ChatGPT App Downloads: The year is coming to an end, and it is time we looked at the most downloaded app this year around the globe. For years social media apps like Facebook, Instagram and the like have taken the top spot, but this time, according to Apple's annual list of most downloaded apps and games, there is a new winner this time.
ChatGPT has become the most-installed free iPhone app in the U.S. for 2025, beating out long-time social networking apps and vital utilities. After ChatGPT, the top free apps were Threads, Google, TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail, and Google's Gemini.
ALSO READ: Telecom Plans Hike In December: Prepaid Plans To Get Expensive! This Is Why
The AI app has seen a meteoric rise over the past two years. In 2024, ChatGPT reached No. 4, with the top spot claimed by Chinese shopping app Temu. Back in 2023, despite debuting on iPhone in May to strong initial downloads, ChatGPT didn’t make the top-10 list. The rapid ascent underlines how AI is increasingly becoming a daily tool for users, not just a novelty. The trend also signals OpenAI's potential to disrupt Google's dominance over mobile search as more people turn to ChatGPT for answers before traditional search engines.
The global performance of the app paralleled that of the U.S.: in March 2025, ChatGPT became the most downloaded app in the world, beating TikTok, Instagram, and other industry frontrunners. According to analysts, this reflects not just curiosity about AI but also a growing reliance on the technology for everyday tasks, everything from information retrieval to productivity support.
Other trends were underlined in the latest app rankings from Apple as well. Among games, Block Blast! ranked first for free iPhone downloads, while Minecraft was top of the paid category. On iPad, YouTube was the most-downloaded free app, with the creativity app Procreate leading paid downloads. Roblox was the top free iPad game, with that showing user engagement continues to diversify across platforms and age groups.
ALSO READ: Instagram's 'Your Algorithm' Update Brings New Tool For Personalised Feed Control: Check It Out
ChatGPT's ascent to the top of the leaderboard indicates the increasingly larger role AI is playing in consumers' everyday lives. That it surpassed social media and utility apps emphasises the point that AI is not just a rising technological tide but a key component in the mobile world, placing OpenAI on the map as a serious competitor for traditional search-and-information tools.