Microsoft jumped into the pool two years ago to indicate that would focus on mobile with a series of apps that would appear on the most popular platforms such as iOS and Android. We have seen in these two years a good medley of high-quality Microsoft apps, although it seems that not everything is gold that recovers, especially in installations and usability.
Last year, it was reported that preloaded apps for the Google productivity were being used more than recently released Microsoft Office apps on mobile devices. When it was reported, Android was ranked as the most used operating system for mobile devices and that is why users were one click away from Google Work apps. What happens is that there is also the string that Microsoft has been late to the party of mobile and apps.
Only Excel is saved from burning
Now there is other new evidence showing that this trend has continued to continue through 2016, although with a single exception, and it is Microsoft's Excel app on Android.
According to the data offered by millions of mobile Android users in the United States, Microsoft's Office apps have peaks and falls in use and downloads, but it is lately when they seem to have stagnated or reduced its use when compared to other productivity apps that exist in the Android ecosystem.
Three are the data to take into account:
- Excel was the most used and installed app of all Microsoft's on Android. At the end of 2016, Excel had a higher number of monthly active users than Google Sheets, even though the latter had a large number of installs. It is the only Microsoft app that has surpassed the competition imposed by Google
- Microsoft OneNote had some growth in facilities in 2016, although it has been stagnating throughout the year. Although Microsoft updated it in October 2016, with new features and reintroduced those favorites of many, the app saw rapid growth in active users, although it did not hold up. At the same time, Evernote, although its number of active monthly users has been reduced, did not experience significant changes in the long run.
- The rest of Microsoft apps have stayed stops or have even seen a decline, with some spike when updates have been released. Excel is the only Microsoft app that is gaining new active users and competing against other apps in the productivity category
A preloaded app is easier to promote
If we go to the data offered by Comscore recently, in which it shows the list of the top 15 apps for smartphones, again Microsoft's Office apps were left out of the party with Facebook dominating number one and Google Drive appearing on the list, albeit in the lower positions.
The figures provided by Comscore reinforce the idea that apps preloaded on a platform They are easier to promote than those independent third-party apps with Facebook, Instagram, Pandora, Snapchat and Amazon Mobile as the only exceptions for the month of December 2016.
This is the top 15 list of apps:
- Facebook: 79,9%
- Facebook Messenger: 73.1%
- YouTube: 68.2%
- Google Search: 62.9%
- Google Maps: 57.1%
- GooglePlay: 52.4%
- Gmail: 48.8%
- Instagram: 45.7%
- Snapchat: 42.5%
- Pandora Radius: 41.5%
- Google Calendar: 37.6%
- Amazon Mobile: 36.8%
- Apple Music: 29.5%
- Apple Maps 28.2%
- Google Drive: 26.2%
Although Microsoft has revealed that Office is on 65 million active devices, Comscore and 7parkdata highlight the benefits of preloaded apps as the best form of promotion on a single platform.
Now we have to know if this data will have some influence on the next developments of Microsoft, when their apps seem to decline in usability and they are seen and desired, apart from an exception like Excel, to maintain a lively competition against the rest of the apps in their category.