App Store and Google Play growth flat in Q1 2022, says study

The Apple App Store's generated revenue in Q1 of 2022 was "more than double" than that of Google Play's, according to a report by research firm Sensor Tower.

Revenue from the App Store for the period was reported at $21.8 billion, compared to the $10.7 billion of Google Play.

Across both storefronts, nearly all categories saw usage growth. Medical apps grew 102% year-over-year, while navigation grew 24%, with travel, business, and shopping apps rounding out the top five.

The categories of weather, lifestyle, news, and games experienced a decline compared to the results of Q1 2021, however. The gaming app category is the hardest hit, which lost 3.8% of usage over the year.

App downloads in Q1 2022 were 8.5 billion for the App Store, and 28.3 billion for Google Play. They represented a mere 1% growth over Q1 2021.

The top five apps downloaded for iPhone and iPad were, in order of the number of installs: TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook — all of which are social media apps.

Consumers have also spent $21.8 billion on the App Store, compared to $10.7 billion on Google Play. Apple's app-based sales grew 5.8% over the last year, while Google's own sales shrank by 8.5%.