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WeChat iPhone Downloads Surge in the U.S. Ahead of Trump Ban

  • Tencent-owned app jumps to 100th most-downloaded on Friday
  • U.S. ban on WeChat and TikTok downloads to take effect Sunday
    
Photographer: Ivan Abreu/Bloomberg
Updated on

IPhone users in the U.S. are rushing to install messaging app WeChat days before President Donald Trump is set to ban downloads in the country.

WeChat downloads surged to make it the 100th most-downloaded app in the U.S. on Friday, according to mobile analytics firm SensorTower. It has typically ranked between 1,000th and 1,500th this year. Friday is the first time the app has entered the top 500 so far in 2020, a spokesperson for SensorTower said in an email.