GasBuddy tops the App Store for the first time due to Colonial Pipeline attack – ProWellTech

The GasBuddy The mobile app, which consumers usually use to find the cheapest gasoline nearby, is now number 1 in the US app store for the first time due to the fuel shortage in the US following the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline. The Americans, fearful that gasoline might run out of their hands, began panic buying in ways not seen since the greats Toilet paper failure from 2020. As a result, Thousands of gas stations The fuel ran out completely. This dramatic situation helped the GasBuddy app a lot, which includes a crowdsourcing feature that allows users to determine which local stations are still selling gasoline.

According to GasBuddy, the effects of the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline will be felt from Wednesday afternoon in 11 US states, primarily in the southeast and Washington, DC, North Carolina, had the highest number of fueled out fuel stations. 65% of gas stations reportedly ran out of gas as of 2:48 p.m. CET on Wednesday. Kentucky has the lowest score at just 2%. Because that Data is reported by GasBuddy users themselves and may not be the most up-to-date information to which we should be aware.

Credit: Screenshot of the GasBuddy app

During the week, consumers reached out to GasBuddy to find out where to fill up. Yesterday the app reached number 1 in the “Travel” category in the App Store, while it climbed steadily upwards in the top overall charts of the App Store.

This afternoon, GasBuddy became both the No. 1 app in the non-games category and the highest ranked app in the entire US App Store.

According to data from App Store Intelligence firm Apptopia, GasBuddy recorded 15,203 new downloads yesterday – a 59% increase over the average daily downloads, which were 9,560 over the past 30 days. Third-party data isn’t always accurate for sudden shots, however – it catches up a few days later.

Credit: Apptopia

GasBuddy posted a comment saying that its downloads were actually well above third-party estimates. All platforms, including iOS and Google Play, saw 20 times more downloads yesterday than an average day in 2021. The company told ProWellTech that it recorded a total of 313,001 downloads yesterday, compared to average daily downloads in recent years 30 days from 15,339.

Broken down by platform, GasBuddy recorded 104,735 downloads on Android and 208,266 downloads on iOS on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.

Apptopia also noted that GasBuddy hasn’t been # 1 on the App Store since it recorded App Store rankings that date back to Jan 1, 2015. However, the app itself was launched back in 2010. This makes it possible (although not likely) that the app will have hit number 1 at some point.

GasBuddy confirmed this is not the case. Today marks the first time it has topped the App Store, though it ran short once when it hit number 2 behind a walkie-talkie app during Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

Credit: Screenshot of the App Store on Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Consumers can still track nationwide fuel failures here on the GasBuddy website as well as where highest prices are found. In the app you can indicate whether petrol stations have petrol or diesel, as well as current prices.

The Colonial Pipeline, which runs 5,500 miles from the Gulf to the northeast, was closed on Friday due to a ransomware attack by a criminal hacking network called DarkSide. what is suspected based in Russia or Eastern Europe. The pipeline delivers about 45% fuel consumed by the east coast. Reports of the shutdown sent Americans to stock up on gasoline, which made the situation worse. US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said the Colonial Pipeline intends to restore operations At the end of the week.