In the few days since Pokémon Go’s release, the number of downloads, actual app usage and overall popularity has been immense. The app is already a giant.
Released on 6 July in a handful of countries, Pokémon Go has already overtaken Tinder in Android installs, closed in on Twitter in terms of daily use and now appears on more than 5pc of all Android devices in the US.
Those are the astonishing figures compiled by Similar Web, which already, only a couple of days after compilation, are probably underselling the app’s incredible opening week.
And as the release was limited to just the US, New Zealand and Australia, it meant a massive surge in interest for any APK alternatives to download the app.
Since the app’s release, traffic to apkmirror.com has skyrocketed, with 600,000 visits on 5 July, the day before the app was downloadable, and more than 4m on 6 July. According to figures from Similar Web, around half of them were from outside the US.
The game’s popularity was visible on social media within hours of its launch, with Twitter, in particular, a speedy way for users to share their Pokémon Go joy.
Given that it has probably overtaken Twitter in terms of use, that becomes quite an odd scenario.
Massive shocker – "Pokemon GO" hit Number 1 on US iPhone revenue in half a day. This simply does not happen. pic.twitter.com/ZjHNzcZgFc
— Tero Kuittinen (@teroterotero) July 8, 2016
Nintendo has felt a bounce on the back of the app’s success, too. Today its stock rose 25pc, adding an estimated $7.5bn to its value.
However, the servers supporting the app have been so strained that they have gone down several times already.
The app has not been rolled out in Europe yet, partly because of this. The demand is such that, until the server situation is fixed, there will be no official release in Ireland, the UK or beyond.
John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, the Alphabet spin-off that worked with The Pokémon Company to build the app, said the rollout is “paused until we’re comfortable”.
Once they’re comfortable, expect those figures to get even crazier.
Main Pokémon image via TK Kurikaw/Shutterstock
