned a whole mess of crappy spin-offs with similar icons and "clash" or "clans" in their names. These days, not nearly as many people play anymore, but all of the installs from the Play Store now add up to over 500 million.
Samsung Health initially debuted as 'S Health' on the Galaxy S3. It was initially only available on Samsung's Galaxy Apps store, but became available to all Android 4.4 KitKat+ devices in 2015. It's now hit a whopping 500 million downloads on the Play Store.
MX Player, first released in 2011, has been one of the most popular Android video players for years. The app has now passed 500 million installations on the Play Store, marking another major milestone for the video player. MX Player doesn't appear to have been pre-installed on any Android devices, so that number should be 100% user downloads.
One million downloads is awesome. Five million, even more so. Ten million is incredible. But 500 million downloads takes it to a whole other level. That's the figure that UC Browser has just achieved on the Play Store, and even if you don't use or like this particular app, you have to admit it's damn impressive.
LINE, a messaging app popular in Asia, and growing in popularity in Europe and America, has passed 500 million downloads on the Play Store, joining an exclusive club which currently includes Dropbox, Instagram, and Skype.
Many of Google's apps have passed a billion installs. This sounds like a large accomplishment, until you consider that shipping pre-installed counts as being installed. In that case, it's more impressive when third-party software makes the list. Dropbox isn't at a billion yet, but it's now halfway there.
The Instagram Android app has acquired over 500 million installs, a milestone that only a few items in the Play Store can claim. The majority of them come from Google, but Instagram marks the third one from Facebook.