{"id":31434,"date":"2013-01-24T18:39:04","date_gmt":"2013-01-24T13:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=31434"},"modified":"2026-10-07T13:02:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T07:32:52","slug":"most-popular-apps-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"Most Popular Apps in the US (2026): Top 10 Ranking vs 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Which are the <strong>most popular apps in the US<\/strong>? In January 2013 we shared comScore&#8217;s list of the most used smartphone apps, when Facebook had just overtaken Google Maps as the number one app and Yahoo Messenger, Pandora and Cooliris were still in the top ten. The list looks very different in 2026. AI assistants, short video and messaging now lead. Here is the latest ranking, compared with 2012.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-31435\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/popular-apps.png\" alt=\"most popular apps in the US in 2012\" width=\"492\" height=\"348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/popular-apps.png 492w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/popular-apps-300x212.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 492px) 100vw, 492px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> According to Apple&#8217;s 2025 App Store rankings, the most downloaded free iPhone apps in the US were ChatGPT, Threads, Google, TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail and Google Gemini. By time spent and monthly users, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Google and TikTok remain the giants.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae6402ad3a7f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae6402ad3a7f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/#Most_popular_iPhone_apps_in_the_US_2025\" >Most popular iPhone apps in the US (2025)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/#2012_vs_2026_what_changed\" >2012 vs 2026: what changed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/#Other_popular_app_categories\" >Other popular app categories<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/#How_app_popularity_is_measured\" >How app popularity is measured<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/#Trends_behind_the_2026_list\" >Trends behind the 2026 list<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/#Popular_apps_on_Android\" >Popular apps on Android<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/#What_is_the_most_downloaded_app_in_the_US\" >What is the most downloaded app in the US?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/#What_is_the_most_used_app_in_the_US\" >What is the most used app in the US?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/most-popular-apps-usa\/#Is_TikTok_still_available_in_the_US\" >Is TikTok still available in the US?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Most_popular_iPhone_apps_in_the_US_2025\"><\/span>Most popular iPhone apps in the US (2025)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Apple&#8217;s year-end list ranks free iPhone apps by US downloads. In 2025 ChatGPT took the top spot for the first time.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Rank<\/th>\n<th>App<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/chatgpt.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ChatGPT<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Threads<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TikTok<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whatsapp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WhatsApp<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>6<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>7<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Maps<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>9<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/mail.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gmail<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/gemini.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Gemini<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Source: Apple&#8217;s annual App Store top charts, as reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/12\/10\/chatgpt-is-apples-most-downloaded-app-of-2025-in-the-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TechCrunch<\/a>. Downloads measure new installs, so long-installed apps like Facebook can rank lower even though they are used by more people every day.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2012_vs_2026_what_changed\"><\/span>2012 vs 2026: what changed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Facebook<\/strong> was number one in 2012. It is still one of the most used apps, but new downloads have shifted to Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, all owned by Meta.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Google<\/strong> had five apps in the 2012 top ten: Maps, Play, Search, Gmail and YouTube. Google Search, Maps, Gmail and YouTube are still there, joined by Gemini.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Yahoo Messenger<\/strong> shut down in 2018, replaced by WhatsApp and iMessage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>iTunes<\/strong> became Apple Music, Apple TV and Podcasts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pandora<\/strong> lost ground to Spotify and YouTube Music.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cooliris<\/strong> closed; photo sharing moved to Instagram.<\/li>\n<li><strong>AI apps<\/strong> did not exist; now ChatGPT and Gemini are top ten downloads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_popular_app_categories\"><\/span>Other popular app categories<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Shopping:<\/strong> Amazon, Temu and Walmart.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Streaming:<\/strong> Netflix, Spotify and YouTube TV. Parents can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/05\/block-netflix-adult-content\/\">block Netflix adult content<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Delivery:<\/strong> DoorDash, Uber and Instacart; see our look at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/05\/instant-home-delivery-apps\/\">instant home delivery apps<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Messaging and privacy:<\/strong> WhatsApp and Signal. Learn how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/05\/stop-whatsapp-disappearing-messages\/\">stop WhatsApp disappearing messages<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_app_popularity_is_measured\"><\/span>How app popularity is measured<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Rankings differ depending on whether they count downloads, monthly active users or time spent. Apple and Google publish yearly download charts, while firms like Sensor Tower and Appfigures estimate usage across both stores. Always check which measure a list uses before comparing.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trends_behind_the_2026_list\"><\/span>Trends behind the 2026 list<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Three big shifts explain the new ranking. First, <strong>AI went mainstream<\/strong>: in just a few years, chat assistants moved from novelty to everyday tools for search, homework, writing and planning, which pushed ChatGPT and Gemini into the top ten. Second, <strong>short video took over<\/strong>: TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts now compete for the same minutes that people once spent scrolling Facebook&#8217;s news feed. Third, <strong>messaging became the new social network<\/strong>: group chats on WhatsApp and iMessage replaced much of the public posting of the early 2010s. Meanwhile, utilities like Google Maps and Gmail stay in the list year after year simply because almost everyone needs them.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Popular_apps_on_Android\"><\/span>Popular apps on Android<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google publishes its own yearly Play Store highlights, and the Android picture is similar: Google&#8217;s own apps are pre-installed, so downloads favour social, messaging, shopping and AI apps. If you are setting up a new phone, the safest approach is to install apps only from the official App Store or Google Play and to review app permissions after installing.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_most_downloaded_app_in_the_US\"><\/span>What is the most downloaded app in the US?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>ChatGPT was the most downloaded free iPhone app in the US in 2025, according to Apple.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_most_used_app_in_the_US\"><\/span>What is the most used app in the US?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>By monthly users, YouTube, Facebook and Google apps are usually at the top.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_TikTok_still_available_in_the_US\"><\/span>Is TikTok still available in the US?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Availability has been affected by US legislation and ongoing negotiations, so check the latest news before relying on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Which are the most popular apps in the US? In January 2013 we shared comScore&#8217;s list of the most used&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":31435,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-downloads"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31434"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63473,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31434\/revisions\/63473"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}