The recent backlash against Uber has had a positive outcome for one company: its main competitor, Lyft.
According to analyst firm App Annie, the ride-hailing app had its best day ever on Sunday. For the first time, Lyft was downloaded more times than Uber by US users on iOS, and Lyft’s daily downloads more than doubled its average from the past two weeks, a representative for the firm told Business Insider.
Here’s Lyft’s current position in the App Store’s free travel apps list:
Lyft has also been trending in Apple’s App Store throughout Monday and has climbed the top free apps chart to No. 4, surpassing Uber, which is in 13th place.
Here's a look at Lyft's position in the App Store, as of Monday:
According to TechCrunch, this is a huge jump over just the past three days. Lyft ranked No. 39 on the free apps chart, and by Sunday was up to No. 7. It has continued to climb throughout the day Monday.
Analyst firm Sensor Tower estimates that Lyft downloads for January 28-29 totaled 98,000 on iPhone in the US. That's compared to 55,000 downloads for the previous weekend, a difference of 78%.
Backlash against Uber
Lyft's sudden rise in popularity comes as Uber's reputation has taken a hit. On Sunday, thousands of Uber customers angrily deleted the app after Uber drivers tried to do business at New York's JFK airport during a taxi strike.
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance called for all drivers to avoid John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday to facilitate protests against President Donald Trump's executive order barring travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the US.
But many users said that Uber still appeared to be servicing riders during the strike. The company also tweeted after the strike saying it had halted the higher fares that normally kick in during periods of increased demand.
Many people began posting on social media that they were deleting the app, along with the hashtag "#deleteUber." Actress Susan Sarandon tweeted "Goodbye @uber. Hello @lyft. #DeleteUber," an example that many others seemed to follow, given Lyft's newfound popularity.
Goodbye @Uber. Hello @lyft. #DeleteUber pic.twitter.com/Hk04FpllUn
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) January 30, 2017
On Sunday, Lyft cofounders John Zimmer and Logan Green sent an email to users pledging a $1 million donation to the ACLU, the nonprofit organization that was able to successfully force a temporary stay on the immigration ban.
It's worth noting, however, that Lyft's spike in downloads is not indicative of customers using the service more than, or instead of, Uber. And while the recent surge in Lyft's popularity is a good sign for the company, it's not clear if this is a permanent trend or a temporary response to anti-Uber sentiment. Uber remains the most popular ride-hailing app in the US, claiming up to 87% of the market share in some US cities with Lyft making slower gains nationwide.