Facebook’s Mobile App Has A Big Holiday Week On iPhones, Bigger On Android

Millions of new iPhones and Androids got activated during and after Christmas this year — and what have people done with their new devices? They’ve downloaded Facebook’s mobile apps, of course.

I’ve been watching this trend for a few years, and the past week has been the biggest yet, based on the numbers visible in the AppData app tracking service. Facebook’s iPhone app grew by 4.1 million monthly active users and 1.7 million daily actives, which was beat out by its Android app, which gained 5.2 million MAU and 2.2 million DAU. Previous years have shown gains in the hundreds of thousands or lower millions.

The difference between the two platforms’ download numbers follows the ongoing trend of Facebook’s Android usage outgrowing iOS, even as both operating systems have surged in recent years.