New Delhi: Driven by a renewed surge in India amid WhatsApp privacy row, Telegram has become the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide for January 2021 with more than 63 million installs, 3.8 times its downloads in the same month a year ago, according to latest data released by app analytics firm Sensor Tower.

The countries with the largest number of Telegram installs were India at 24 per cent, followed by Indonesia at 10 per cent.

Telegram reached the top position in the overall downloads (non-game) on Google Play Store moving from ninth position in the previous month, December 2020.

The app also entered the list of top 10 most downloaded (non-game) apps on App Store, directly gaining the fourth position.

The popularity of Telegram increased dramatically after WhatsApp started sending notifications to over 400 million users in India in January asking them to either accept its new policy or see their accounts removed from February 8.

Facing a huge backlash in the country, WhatsApp deferred its new data privacy policy by three months and said that no one will lose his or her account from February 8 for not accepting the updated terms of service.

In the wake of the controversy, the popularity of another app, Signal, also increased in India.

According to the latest Sensor Tower data, Signal came third in the overall downloads worldwide for January, leaving Facebook and WhatsApp behind.

TikTok emerged as the second most installed non-gaming app worldwide last month with close to 62 million installs, Sensor Tower said.

(IANS)