As 2024 wraps up, it’s clear the mobile app ecosystem is more influential than ever. From entertainment to communication and shopping to productivity, the most downloaded apps of the year tell a story about how people around the world spent their time, money, and attention. Whether you’re curious about what dominated the charts or want to catch up on what you might have missed, here’s a complete look at the apps that defined 2024.
📱 The Top 10 Most Downloaded Apps of the Year
According to analytics platforms like Appfigures and AppMagic, these were the global champions in terms of total downloads across iOS and Android in 2024:
| Rank | App | Downloads (Millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TikTok | 773 |
| 2 | 759 | |
| 3 | 571 | |
| 4 | 527 | |
| 5 | Temu | 438 |
| 6 | Telegram | 409 |
| 7 | CapCut | 361 |
| 8 | Threads | 322 |
| 9 | Snapchat | 302 |
| 10 | ChatGPT | 278 |
These numbers highlight the continued dominance of social platforms, communication tools, and content creation apps, alongside a few rising stars shaking up the market.
🔥 Key Highlights from the Year’s Top Apps
1. TikTok
After briefly losing its crown in 2023, TikTok came roaring back to become the most downloaded app of 2024. With nearly 800 million downloads, it reinforced its role as the go-to platform for short-form video, cultural trends, and creator discovery. Despite regulatory scrutiny in various countries, TikTok’s appeal remained unmatched.
2. Instagram & Threads
Instagram held strong in second place, thanks to its integration with Reels, Stories, and shopping features. Meanwhile, Threads—Meta’s answer to Twitter/X—saw explosive growth, with over 320 million downloads as users sought alternatives to text-based platforms that had lost traction.
3. Temu
Temu was the breakout star of 2024. The Chinese-owned shopping app became the most downloaded iPhone app in the U.S. for the year, attracting bargain hunters with rock-bottom prices and aggressive promotions. It outperformed Amazon and Shein in mobile downloads, reflecting a shift toward low-cost e-commerce.
4. Telegram
Telegram continued to win users with its privacy-first messaging model and robust features like large group chats, channels, and file-sharing. It saw huge uptake in regions where digital privacy is a growing concern and became a favorite for community-building and alternative media.
5. ChatGPT
OpenAI’s ChatGPT mobile app broke into the top 10 with 278 million downloads. Its integration of GPT-4 and real-time AI assistance made it a powerful tool for students, professionals, and casual users alike. As AI adoption surged in 2024, ChatGPT became a household name across both productivity and entertainment use cases.
🛍️ Shopping Apps Take Center Stage
Temu wasn’t the only retail app to ride a wave of popularity. Platforms like Shein, Amazon, and AliExpress also saw massive growth, but Temu led the pack thanks to its ultra-competitive pricing and gamified promotions. The trend is clear: consumers are shopping smarter and cheaper, and mobile-first platforms are reaping the rewards.
This shift highlights a broader trend toward value-driven consumption, particularly among Gen Z and millennials who are increasingly turning to apps for everyday purchases.
🎮 Gaming App Winners
In the gaming world, Roblox led with over 218 million downloads, continuing its dominance with a loyal, creative community. Block Blast! and Subway Surfers followed close behind, proving that casual and hyper-casual games still have staying power.
Gaming apps remained one of the largest revenue drivers in the App Store and Google Play, with more developers using microtransactions and seasonal events to drive retention.
📸 Video Editing & Creation Tools on the Rise
The explosion of short-form video fueled the continued success of CapCut, the popular editing app from TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. CapCut allowed users to easily create polished Reels, Shorts, and TikToks with advanced effects, music syncing, and transitions—all from their phone.
As content creation becomes more democratized, tools like CapCut are becoming essential for influencers, marketers, and casual users alike.
đź”® Looking Ahead: What to Expect in 2025
Several key trends emerged from 2024’s download data:
- The rise of AI: Apps like ChatGPT are introducing users to AI in accessible ways, paving the way for more AI-native tools across productivity, creativity, and communication.
- A shift in social: With Threads and Telegram gaining momentum, we’re seeing a fragmentation of the traditional social media landscape. Users are seeking more niche, private, or focused platforms.
- E-commerce evolution: Apps like Temu are changing the rules of online shopping, emphasizing deals and gamification over traditional browsing.
- Privacy matters: Telegram’s growth and the increased popularity of secure apps show that users are becoming more privacy-conscious than ever.
And with new entrants like RedNote, a TikTok-like app recently made available in English, the market for short-form video could soon be even more competitive.
Final Thoughts
2024 was a big year for mobile apps, both in terms of innovation and impact. Whether you were editing videos on CapCut, finding deals on Temu, chatting on Threads, or diving into AI with ChatGPT, chances are one of these apps played a role in your digital life this year.
As we head into 2025, the trends shaping these apps—AI integration, privacy, content creation, and budget-conscious consumption—are only going to grow stronger. So if you’re looking to refresh your home screen, you might want to start with this list. These aren’t just the most downloaded apps of the year—they’re also the ones defining how we live, work, and connect.
