What’s Trending on the App Stores – BeReal, MLB, & Obimy

Every month, AppTweak takes a look at trending topics on the app stores around the world. In this monthly series, we analyze the top 3 trending apps worldwide and gain insights into their performance. In April 2022, BeReal, MLB and MLB Ballpark, and Obimy are apps that caught our attention. Read on to understand why!

All insights have been extracted using AppTweak’s Market Intelligence. AppTweak only uses first-party store data that has been tracked since 2014. Combined with a complex deep-learning model that accounts for seasonality and trends within categories and countries, AppTweak provides the most accurate download and revenue estimates for any app and game worldwide.

BeReal takes over social media top charts

The French photo-sharing app BeReal, launched more than 2 years ago on the app stores, started trending recently, even surpassing established social networking apps such as Snapchat. Data from AppTweak’s Market Intelligence shows that in April 2022, the app ranked #1 in the Social Networking category in several countries, including Canada, the UK, and Ireland.

Since its launch in December 2019, BeReal has gained more than 7.5M downloads worldwide, with 5.5M downloads generated between January and April 2022 only.

In April, the app received the majority of its downloads from the United States (402K downloads), followed by the United Kingdom (382K downloads), Ireland, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

BeReal taking over social media top charts. Source: AppTweak Market Intelligence.

BeReal grows by 159% in the United Kingdom

The app is recording impressive growth in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the United Kingdom, BeReal’s downloads grew by an impressive margin of 159% in April. With an incredible spike in downloads of 18K on April 17th, BeReal hit its highest number of downloads in one day to date.

BeReal grows by 159% in the UK. Source: AppTweak Market Intelligence.

BeReal overtakes Snapchat in Ireland

On BeReal, users get 2 minutes a day to snap photos and post them to their feed. With no filters, people are encouraged to show more real-life images of their daily lives. The app is popular among young people and is quickly overtaking Snapchat. In Ireland, BeReal has gained 136K more downloads than Snapchat in the month of April.

BeReal overtakes Snapchat in Ireland. Source: AppTweak Market Intelligence.

BeReal trends as a branded keyword

The BeReal brand name ranked among the top 50 trending keywords on the US App Store in April 2022. Data from AppTweak shows that in April, the keyword “be real” gained popularity among users with a search volume growth of 9% compared to the previous month. This is an impressive achievement for BeReal as an app and as a brand, helping the app gain more visibility on the App Store.

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BeReal trends as a branded keyword.

MLB downloads 11% lower in this opening season

Baseball season opened on April 7, 2022, and the MLB Advanced Media official apps (MLB and MLB Ballpark) boomed in downloads, ranking among the most trending apps worldwide on Google Play and the App Store.

In April, the MLB app trended not only in the United States, but also in Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, and Colombia. The United States was the highest download-generating country, driving 520K downloads (84% of total downloads worldwide).

MLB downloads 11% lower in this opening season. Source: AppTweak Market Intelligence.

In the United States, the MLB app reached a peak of 46K downloads on Saturday, April 9, following the MLB (Major League Baseball) opening day (April 7). However, data from AppTweak’s Market Intelligence shows that the app’s total downloads were 11% lower this year compared to the opening season of 2021. This might be due to the tournament’s unclear start and delays that have accompanied the beginning of this year’s season, with subsequent revisions to the MLB schedule.

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MLB Ballpark grows by 38% this opening season

Looking at the MLB Ballpark app (used for purchasing tickets to visit ballparks), the 2022 season has been very successful. The MLB Ballpark app grew by 38% this year, with more people using the digital ticketing app to go and see games. This indicates that app users are coming back to watch live sports rather than streaming them as in the post-pandemic period.

MLB Ballpark grows by 38% this opening season. Source: AppTweak Market Intelligence.

Baseball fever shows in keyword search volume

AppTweak data shows that MLB and MLB Ballpark apps are ranking in the top-trending keywords (including generic keywords associated with the two apps) for the United States on the App Store. Even in terms of search volume, MLB Ballpark is doing better than MLB for keyword search volume growth. AppTweak estimates show that in April, the branded keyword “mlb ballpark” grew in search volume by 19% compared to the previous month. On the other hand, search volumes for the generic keyword “ballpark app” grew by 16%.

Baseball fever shows in keyword search volume.

Obimy ranks as #1 app in lifestyle category

The Obimy app helps to connect partners, friends, and relatives through virtual hugs, kisses, and other gestures. AppTweak’s Market Intelligence data shows that the app is currently ranking #1 in the lifestyle category on the app stores in more than 15 countries across the globe, surpassing category giants such as Pinterest and Tinder.

Obimy ranks #1 app in lifestyle category.Source: AppTweak Market Intelligence.

The United States is the top download driver for Obimy with 351K downloads, closely followed by the United Kingdom with 247K and the Philippines with 189K downloads.

The data in this report are AppTweak estimates. You can export download and revenue estimates for any app with AppTweak’sApp Store API, now included with your AppTweak ASO subscription (Pro, Guru, Power, and Enterprise Plans).