Nielsen just published a list of the top 20 Android apps used within the last month by Americans 18 and older.
The results aren't what you might expect. They tell an interesting story about how Google apps get used versus third party apps people purchase but then leave dormant on a distant home screen.
According to Nielsen, "To determine each app's “active reach,” — the percentage of Android owners who used an app within the past 30 days — Nielsen analyzed the data from on-device meters on thousands of Android smartphones."
20. Google+ starts to make a dent
Google's new social network Google+ starts to make a dent in the market, and is used on 11.8% of Android phones.
Interestingly, 15.9% of men use the app daily but only 7.2% of women use it daily.
19. Kindle is the most popular reading app
Kindle is the reading app of choice for Android users. 12.4% of whom use it frequently.
But where's Google Books, which has millions of free titles?
18. Angry Birds Rio is a stellar sequel, but still not as popular as the original
Rio is not as popular as his older sibling, but is still the third most played game in the Android app store. 13.6% of Android users play it.
17. Adobe Reader lets Android users read PDFs
13.9% of people use Adobe Reader to read PDFs on the go.
16. Barcode Scanner is the go-to price checker app for Android
Barcode Scanner helps 13.9% of people check prices and reviews on their Android devices.
15. Twitter isn't quite as popular as we would've thought
14.9% of Android users check Twitter to see what's up with friends, celebrities, and news outlets around the world.
14. Talk - Text To Voice is one we hadn't even heard of
16.0% of Android users get a kick out of making a robot say whatever they want aloud using Text To Voice.
13. Words With Friends is Scrabble on steroids
Words With Friends is the social Scrabble game of choice for Android users. 16% of whom play it frequently.
12. The Amazon App Store is a big surprise hit
We're shocked to see Amazon's Android App Store in the top 20. 17.7% of Android users check it out, as well they should--Amazon frequently offers premium apps for free.
11. The Weather Channel is a crowd favorite weather app
17.8% of Android users check the weather using this app. We almost would've expected more from this one.
10. Pandora Radio is how Androids listen to music
23.9% of people with Androids use Pandora to listen to customized radio stations while on the go or at work.
9. QuickofficePro is hands down the best documents editor for Android
For students and business people on the go, QuickofficePro is the way to go for editing Office documents.
Considering 25.3% of Android users (on average) use this app, there must be a pretty huge percentage of business people and students that use it, because how many others would be willing to pay $14.99 for an app?
This is far and away the most expensive app in the top 20.
8. Angry Birds is the most popular game on Android
Angry Birds is somehow still the most popular mobile game in the world since its release in 2009.
It's free, it's fun, and it will compel you to collect as many golden eggs as possible. 25.9% of Android users play it.
7. Advanced Task Killer Free is a utility one quarter of people use
Advanced Task Killer is a handy tool for Android users looking to free up some RAM and make their phone run faster.
Many people debate the actual efficacy of apps like Advanced Task Killer Free, but 26.1% of Android users try it anyway.
6. Watching videos on the go is a daily diversion for half of Android users
YouTube, one of the staple apps on every smartphone today, is used frequently by 51.4% of Android users.
5. Google Searching is not nearly as prevalent as we would think
71.9% of Android users use their smartphone to perform Google searches.
This alone is some kind of proof that many Americans have an Android phone just because it was a free upgrade, and not because they have any idea how to use a smartphone.
Or maybe the rest just use Opera.
4. Facebook is the most popular social network on Android
Coming in ahead of Google Search, an astonishing 73.5% of Android users check Facebook.
3. Gmail is the best email app for Android
74.5% of Android users use Gmail to check emails every day, a stunning reminder of Gmail's huge user base.
2. Google Maps is the predominant maps app for Android
Google Maps for Android is brilliant for driving directions, GPS, and for helping you never get lost again. 74.6% of Android owners use it.
1. The Android Market is the most popular app for Android
In order to download any app, you'll need to browse the Android Market. So it only makes sense the greatest number of people use this app consistently to browse, purchase, and check out apps.