Facebook and Google apps such as Gmail are the most popular smartphone apps among adult Android owners in the US, according to Nielsen’s latest research on smartphone usage.

To rank the apps by active reach – that is, by the percentage of Android owners who used the app within the past 30 days – Nielsen analysed usage data from metres on thousands of consumer panelists smartphones.

Facebook’s app is most active among Android owners aged 18-24 and 25-34, at around an 80 per cent active reach. 64 per cent of Android smartphone owners aged 18-24 have used the YouTube app in the past 30 days, compared to 56 per cent and 51 per cent of 25-34 and 35-44 year olds.

Angry Birds, meanwhile, appeals more to those aged 35-44 than other age groups, with 35 per cent using the app in the last 30 days, while only 22 per cent of those 18-24 and 29 per cent of 25-34 year olds launched the game. The 35-44 segment also demonstrated a greater inclination to shop using the Amazon AppStore. 24 per cent used the store in the last 30 days, compared to only 14 per cent of those aged 18-24.

You can read more about the study on the Nielsen blog.