Photo: Apple App Store
Starlink’s satellite internet service is expanding rapidly across the globe, and a new report shows that the mobile app is becoming more popular as its subscriber-base grows.
SpaceX’s Starlink mobile app has made it into the top 100 downloaded apps in the Apple iPhone’s App Store for the first time, as reported by PC Mag on Thursday.
The Starlink app ended the day on Wednesday as the App Store’s 54th most downloaded iPhone app in the U.S., though it has since dropped to 96th.
Still, the accomplishment is an indicator of just how many people are beginning to use Starlink in the U.S., even as SpaceX continues to roll the service out worldwide.
SpaceX to Deploy Starlink Aboard U.S. School Buses, Shows Filing https://t.co/8VE2N88LNy
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“As for why it broke into the top 100 rankings yesterday on the iOS store, we can only speculate,” says analyst Stephanie Chan from SensorTower, which is the firm that made the initial discovery. “It’s possible that because Starlink has been in the news lately (e.g. adding more satellites to its network, seeking exemptions so that they can service Iran) that it has helped raise awareness or bolster curiosity about it.”
Based on lifetime installs, the largest markets for Starlink are topped by the U.S. and Ukraine, with 889,000 and 806,000 installs, respectively. Filling out the remainder of the top five are Canada (209,000), Australia (64,000) and Uzbekistan (42,000), according to SensorTower, noting total downloads have reached about 2.3 million since January 2021.
The Starlink app is free to download and allows customers to setup and manage their satellite internet system. SpaceX has 700,000 Starlink customers and another 700,000 on a waitlist, according to data shared with Le Monde last month.
