According to Comscore’s 2025 U.S. Mobile App Report, 57% of Americans are spending most of their digital time in mobile apps, as user habits and preferences continue to evolve. With people spending most of their day in apps, user engagement, performance and personalization are key to any app’s success.
To get strong user engagement, businesses must put apps first and create apps that deliver a seamless and unique user experience. That means everything from intuitive design and fast performance to relevant content and personalized features.
Statista report 2025 reveals that users downloaded over 30.2 billion apps from the Google Play Store, and the Apple App Store saw significant growth too.
Mobile apps are the go-to for entertainment, communication, shopping, productivity and more.
The play store and app store are flooded with a wider range of apps depending upon purposes such as business, entertainment, social media, education, games, and so on built to make life easier and more comfortable. Unfortunately, most of these apps fail and get uninstalled in just a few weeks of download. Only a few of them stand out from the crowd. Wondering about those winning apps?
Emphasizing the same, in this article, we are sharing a curated list of the Top 10 popular mobile applications that people are using mostly in 2025-26. The mobile app market continues to evolve and grow, becoming an essential part of our daily lives. The competition is certainly fierce between mobile industry business rivals.
Also, Read – On Demand Apps
Introduction to Mobile Apps
The world of mobile apps has completely transformed how we connect, work, and entertain ourselves. With millions of apps available on both the Google Play Store and iOS App Store, users have more choices than ever before. The most downloaded apps in 2025, such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, continue to shape the way people interact and share content online. Newcomers like Temu, CapCut, Threads, and ChatGPT have quickly risen in popularity, reflecting changing user preferences and interests. Today, mobile apps are an essential part of daily life, with users spending an average of 7 hours online each day across mobile and iOS devices. Whether for social media, productivity, or entertainment, these downloaded apps have become indispensable tools for millions of people around the world.
Global Mobile App Market
The global mobile app market has seen remarkable growth, with app downloads reaching an impressive 140 billion in 2025 and consumer spending soaring to $160 billion. Social media apps remain at the forefront, with TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook consistently ranking among the most downloaded apps worldwide. However, the market is also witnessing a surge in other categories, including gaming, entertainment, and education. The rise of artificial intelligence has paved the way for innovative apps like ChatGPT, which quickly became one of the most downloaded apps in 2025. This ongoing growth highlights the increasing importance of mobile apps in users’ lives and the ever-evolving landscape of digital interaction.
Popular App Categories
In 2025, the most popular app categories reflect the diverse interests of mobile users. Social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook dominate the list of the ten most downloaded apps, enabling users to connect, share, and engage with content from around the world. Gaming apps such as Free Fire, Subway Surfers, and Block Blast Adventure Master continue to attract millions of downloads, offering entertainment and competition on the go. Entertainment apps like YouTube and Netflix remain favorites for streaming and video content, while education apps such as Duolingo and Coursera are gaining traction among users seeking to learn new skills. The popularity of these downloaded apps demonstrates how mobile platforms cater to a wide range of needs and preferences.
App Store Performance
The performance of app stores like Google Play and the iOS App Store plays a crucial role in the success of mobile apps. These platforms provide developers with the opportunity to reach millions of users and offer a seamless experience for discovering and downloading new apps. The top 10 most downloaded apps on both Google Play and the iOS App Store include a mix of social media, gaming, and entertainment apps, reflecting current trends and user interests. Features such as ratings, reviews, and personalized recommendations help users find the best apps for their needs. The popularity of these app has led to a surge in app downloads, with Google Play consistently recording tens of millions more downloads than the iOS App Store, highlighting the global reach and influence of these platforms.
Top 10 Most Downloaded apps in 2025
Here is the list of the Top 10 popular downloaded apps in 2025 that are globally used by mobile phone users for daily life.
1.WhatsApp Mobile app
Whatsapp is one of the most well-known and widely used chat apps in the world. Equipped with amazing chat features like video calling, audio calling, chat message deletion, emoticons, status, and more, WhatsApp has been ranked the #1 most downloaded mobile app among the users of all sections across the world. WhatsApp enables users to connect with friends, making it easy to stay in touch with your social circle and support social interaction. It also provides a convenient way for meeting people and building new connections through group chats and shared interests.
“Stats reveals that by the end of 2024, WhatsApp Business counted approximately 230 billion downloads worldwide.” This number is projected even higher at the end of the year 2025.
Thinking about developing an app like this? Discover everything you need to know about costs and features in our comprehensive guide. Build an App like WhatsApp.
