Two months after its release, Gas, a viral social media app that allows users to interact without direct messaging, is closing in on 2.5 million downloads.
It seems all anyone is talking about these days is gas; but in our world, the world of mobile apps, the topic has little to do with strategic petroleum reserves or daily barrel production. Rather, Gas is a brand new social media platform that’s gone viral in the United States.
Launched just two months ago, Gas encourages small social groups to connect without direct messaging. Its main functionality is a question-and-answer feature that allows users to interact anonymously with people from their schools, neighborhoods, and other communities. Currently, Gas is available to iOS users in the United States only. However, the app’s developer has indicated it will continue to expand in the weeks and months to come.
Now, over the past few weeks, we at 42matters have analyzed a number of ‘alternative’ social media platforms like BeReal, the OG App, and VUZ. So, we thought we’d keep the ball rolling and see where Gas currently stands in the global app market. Here’s what we found (click the links to jump to the relevant sections):
- Gas Is Closing in on 2.5 Million Downloads
- Gas Is the Top Ranked ‘Social Networking’ App on the App Store
- Gas Ratings Are Up 4% Since Launch
Gas Is Closing in on 2.5 Million Downloads
This chart depicts daily global downloads for the iOS version of Gas between August 26th, 2022 and October 25th, 2022.
As you can see, Gas has been downloaded 2,454,612 times since it was released on August 27th. While things started off slowly, they began to pick up towards the end of September, when the app notched 79,557 downloads on the final day of the month.
Currently, Gas is pulling in over 100,000 daily downloads, with a high of 114,336 downloads on October 22nd. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the app is available for iOS device users in the United States only. In other words, there’s a ton of room for growth, both in the United States and globally.
Gas Is the Top Ranked ‘Social Networking’ App on the App Store
Top chart rankings in the United States provide even more insight into Gas’s success. Indeed, it debuted at number one among all ‘Social Networking’ apps on October 15th. While it briefly dipped to number six on October 17th, it reclaimed the top spot a day later and hasn’t budged since.
These rankings are particularly impressive considering Gas’s competition in Apple’s ‘Social Networking’ category, which includes heavyweights like Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Reddit, etc.
However, it ought to be noted that Gas has not generated more downloads than these apps. Apple’s ranking system is a bit opaque, but it takes into consideration a variety of factors. Downloads are important, but so are metrics like download velocity, recent downloads, ratings, reviews, and user retention.
Gas Ratings Are Up 4% Since Launch
Finally, let’s look at how users feel about Gas. When the first reviews began to roll in, the app earned a rating of 4.375 stars out of 5. Today, Gas has a rating of 4.551 stars out of 5. That’s a modest 4% increase over the span of about two months.
Moreover, to date, Gas has been rated a whopping 62,115 times. With such a large sample size, the jury appears to be in. Gas is good!
Final Thoughts
As noted earlier, we’ve been monitoring the current wave of ‘alternative’ social media platforms with a keen eye. In recent weeks, we’ve written up analyses of BeReal, The OG App, and VUZ.
In our estimation, Gas ranks with BeReal as one of the more intriguing platforms. Of course, neither have yet ascended to the heights of TikTok and Instagram, but both have shown promise by taking idiosyncratic approaches to social networking. While BeReal promotes authentic experiences, Gas encourages small social groups and anonymous interactions.
And Gas is just getting started! With an Android launch and potential global rollout in its future, things could get very interesting. We’ll certainly be keeping an eye on Gas going forward.