It is safe to say that the year 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic jolted the world out of its comfort, is ingrained in our minds forever. There is no denying that we all will remember how everything shut down completely too well. Uncertainty was driving everyone crazy, and people worldwide strived hard not to plunge into depths of despair.
In such tiring and desolate times, people opted for different ways to cope. Some had their heads buried deep into their religious affiliations, introspecting their whole outlook on life, while others resorted to technology as their friend the whole time.
Without any judgment, per se, the pandemic hit us all differently. We all came out as a tad bit different people than we were before 2020. Since people changed drastically, the trends in technology were also bound to change. You can name a few trends that took a toll during the pandemic lockdown if you analyze.
In this article, we enlist several apps that soared throughout the pandemic times. The list includes both apps that are available for iOS and Android both. Though numerous online spams rose to take advantage of the people’s vulnerable state, some were shaped like scams but were quickly attended to by the concerned people.
Popular Apps during the Pandemic
1. TikTok
TikTok shares the top position in the list of apps that gained immense popularity during the 2020 pandemic. The statistics show more than 315 million downloads across both platforms. TikTok was the Gen Z application during its initial times, but then the pandemic and lockdown changed everything.
Many new users downloading this app and subscribing to it belonged to all age groups. Users made short videos and started new trends that stole attention from every social media app. Therefore, marketers seized the opportunity, and eventually, TikTok became a crucial marketing tool.
2. Zoom
Since their birth, all the pandemic babies of working parents have been aware of Zoom. These babies might as well utter Zoom or video call as their first words, and the world would not be surprised at all!
Zoom became synonymous with the concept of working from home. It acquired the status of a generic term for video chat or call, and thus, experienced about a 300% increase in the global user base. Statistics highlight that compared to December 2019, when it supported only 10 million meetings, Zoom started supporting about 200 million online meetings in a single day during the 2020 pandemic. Zoom also provides an option for the users to change or blur the meeting background. This app uses the same framework as that of AirG scam-free apps.
3. Plague Inc.
With almost all the family members at home, several app categories became popular. Plague Inc. was another gaming app that endured more than 1.2 billion downloads every week between January and May 2020.
The game entails fighting and adapting to a global pandemic, ironically suited to the global circumstances. History shows that this game also soared when ZIka and Ebola struck the work.
4. Google Classroom
The learning process did not stop during the pandemic with the physical classes on hold. Best online learning tools helped students put up with their lessons and not miss a thing when everything shut down completely.
Alongside Zoom and other video conferencing apps, Google classroom helped create a virtual classroom so that the students and teachers could interact in the most natural environment. The app registered more than 28.2 million global downloads during March 2020, which was 21 times higher than the previous year.
5. Strava
In the health and wellness category, Strava recorded a 47% rise in downloads during the first quarter of 2020, soaring to about 656 million downloads globally. According to the company’s data, Strava downloads hit the highest record of h3.4 million in May 2020.
Strava initiated a GPS device to track the users’ activity to compile their health and wellness data of the users. The app also contains motivational pieces to help users tread along the fitness journey.
6. Peloton
The 2020 pandemic was nothing short of a good year for apps such as Peloton. This at-home fitness app declared that it received its first-ever quarterly profit during the pandemic times, recording about a 172% increase in sales and more than a million subscribers in a short time.
Peloton app works with its stationary bikes and treadmills, which trended throughout the worldwide lockdown.
7. WhatsApp
Nothing became more evident than staying in touch and connecting when you could not even go out for essential groceries. It is why messaging apps such as WhatsApp rose to the top of the most downloaded and used apps during the pandemic. The app records more than 2 billion users daily using it for messaging and calling.
With the introduction of the WhatsApp business, the app has introduced so many more tools that facilitate businesses and companies to explore more marketing potential.
8. Netflix
Netflix became the global term for entertainment during the lockdown. With all the people stuck at home and only essential workers going out to get things done, people had a lot of time at their disposal to kill. In such times, people turned to entertainment and streaming apps, such as Netflix, that provide millions of videos for viewers of all ages.
Statistics show that by the end of March 2020, Netflix downloads had aggravated to about 59 million downloads, an almost 55% increase from the previous quarter.
9. DoorDash
Another category of apps that benefited from the pandemic and lockdown is the grocery or food delivery app. DoorDash was the most used food delivery app along with Uber Eats as more than more people resorted to home food delivery options. Another perspective that surfaced during the pandemic was that these food delivery apps also struck the highest number of deals with partnered restaurants compared to the pre-pandemic times.
10. The Outlook
Undoubtedly, technology had a significant role in making our lockdown phases better and more bearable. The pandemic times were hard for all. Some took it well, while others tried to overcome mental health challenges to remain sane. Humanistic psychology pertains to the concept that every individual perceives an event differently. While the 2020 pandemic shook all of us to the core, it also taught us many things about our lifestyle, the value of mental health, the importance of being connected to our family, etc.
