Telegram becomes most downloaded non-gaming app globally; India leads in installs

Messenger service Telegram, which recently saw a surge of users after the controversy surrounding rival WhatsApp's privacy policy, has become the most downloaded non-gaming app globally.

According to data released by Sensor Tower, Telegram saw over 63 million installs in January 2021, coming to nearly 4 times its download count in the same period last year. The app was in the ninth position of the overall most downloaded apps in December 2020.

India led the download spree with a 24 per cent share of the downloads, followed by Indonesia at 10 per cent.

Read: Moving to Telegram from WhatsApp? Here's how to import your old chat history

The app also took the lead in Google Play Store's top 10 downloaded apps, moving up from the ninth position in December 2020.

On the App Store's top 10 downloads, Telegram took the fourth position in January, whereas it was not in the top 10 App Store apps in December 2020.

WhatsApp had in January asked its users to accept new terms that will allow it to share more information with its parent company Facebook and roll out advertising and e-commerce.

The result was a severe backlash, leading to the Indian government asking the company to withdraw the proposed changes to its privacy policy.

The proposed changes to the WhatsApp Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, without giving users an option to opt-out, "raise grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens," it wrote in a letter to WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart.

(With agency inputs)