Top 10 Most Downloaded Apps

We’re in 2024, and we cannot imagine our lives without mobile apps. From shopping to entertainment, education to finance, our lives revolve around apps.

An increase in smartphone users has made mobile apps a necessity. Businesses wish to develop apps to expand their market, and users are willing to use mobile apps that make their lives easier. In the first half of 2023, users worldwide generated nearly 77 billion downloads of mobile apps. This signifies a growth of over three percent compared to the corresponding period in 2022 when global users downloaded approximately 74.4 billion mobile apps.

But have you ever wondered which apps are topping the charts in terms of downloads?

This blog talks about the top 10 most downloaded apps. While some apps are too obvious to appear on the list, others have made their debut.

Overview of Top 10 Most Downloaded Apps Globally

1. TikTok

It may not be surprising that the video creation and sharing app TikTok topped the charts. The app garnered 656 million downloads in 2022.

As per Apptopia data, the app had the highest number of downloads in the previous year as well, with 850 million downloads worldwide. Additionally, In Q3 2023, TikTok accumulated approximately 272.7 million global user downloads.

Even though the downloads slumped a bit, TikTok continued to rule the leaderboard. The time users spent on TikTok is a testimony of the app’s popularity. The users spent approximately 19.6 hours monthly on TikTok worldwide, as per Statista. As of April 2023, the nations boasting the largest TikTok user bases are:

• United States: 116.49 million users
• Indonesia: 112.97 million users
• Brazil: 84.13 million users
• Mexico: 62.44 million users
• Russia: 51.24 million users

App category	Video-sharing
Launch Year	2016 (China) 2017 (International)
Owner	ByteDance
Users	1 Billion monthly active users
Key features and USP	TikTok is a video creation platform that allows users to create entertaining videos of 10 minutes duration or less.

2. Instagram

The app with the highest number of downloads along with TikTok is Instagram. The Meta-owned app has 3.8 billion downloads in total.

In 2021, Meta’s Instagram boasted 1.21 billion monthly active users, constituting more than 28% of the world’s internet users. Projections for 2025 anticipate a growth to 1.44 billion monthly active users, representing 31.2% of the global internet user base.

Instagram is on the top of its game and has constantly been working on newer features and updates. What started as a photo-sharing app is now a full-fledged multimedia and content creation platform. As of January 2023, the nations with the most significant Instagram user bases are:

• India: 229.55 million users
• United States: 143.35 million users
• Brazil: 113.5 million users
• Indonesia: 89.15 million users
• Turkey: 48.65 million users

App category	Social media
Launch Year	2010
Owner	Meta
Users	1 Billion monthly active users
Key features and USP	Instagram is a social media and content creation app that allows users to share content in the form of posts, stories, videos, live, and reels.

3. Facebook

Another most downloaded app is Meta’s flagship app, Facebook. One of the oldest social media apps, Facebook clocked 416 million downloads in 2021.

As of the second quarter of 2023, Facebook stands out as the preeminent global online social network with an impressive 3 billion monthly active users. The platform achieved the milestone of surpassing 2 billion active users in the second quarter of 2017, accomplishing this feat in just over 13 years. 

Notably, in 2022 alone, Facebook witnessed a staggering 413 million downloads, underlining its sustained popularity and global reach. As of 2023, the nations with the most substantial Facebook user bases are:

• India: 448.1 million users
• United States: 258.4 million users
• Indonesia: 188 million users
• Brazil: 165 million users

App category	Social media
Launch Year	2004
Owner	Meta
Users	2.9 Billion monthly active users
Key features and USP	Facebook is a social media app that allows its users to post text, photos, and multimedia and share it with their ‘friends’. Users can also follow pages and join groups.

4. WhatsApp

On the list of top 10 most downloaded apps, Meta owned WhatsApp is the hero. The instant-messaging app had 395 million downloads in 2021.

