The Google Play store is full of app these days, but not all of them manage to retain active users over a long period of time. To do so requires offering a uniquely useful service, and Facebook owns three out of the four most long term popular apps, according to data collected from Quettra’s study of 75 million Android phones and published by The Information.

Before we delve into the data, it’s worth noting the geographic distribution of the devices. Half of results came from the Asian market, while the rest were evenly distribution through other territories.

The data found that Facebook, Blackberry Messenger and WhatsApp users stay very active after the first 90 days, while the average app loses close to 70 percent of its user base after the first three months. Instagram came in fourth with around a 50 percent retention rate after 90 days, followed by WeChat, Snapchat and Twitter propping up the bottom of the list with a 31 percent rating.



Facebook owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and of course its own social platform, along with its own Messenger service, which did not rank nearly as highly. Interestingly, BlackBerry Messenger is proving particularly popular in Asia’s emerging markets, possibly because of its preload deals with manufacturers in these regions. Western favourites, such as Snapchat, Skype and Twitter, lose most of their active users within weeks in the Asian market.

The apps which tend to retain users appear to be the ones which see the most interactions per day and some apps are better at encouraging continual use than others. The results suggests that multiple features and larger contact pools help to prolong activity, while usage of more specific and limited apps, such as Snapchat, fade with time.

Love it or hate it, Facebook definitely has an eye for services and features that keep users coming back for more.