Productivity around the world

If I could summarize what I’ve learned about productivity in one word, it would be “subjective.” Everyone works differently and has different criteria for their favorite productivity apps. Still, there are some apps most of us have coalesced around (think Google Drive or Zoom). I was curious about what productivity apps are most popular among consumers across the world, so I asked data.ai for some insights.

Data.ai sent me the top 10 productivity apps by downloads, monthly active users and consumer spend in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.

• Google One, the cloud storage subscription service, is the most popular app by consumer spend in each country. No surprises here: We need our mobile storage!
• The app category with the most growth in six of the eight countries is mobile cleaner/antivirus.
• Microsoft Outlook is the most popular app by monthly active users in the U.S. and U.K. Waze is most popular in Brazil and France.
• Public service apps, or governmental portal apps, made the top 10 downloaded productivity apps list in Brazil, France, Japan and South Korea.

What do these data points tell us? In general, global consumers are taking more control over digital privacy, and working more on the go.

• Lexi Sydow, head of insights at data.ai, noted that the rise of password management and authenticator apps means that consumers are more aware of cybersecurity concerns.
• Microsoft Outlook’s popularity in the U.S. and U.K. indicates a shift toward mobile work. “In fact, we see the average person checks their Gmail app nearly nine times a day on their mobile device Monday-Friday in the U.S. during Q2 2022 on Android phones,” Sydow said.

The different popular productivity app genres show differences in “cultural norms or infrastructure across countries,” Sydow said. For example, the prevalence of public service apps might show governments’ digital innovation. Mobile cleaner and antivirus apps are often used more on Android devices, Sydow said, making them more widespread in Android-dominant countries like South Korea and Brazil.

Productivity is one of the spaces to watch when analyzing our relationship with our phones. Sydow said it’s a “first mover” category when people first purchase mobile devices. “We are also expecting our devices to do more of the heavy lifting for us — our personal life admin tool and portal to connect us to some of our most secure information and access points,” Sydow said. All over the world, our phones are our lifelines to work and productivity.