As of June 2023, WhatsApp boasted approximately 2.78 billion unique active users globally, reflecting a notable increase of over 12 percent compared to the same month in 2022. This widely-used instant messaging platform had already reached the milestone of two billion monthly active users in February 2022, solidifying its position as the foremost communication channel for smartphone users worldwide in 2022.

According to a separate survey, projections indicate that WhatsApp’s business app is anticipated to witness 352 million downloads in 2023. Furthermore, both downloads and business accounts on the platform are expected to experience a 35% increase in 2025.

In terms of popularity, WhatsApp holds the title of the most widely used messaging app globally and ranks as the third most popular among all social media apps in 2023. Boasting a monthly active user base of 2.7 billion, the platform is utilized by approximately 52% of internet users globally.

Over the past few years, WhatsApp has added multiple new features to the app, like Status, View Once option for photos, WhatsApp payments, Privacy with profile picture, Channels, etc. As of 2023, the nations with the most substantial WhatsApp user bases are:

• India: 487.5 million users
• Brazil: 118.5 million users
• Indonesia: 84.8 million users
• United States: 79.6 million users
• Russia: 67 million users

App category	Messaging
Launch Year	2009
Owner	Meta
Users	2 Billion monthly active users
Key features and USP	WhatsApp is a messaging app that allows users to send messages, photos, videos, audio, documents, etc., to their contacts. Newer features also allow payments through the app.

5. Telegram

In recent years, the mobile instant messaging app Telegram has seen a consistent increase in downloads across all examined global regions. Specifically, in the third quarter of 2023, Telegram recorded 46.7 million downloads in the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa collectively saw over 42 million downloads during the same period. Notably, in July 2023 alone, Telegram garnered more than 34.8 million downloads globally. The platform boasts a user base of 550 million monthly active users, with 55.2 million users engaging with the app on a daily basis.

But what makes Telegram so popular? People prefer using this app because of its features like:

• Privacy
• Encryption
• Multiple devices can access the same account
• Multiple accounts on the same device
• Freedom to share username instead of phone number

As of November 2023, the nations with the most substantial Telegram user bases are:

• India: 104.04 million users
• Russia: 34.40 million users
• Indonesia: 27.21 million users
• United States: 26.85 million users
• Brazil: 21.94 million users

App category	Messaging
Launch Year	2013
Owner	Telegram
Users	More than 500 Million monthly active users
Key features and USP	Telegram is a messaging app that focuses on privacy, encryption, and open-source API.

6. Snapchat

As of 2023, Snapchat has amassed over 1 billion downloads on the Google Play Store alone. In the United States, Snapchat holds the rank of the third most downloaded social media app, with over 60 million downloads in the year 2022 alone.

Furthermore, in the third quarter of 2023, the photo and video sharing app Snapchat reported a global daily active user count of 406 million, showing growth from the 397 million recorded in the second quarter of the same year. The platform has consistently experienced an upward trajectory in daily active users since the beginning of 2019.

The app is popular among the younger population below 35, and an average user spends 30 minutes on the app daily. As of January 2023, the nations with the most significant Snapchat user bases are:

• India: 182.35 million users
• United States: 108.8 million users
• Pakistan: 26.35 million users

App category	Multimedia instant messaging
Launch Year	2011
Owner	Snap Inc.
Users	More than 500 Million monthly active users
Key features and USP	Snapchat is a multimedia app that allows its users to send messages, photos, and videos, to their friends. The messages and media can be viewed only for a limited time. The app also provides AR lenses and filters.

7. Zoom

In the second quarter of 2023, the mobile application of the widely-used video communication platform, Zoom, garnered approximately 17.6 million downloads in the Asia-Pacific region. 

In April 2023, the Zoom.us website was accessed by nearly 810.2 million unique global visitors, marking a decrease from 943 million visitors in the preceding month. 

Notably, video conferencing software achieved a market penetration of approximately 68 percent in 2023, with Zoom emerging as the dominant player, holding a market share of about 57 percent in the video conferencing software sector.

