The most popular Android apps of 2011 are...

BANGALORE, INDIA: As we are nearing to end of this year, lets check out the most popular Android apps by age revealed by the market research company, Nielsen.

According to the study, Facebook and apps from Google like Gmail and the Android Market are the most popular smartphone apps among Android owners 18 years and older in the U.S.

Also read: Android vs iOS: Android leads in mobile apps download

To rank mobile apps by active reach, that is, by the percentage of Android owners who used the app within the past 30 days, Nielsen analyzed usage data from its proprietary device meters on the smartphones of the thousands of consumer panelists who agreed to be part of Nielsen's ongoing Smartphone Analytics research.

According to the study, Android users preferred apps related to social networking where Facebook's Android app is the most active among Android owners in the age group of 18-24 and 25-34, who both hover at around an 80 per cent active reach.

Also read: How to run Android apps on Windows        

Additionally, more than three quarters of users 35-44 used the app recently as well.

The study further added that Google's YouTube app gets heavy usage from Android smartphone owners in the age group of 18 -24. 64 per cent have used it in the past 30 days, compared to 56 per cent and 51 per cent of 25-34 and 35-44 year olds.

When it comes to gaming apps for Android users, Angry Birds, appeals more to those who are in the age group of 35-44 when compared to other age groups, Nielsen said.

The study report further added that 35 per cent of Android users have used 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.