Mar 24, 2020 - Health

Video chat apps get unexpected boost from coronavirus

Kia Kokalitcheva, Sara Fischer

Houseparty, the group video chat app recently acquired by Epic Games, is enjoying a resurgence in popularity as people are asked to remain home to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The big picture: Video chat apps across the board saw an uptick in new downloads as consumers look to communicate with friends and family (and even colleagues) online.

Data: SensorTower; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios

Between the lines: While none of the top video chat apps in the last couple of weeks are brand new, the surge in new downloads hints that the urge to connect with other folks online is driving people to download apps they didn't use before.

  • These apps are getting over the hurdle of persuading consumers to download yet another app.

By the numbers:

  • Houseparty downloads in the U.S. between the weeks of March 2 and March 9 grew by 75%, and by more than 500% the following week, according to data from SensorTower.
  • Other apps like Zoom, Google's Hangouts Meet, and Marco Polo also saw incredible growth in new app downloads.

And Houseparty's resurgence isn't limited to the U.S.:

  • UK: Weekly downloads across iOS & Google Play grew 25% during the week of Mar 8 compared to the weekly average of 2020, and 40% compared to the weekly average for Q4 2019, per App Annie.
  • Italy: Weekly downloads across iOS & Google Play grew 124x during the week of Mar 8 compared to the weekly average of 2020 and 218x compared to the weekly average for Q4 2019, per App Annie.

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