Apple Announces the Most Popular App of 2025

Apple has released its annual ranking of the most downloaded apps and games, and this year delivered a record-breaking shift: ChatGPT became the No. 1 free iPhone app of 2025.
For the first time since the launch of its mobile version, the AI assistant topped the charts, surpassing major social platforms and communication tools that traditionally dominate the App Store.

According to Apple’s internal analytics, global AI app downloads grew by 58% in 2024, and the average daily number of AI-assistant sessions increased by 42%. Analysts note that ChatGPT alone accounted for nearly 19% of all downloads in the “Productivity” category, setting a new record for the company.

ChatGPT Becomes the Most Popular App

The app climbed rapidly: it ranked fourth in 2024, and in 2023 it wasn’t even in the top ten despite its high-profile iPhone debut in May that year.
In the 2025 chart, ChatGPT surpassed Threads, which placed second, while Google took third. They were followed by TikTok and WhatsApp.
The next five positions went to Instagram, YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Gemini.

The fact that an AI app outperformed platforms for social media, video consumption, and navigation highlights a massive shift in user behavior and increasing reliance on artificial intelligence. Apple noted that by late 2024, 45% of iPhone users interacted with an AI tool daily, compared to just 12% in 2022.

Another indicator of rising demand: in March, ChatGPT became the most downloaded app in the world, foreshadowing its dominance in Apple’s annual ranking.

Other Category Leaders of Apple 2025

Among free games, Block Blast! took first place, while Minecraft continued to lead the paid games ranking.
For paid iPhone apps, HotSchedules remained the long-standing leader.
On iPad, Procreate kept its top spot among paid tools, and YouTube became the most downloaded free app.
In iPad gaming, Roblox took first place, and in Apple Arcade the winner was NFL Retro Bowl ’26.