Best Apps in 2020 - Google Play Store releases annual list of top Android apps
December is the month of reflection, celebration, and customary year-end lists. 2020 is winding down and it is again time to make a list of all the great things which stood out. Mobile apps are not alien to this trend.
The Google Play Store releases its own list of top apps every year. It has done the same this year as well.
The first question you might ask is the importance of these lists. What can an app startup or business learn by studying the top Android apps released by Google? Furthermore, what does an app gain from featuring in these lists besides recognition alone?
First, let's learn a little more about the top apps list released by the Google Play Store.
What are Google’s best apps & games lists all about?
Google releases a list of the best apps and games across different categories every year in December. The purpose is to accomplish the goal of every year-end list - highlight the notable events and trends of the year.
Google doesn’t just stop at releasing its own list. It also has a user choice list where Android users can vote on the apps they loved the most.
Every country gets its own localized list of top apps and games.
Why are these lists important?
Appearing on the top apps and games lists can help an app on various different fronts. The obvious advantage is getting free PR from some of the best online publications in the world. This has a direct impact on app downloads, revenue, and a multitude of other KPIs.
These are all the quantifiable advantages of getting features on a top apps or games list. There is a prestige factor here as well. Getting recognition on the biggest app store in the world should be a big deal for any app company.
The advantages for those making it to these lists is obvious. What about the others? What insights can new & budding entrepreneurs draw from these lists?
Take the user choice lists for best apps and games. Someone new to the mobile app space can look at these lists and recognize the type of apps people love the most.
Any kind of market research in the mobile app space should begin with the apps most users vote for in such lists. For example, if a pharmacy app is voted by users as the best app for a given year, it would signal a major shift in user habits and preferences in the pharma tech space. This is only a simple way analysts can extrapolate top apps & games lists every year.
So who did well this year? In the following sections, we will cover the top apps for the year 2020 according to the Google Play Store.
Google Play Store’s Top Apps in 2020 - Which apps made it to the final list?
The Google Play Store has over 2.87 million Android apps on its platform. It is naturally difficult to make it to the top.
Google releases seperate top apps and games lists for each country. The following sections will cover the top apps in the United States.
Best app - Loona’s Bedtime Calm and Relax
The best app is the most prestigious position an app can get. Loona’s Bedtime Calm and Relax got the top spot this year.
The app’s unique take on bedtime stories impressed Google the most. Besides its wonderful app design and seamless execution, Google found Loona’s sleepscape concept especially refreshing and innovative.
A sleepscape is basically a session of narrative storytelling combined with soothing sounds to help people fall into a peaceful sleep.
Loona provides a new sleepscape to users everyday. Each session effectively helps users shut out the outside world and completely reset their minds.
Best Everyday Essentials
Besides the best app, other top app lists are classified based on categories. Best Everyday Essentials is one such category. It contains some of the best mobile apps for the everyday needs of a user.
The pandemic caused a major shift in the everyday routines of people this year. The apps in this list helped users cope and brought greater organization to their lives.
Google chose five popular apps for this category. Each of them significantly helped in bringing structure to the lives of an average user. You might recognize some of them from your everyday dealings.
● ZOOM Cloud Meetings
● Calmaria
● Grid Diary - Journal, Planner
● The Pattern
● Whisk - Recipe Sacer, Meal Planner & Grocery List
Best Hidden Gems
As the name of the list suggests, the apps covered here are still new to the app market and growing their community.
Millions of apps exist on the Google Play Store and billions of people download them every year. Getting noticed is very difficult. It is thus great for seemingly underground apps with a growing community to get direct recognition from Google.
The apps in this list are covered below. You can go ahead and check them out.
● Loona’s Bedtime Calm and Relax
● Tayasui Sketches
● Paperless Post Flyer Invitation Maker
● Cappuccino
● Explorest - Photo Locations
Best Personal Growth apps
Personal growth and self-improvement are not philosophical concepts anymore. They are a burgeoning industry. From bestselling books to most watched videos, personal growth content is everywhere.
It thus makes sense to have a separate category for personal growth apps as well. Most of these apps cover various DIY-type content.
The top personal growth apps for 2020 are-
● Jumprope: How-to Videos
● Paired: Couples App
● Intellect
● Speekoo
● Centr, by Chris Hemsworth
Apps for Good
The apps featured in this list cover those which address a burgeoning social problem or encourage users to adopt better habits. The value these apps bring in solving real world problems is worth every inch of recognition and reward they get.
The apps that made it to the Apps for Good list are-
● Medito
● GreenChoice: Healthy Grocery Shopping
● ShareTheMeal: Donate to Charity and Solve Hunger
Best Apps for Fun
In a stressful year, app users were quick to enjoy fun moments at any time they could. The apps covered here helped users rejuvenate and find a lighter moment in their hectic lives.
● Reface
● Disney Plus
● Bazaart: Photo Editor and Graphic Design
● VITA
● Dolby On: Record Audio & Music
Best App (Users’ Choice) - Disney Plus
Disney Plus won the users’ choice for best app this year. The latest entrant to the streaming space, Disney Plus banked on refreshing new content and nostalgic old content from its famed vault to bring new subscribers.
The success of Disney Plus is further evidence of the potential of subscription-based app monetization models. Anyone just starting out with a new app cannot ignore deploying the subscription model for monetization.
In conclusion
This piece covers the top apps of the year 2020. The value of getting featured on these lists is obvious. However, those trying to grow their app and reach the very top can learn from the very best.
App development is not difficult anymore. You can make your own app without coding now thanks to mobile app builders. The challenge lies in meeting the expectations of the end users. The apps discussed here have done the same to a great extent. It is thus wise to learn from their success.
The lists discussed here are curated for users in the United States. You can visit the Google Play Store to know which app made it to the top in your country.
