Tech Roundup: TikTok beaten by Brazilian government apps

Photo: Tada images/Shutterstock

Welcome to our Tech Roundup, where we bring you the biggest stories in technology and innovation in Brazil and Latin America. This week: The most downloaded government apps in Brazil.

Government apps are among the most downloaded

Data from AppMagic, which surveys Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, shows two federal government apps among the top ten downloaded on Brazilians’ smartphones last month.

State of play. Gov.br, a platform that brings together thousands of public services, was the second-most downloaded app by Brazilians last month, with 5.3 million downloads, ahead of TikTok and behind Instagram.

Meu SUS Digital, the new version of the public health system app, and Carteira de Trabalho Digital, which aggregates labor information, were the fifth and ninth most downloaded, with 3.5 million and 2.5 million downloads, respectively.
They were in the top 25 throughout all last year.

Why it matters. It shows the increasing digitization of public services in Brazil, and how the government’s recent investments in these platforms are beginning to pay off. The rise of Gov.br is linked to the fact that the platform is becoming the citizens’ gateway to several essential services.

This year, for example, only Brazilians using the...

Fabiane Ziolla Menezes

Former editor-in-chief of LABS (Latin America Business Stories), Fabiane has more than 15 years of experience reporting on business, finance, innovation, and cities in Brazil. The latter recently took her back to the classroom and made her a Master in Urban Management from PUCPR. At TBR, she keeps an eye on economic policy, game-changing businesses, and people driving innovation in Latin America.