Traffic to Apkmirror explodes due to popularity of Pokémon Go

Traffic to the alternative Android app platform Apkmirror has risen from an average of 500,000 visits to more than four million on the day of Pokémon Go’s release. Many players from countries where the game is not yet officially available, are already getting started with it.

Just over 10 percent of traffic to Apkmirror comes from the US, according to analytics firm Similar Web, where the game is already available. Traffic also comes mainly from Brazil, India and Germany. Besides the US, the game is only out in New Zealand and Australia. In many other countries, the release has been delayed due to server issues.

Many users therefore turn to sideloading Pokémon Go. Apkmirror checks apps for its platform, but sideloading is not without risk: versions of Pokémon Go with backdoors have now been found. In addition, the augmented reality game is said to be abused by criminals to lure players to a place where they are mugged. The Missouri Police Department warns of this.

According to Similar Web, Pokémon Go now has significantly more Android installs than Tinder and the number of daily users is approaching that of Twitter in the US.