ChatGPT Becomes Apple’s Most Downloaded App of 2025

Apple has revealed its annual list of the most downloaded apps and games of the year in the US – and one result feels particularly telling. 

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has officially claimed the No.1 spot among free iPhone apps (excluding games) in 2025, outpacing social media giants, search engines and everyday utilities alike.

Just behind ChatGPT on Apple’s US rankings sit Threads, Google, TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail and Google’s Gemini. It’s a list that reads like a greatest hits album of the modern smartphone – except the headliner isn’t a social network or a navigation app, but an AI chatbot.

This is a significant leap for ChatGPT. Last year, the top spot went to Chinese shopping platform Temu. Fast-forward twelve months, and ChatGPT has surged ahead, signalling a clear shift in how we are using our phones – and perhaps how they’re thinking, working and searching for information.

The fact that ChatGPT is now outperforming social media staples and practical tools like Google Maps suggests just how deeply artificial intelligence has embedded itself into daily life. Increasingly, users aren’t opening a browser or a search bar first – they’re opening a conversation. The rise of AI chat as a default interface also hints at something bigger: OpenAI’s growing potential to challenge Google’s long-held dominance over mobile search, especially as people turn to chatbots for instant, contextual answers.

That cultural shift is being mirrored in hard numbers. In August, TechCrunch reported that ChatGPT’s mobile app has generated an eye-watering $2 billion to date. As the publication noted: “Since launching in May 2023, ChatGPT’s app for iOS and Android devices has reached $2 billion in global consumer spending, according to a new analysis by app intelligence provider Appfigures.”

What’s more striking is how far ahead ChatGPT now sits compared to its competitors. That $2 billion figure is around 30 times the combined lifetime mobile spending of rival AI apps including Claude, Copilot and Grok, according to the same analysis.

The pace of growth has been dramatic.  “So far this year, ChatGPT’s mobile app has made $1.35 billion, up 673% year-over-year from the $174 million it made during the same period (January-July) in 2024, per the data. On average, the app is generating close to $193 million per month, up from $25 million last year,” TechCrunch added.

To put that into perspective, ChatGPT’s nearest competitor, Grok, has earned approximately $25.6 million so far this year – around 53 times less than ChatGPT. “Grok’s average monthly consumer spending is estimated at $3.6 million, or 1.9% of ChatGPT’s,” explained TechCrunch’s Consumer News Editor Sarah Perez.

Alongside this headline-grabbing result, Apple also released its full breakdown of the top paid apps, free and paid games across iPhone and iPad, as well as the most popular titles on Apple Arcade. Together, the lists offer a fascinating snapshot of how Americans are using their devices – from productivity and creativity tools to comfort gaming and streaming.

The Most Downloaded Apps And Games Of 2025 In The US:

Top Free iPhone Apps

1. ChatGPT
2. Threads
3. Google
4. TikTok – Videos, Shop & LIVE
5. WhatsApp Messenger
6. Instagram
7. YouTube
8. Google Maps
9. Gmail – Email by Google
10. Google Gemini

Top Paid iPhone Apps

1. HotSchedules
2. Shadowrocket
3. Procreate Pocket
4. AnkiMobile Flashcards
5. Paprika Recipe Manager 3
6. SkyView®
7. TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome
8. AutoSleep Track Sleep on Watch
9. Forest: Focus for Productivity
10. RadarScope

Top Free iPhone Games

1. Block Blast!
2. Fortnite
3. Roblox
4. Township
5. Pokémon TCG Pocket
6. Royal Kingdom
7. Clash Royale
8. Vita Mahjong
9. Whiteout Survival
10. Last War: Survival

Top Paid iPhone Games

1. Minecraft: Dream it, Build it!
2. Balatro
3. Heads Up!
4. Plague Inc.
5. Geometry Dash
6. Bloons TD 6
7. Stardew Valley
8. Papa’s Freezeria To Go!
9. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp C
10. Red’s First Flight

Top Free iPad Apps

1. YouTube
2. ChatGPT
3. Netflix
4. Disney+
5. Amazon Prime Video
6. TikTok – Videos, Shop & LIVE
7. Google Chrome
8. Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF
9. Canva: AI Photo & Video Editor
10. HBO Max: Stream Movies & TV

Top Paid iPad Apps

1. Procreate
2. Procreate Dreams
3. forScore
4. ToonSquid
5. Nomad Sculpt
6. Shadowrocket
7. AnkiMobile Flashcards
8. Bluebeam Revu for iPad
9. Teach Your Monster to Read
10. Feather: Draw in 3D

Top Free iPad Games

1. Roblox
2. Block Blast!
3. Fortnite
4. Perfect Tidy
5. Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
6. Mini Games: Calm & Chill
7. Goods Puzzle: Sort Challenge
8. hole.io
9. Subway Surfers
10. Township

Top Paid iPad Games

1. Minecraft: Dream it, Build it!
2. Geometry Dash
3. Stardew Valley
4. Balatro
5. Bloons TD 6
6. Plague Inc.
7. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp C
8. Poppy Playtime Chapter 3
9. Purple Place – Classic Games
10. Papa’s Sushiria To Go!

Top Apple Arcade Games

1. NFL Retro Bowl ’26
2. NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition
3. Balatro+
4. Snake.io+
5. Sneaky Sasquatch
6. Hello Kitty Island Adventure
7. Fruit Ninja Classic+
8. Bloons TD 6+
9. PGA TOUR Pro Golf
10. Solitaire by MobilityWare+