Facebook Claims Top Spot in U.S. App Ranking

Facebook, a company frequently slammed for its mobile strategy in the past, finished 2012 as the number 1 app for Android and iOS devices in the United States.

In December, 85.6 million Americans aged 18 and older used Facebook’s mobile app on either Android or iOS devices. Facebook overtook Google Maps as the most-used app in October, after Apple had decided to dump Google’s mapping app from iOS 6. Google remains a dominant force in the app space though, as 5 of the top 6 apps are Google apps.

To Facebook, the success of its mobile app is crucial. Mobile advertising accounted for 23 percent of the company’s ad revenues in the past quarter and is considered the main driver behind Facebook’s future revenue growth.