London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Signal becomes No. 1 app after reaching 1.3M downloads Monday

Signal becomes No. 1 app after reaching 1.3M downloads Monday

Similar private messaging app Telegram reached No. 2 on the App Store and Google Play

Private messaging app Signal held its position from Monday into Tuesday as the No. 1 free app on both the App Store and Google Play.



The app garnered about 1.3 million global downloads on the App Store Monday, according to app data and analytics website Apptopia.

"We estimate Signal has been installed 63.1 million times in its lifetime. Signal has been breaking its own daily download records since Saturday," Apptopia Insights vice president Adam Blacker told FOX Business.


Signal is an encrypted messaging app, meaning that the company cannot access any messages or calls made by users on the app.

"These types of shifts in messaging and social networking apps are not unusual," Amir Ghodrati, director of market insights at app analytics company App Annie, said in a statement. "Due to the nature of social apps and how the primary functionality involves communicating with others, their growth can often move quite quickly, based on current events."

He added that "users consistently spend more time in messaging apps than in social media apps; 67% more time on average as of H1 2020. Messaging apps that provide privacy features saw the greatest engagement growth in H1 2020. These apps saw on average 30% more active users than the alternatives."

On Jan. 4, Signal ranked No. 750 in overall U.S. downloads, according to App Annie. The number continued to jump until the app reached No. 1 in overall U.S. downloads on Sunday.

The app has benefited in popularity after people like Edward Snowden tweeted about it in 2015, with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently telling his followers to use the service, while simultaneously taking a shot at Facebook.

Encrypted messaging app Telegram also surged to the No. 2 position among free apps on both Google Play and the App Store Tuesday.

The two apps have come into the limelight recently after some people using the Facebook-owned encrypted messaging app WhatsApp expressed concern with a privacy update set to roll out in February and first announced in October.


The buttons of Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Messages and other apps on the screen of an iPhone.


The update stated that businesses communicating with WhatsApp users through the app, via phone or by email "can see" what users are "saying and may use that information for its own marketing purposes, which may include advertising on Facebook" if users opt to sharing that information.



WhatsApp later clarified the update in a January message, saying Facebook will not have access to any of its users' private messages or calls.

"We want to be clear that the policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. Instead, this update includes changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data," the app said in a blog post.

WhatsApp ranked No. 27 and No. 21 in overall U.S. downloads on Jan. 3 and Jan. 7, respectively, until it hit No. 38 on Sunday.

WhatsApp said Facebook will not have access to its users' private messages or calls, shared locations, contacts or groups. Users can also set their messages to disappear if they so choose.

Big Tech companies have made a number of policy changes and updates since Wednesday's Capitol riots in an effort to quell violent or conspiratorial rhetoric on their platforms, causing uncensored social apps like Parler, Gab, Signal and Telegram to see surges in downloads.

Comments

Fra 4 year ago
could you please remove the antisemitic comment of user "Oh ya"? he write "gew" he means Jew. Thanks.
Oh ya 4 year ago
Ha the gew is seeing $$$$ leaving his company now he is trying to back track. He has stated that if you do not agree to the terms and conditions your whatsapp account will be shut down. The gew does not own you, go a pair and show him that. Go to signal and hit him in the only place he has feeling... His wallet

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×