You only have to look up the next time you’re in a cafe, on the street or catching a train to see how prolific mobile use is in Australia.

And driving the mobile momentum are apps, so today we're looking at the most popular apps in the world – with some surprising results.

Mapping the road to success

According to a report from GlobalWebIndex Google Maps is the most popular app in the world, with over half (54 per cent) of all mobile users having downloaded the app.

Social seconds

Social media apps make up the next three spots, lead by Facebook (44 per cent), YouTube (35 per cent) and Google+ (30 per cent). 

Chatterbox

A slew of messaging apps also made the cut. Wexin/WeChat comes in at fifth place with 27 per cent (ahead of Twitter on 22 per cent).

Whatsapp scrapes in at ninth position.

Facebook's mobile muscle

It's worth noting that Facebook now accounts for four places in the top ten.

Facebook's native app is at number two and Facebook Messenger at seventh place, while Facebook's recent acquisitions Whatsapp and Instagram (tenth place) make up the top ten. 

To find out more visit globalwebindex.net. 

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