The video conferencing app gained popularity after the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and after lockdowns in different parts of the world. Work and education shifted to digital mode, and the downloads of this app started to rise. As of 2023, the nations with the most substantial Zoom user bases are:

• United States: 32.082 million users
• United Kingdom: 3.390 million users
• Canada: 2.201 million users
• Australia:1.965 million users

App category	Video communication
Launch Year	2011
Owner	Zoom Video Communications
Key features and USP	Zoom Meetings allows users to conduct video meetings with up to 100 participants by default (and up to 1000 with Large meeting add-on).

8. Messenger

The instant messaging app Messenger garnered 268 million downloads in 2021 compared to 404 million downloads in 2020. It is in the list because after telegram and whatsapp, in 2023, the Messenger app received approximately 21.87 million monthly downloads. 

However, from January to August 2023, downloads of Facebook Messenger declined across all examined regions. Specifically, in the Asia-Pacific region, Messenger downloads decreased to 70.2 million, a notable drop from the 143 million recorded in the previous full-year period. Despite this decline, it still secured a position on our list due to its comparatively higher numbers.

Originally developed as Facebook Chat, Facebook (now Meta) updated its messaging service in 2010 and released apps for iOS and Android in 2011. The company has separated the messaging function from the main app. As of 2023, the nations with the most substantial Messenger user bases are:

• India: 125.5 million users
• Brazil: 63.9 million users
• Mexico: 61.9 million users
• The Philippines: 56.5 million users
• Vietnam: 55.6 million users

App category	Messaging
Launch Year	2011
Owner	Meta
Users	1.3 Billion monthly active users
Key features and USP	Messenger is a messaging app that allows users to share text, images, videos, stickers, audio, and files. It also provides audio and video calling features.

9. CapCut

As of August 2023, CapCut has established a user base of 490 million, spanning both iPhones and Android phones. This substantial user count represents nearly a quarter of TikTok’s impressive global user base, which stands at 2.1 billion individuals.

CapCut achieved significant success, surpassing Splice (a video editing app), and emerged as the most profitable video editing app worldwide in the first half of 2023. Notably, it generated a record-breaking revenue of $50 million, marking it as ByteDance’s second app to surpass the $100 million global revenue milestone.

CapCut is a video editing app used to trim and join videos. Many TikTok users use this app to edit their videos before uploading them on TikTok. Coincidentally, the owner of CapCut is also ByteDance. 
As of November 2023, CapCut has garnered a significant user presence in countries such as the United States, Vietnam, and Indonesia. With a user base exceeding 200 million monthly active users, the app has demonstrated widespread popularity, positioning itself as a preferred choice for users in these regions.

App category	Video Editing
Launch Year	2020
Owner	ByteDance
Key features and USP	CapCut is an app that allows users to trim, join, change speed, add music, stickers, text, and effects to their video.

10. Spotify

As of 2023, Spotify commands a substantial 33% share of the global music streaming market, maintaining a steady market share between 32% and 43% over the past five years. Notably, Spotify Technology reported a revenue of $3.464 billion for the quarter ending June 30, 2023, marking a noteworthy 13.66% increase year-over-year. The revenue for the twelve months ending June 30, 2023, reached $13.051 billion, reflecting an 8.08% increase compared to the previous year. 

According to Sensor Tower, in October 2023, the total mobile app revenue for Spotify amounted to $11 million, with $20,000 generated from iOS apps and $11 million from Android apps. The mobile app downloads for Spotify in the same month reached a total of 30 million, comprising 6 million iOS app downloads and 23 million Android app downloads.

Spotify is popular among the masses for the variety of music it provides, its auto-generated playlists, podcasts, and other features. As of 2023, the nations with the most substantial Spotify user bases include:

• United States: Over 100 million users
• Europe: The European region accounts for 29% of the Monthly Active Users (MAUs), establishing itself as the largest market for the company.
• North America: 20% of the MAUs are from North America.
• Latin America: Latin America constitutes 21% of the MAUs.

App category	Audio streaming
Launch Year	2006
Owner	Spotify
Users	406 Million monthly active users
Key features and USP	Spotify is an app that allows its users to listen to a wide range of music, podcasts, and more. Users can access additional features by taking a subscription.

How to Increase App Downloads?

Now that you know about the most downloaded apps, you must be wondering what makes these apps gain so many downloads.

What to do to increase the downloads of your app?

Here are a few things to keep in mind while developing an app and after publishing the app which would help you gain downloads:

1. Choose an appealing App icon

“What’s seen is what’s sold.”

This saying also applies in the case of mobile apps. The app icon is the first thing a user sees while scrolling through an app store. Hence, it is essential to make the app icon catchy, exciting, and relevant to the app’s features.

2. Appropriate Name and Description

Just like the app icon, the name and description also play a significant role in determining whether the user will download the app or not. The name should be short, relevant, and easy to remember. Similarly, the description should clearly mention what the app is about and what it offers. The user should get a clear idea about the app after reading the name and the description.

3. Social Media Marketing

When it comes to promoting an app, social media becomes crucially important. It’s vital to understand the app’s target audience and accordingly create promotion campaigns for various social media platforms. The campaigns should reflect the app’s tone and should sell the app to the users.

4. Set up a Website and Blog

Launching an app and waiting for people to download it is not something you must do. For people to download the app, it must be visible to them. Setting up a website and linking your app to it can help you expand the reach of your app.

It would be best if you also focused on SEO to make your website rank higher in search results. It will also be beneficial to include a blog on the website to make people aware of your services and highlight the uses of your app.

5. Other Marketing channels

Social media is not the only channel you should focus on to promote your app. Extensive marketing across various channels is necessary to increase your app downloads.

Some of the channels include:

• Email marketing
• SMS marketing
• Content Marketing
• Blogs and Magazines
• Influencer Marketing
• Sites like Quora and Reddit

Want to Develop an App that gets Downloads? Contact Idea Usher

You must have gotten a clear understanding of the most downloaded apps and what to focus on while developing and marketing an app.

It is natural for such staggering numbers to make a person desire to develop an app that gets higher downloads. Now is the right time to build your own app, as this is the age of mobile technology. 

And what’s better than hiring someone who has years of experience in the same area? Connect with Idea Usher for a solution to all your app development needs.

With years of experience in web and app development, Idea Usher is a one-stop destination for all your digital needs.

Get in touch with Idea Usher, and who knows, one day, your app might make it to the top 10 list!

Final Thoughts

In a constantly changing world, it is crucial to keep pace with the developments occurring in the market. With apps utilizing a significant chunk of our day-to-day lives, businesses not having a mobile app will be left behind.

While any business needs to have a mobile app, it is equally essential to keep updating the same as per the needs and requirements of the market. It is usual for the numbers to fluctuate, but the relevance of an app is what makes it a big player in the long run. Understand what the user wants, and provide him with the same.

Having said that, it would be interesting to see which apps make it to the list in 2022.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some interesting FAQs about most downloaded apps.

Q. Which are the most downloaded apps in the US?

A. The Top 10 most downloaded apps in the US are slightly different from the global list. 

As of 2023, the most downloaded apps in the United States are as follows:

• TikTok: 672 million downloads
• Instagram: 548 million downloads
• Facebook and WhatsApp: Each with around 450 million downloads
• CapCut (video editor): 357 million downloads
• Snapchat: 7.24 million 
• Subway Surfers and Stumble Guys (games): Each with over 250 million downloads
• Spotify: 238 million downloads
• Temu: The most downloaded Chinese app in the United States, with 10 million downloads
• SHEIN: 6.3 million downloads
• Telegram: 20 million downloads

Q. Apart from App development, what other services does Idea Usher offer?

A. Idea Usher provides a wide range of services, including Web Development, App Development, Game Development, Blockchain Development, NFTs, IoT, Digital Marketing, etc.

Q. What do more app downloads signify?

A. When an app receives a higher number of downloads, it indicates that it is popular among the masses, leading to an expanded customer base and higher profits for the company.