2.YouTube
YouTube is a great platform to watch a wide range of videos from wider industries. The YouTube mobile app has some extra features, like offline downloading, and is a great platform to earn money for clients/businesses. This makes it a top mobile app of 2024 and was downloaded the most after WhatsApp.
As of 2025, YouTube has recorded over 10 billion downloads globally on Android alone, making it one of the most downloaded and actively used apps of all time.
Ready to create an app like this? Explore our complete guide on features and budgeting. Build an App like Youtube.
3.Facebook
Facebook without any doubt is the world’s most well known social networking app that has grabbed immense popularity among users and businesses worldwide. Facebook app is accessible from all significant mobile platforms. Not only Facebook, but its post launched Facebook Messenger app is equally popular, offering messaging facilities to Facebook clients.
Stats says that- “Social media mobile apps are the most used app category and 81% of mobile users have Facebook installed on their mobile phones.”
No. of Downloads – 1 billion – 5 billion
Want to build an app like this but worrying about the cost and features? Here is the detailed guide- Build an App like Facebook.
4.TikTok
This app is the most sensational app of the year 2021-22 and was the Most Downloaded App in the first month of 2022, surpassing even Whatsapp, Facebook, and Youtube, securing the top spot in global download charts.
Built by the Beijing-based firm ByteDance, the app offers a robust platform for users & businesses to create and share short videos with music. The best content gets viral in no time. The most famous genres here are lip-syncing, dancing and dialogues from hit movies. CapCut, TikTok's video editing app, has also gained massive popularity as a leading video editing app, making it easy for users to create engaging content within TikTok's ecosystem.
According to AppTrace, TikTok jumped from 269th to 4th in the global app download rank in February 2019. The app currently sits in the fourth position, maintaining a top position among the most downloaded apps worldwide.
No. of downloads – Over 3.5 billion globally.
Curious about building a similar app? Here’s everything you need to know about costs and functionality. Build an App like TikTok.
5.Gmail
Every one of us is aware of this popular email messaging app by Google. Being first invented for the web, Gmail now has a dedicated mobile app variant for most mobile platforms like Android and iOS app development. Gmail is the most used email app around the globe that offers ease of use, saving you time and keeping your messages safe.
No. of Downloads – Over 10 billion total downloads globally.
6.Google Pay (Tez)
Google Pay is a Mobile Payment App by Google first launched in 2017 September with the name Tez. The app simplifies the way you transact with your money. With Google Pay, you can send and get cash rapidly, pay bills, purchase online, recharge your Phone and dish, Pay at offline stores, and Bank to bank cash transfer. Google Pay was the most downloaded finance app globally in several months of 2021. As of 2025, it continues to compete strongly with other digital payment apps like PhonePe and Paytm across various markets.
No. of Downloads – Over 2.5 billion total downloads globally.
Planning to launch an app like this? Learn about essential features and cost considerations here. Build an App like PhonePe.
7.Instagram
This photograph & short video sharing social networking app is another well known mobile app most used by businesses & celebrities. The app without a website variant offers high quality features like square picture format, filters, the option of boomerang, and short video clips with wider options of mentioning someone, hashtags, and emoticons as well as gifs.
Sold to Facebook in 2012, the app became one of the world's biggest and most influential social media platforms. As of 2025, the platform has over 2.4 billion monthly active users globally.
No. of Downloads – Over 5 billion total downloads globally.
Thinking of making an app like this? Our guide covers all the key features and pricing tips. Build an App like Instagram.
8.Uber
Uber is the most used location-based taxi hiring app that permits clients to hire drivers, taxis, bikes, and shared rides for local and outstation travels. The Uber mobile app is a safe, and cost-effective method for transporting within or outside your city. Available in 70 countries and over 10,000+ cities worldwide, this location-based app is estimated to carry out a total of over 25 million trips each day.
Downloads – Over 1 billion total downloads globally.
Looking to build an app like this? Discover how to balance features and budget effectively. Build an App like Uber.
9.Amazon
Amazon is the world’s leading eCommerce marketplace, now accessible through a dedicated mobile app designed to serve millions of buyers and sellers worldwide.
According to recent data, Amazon remains one of the most downloaded shopping apps, with over 500 million total downloads globally as of 2025, reflecting steady growth driven by expanding e-commerce and digital entertainment demand.
Downloads – 500 million globally.
Considering an app like this? Get insights on features and costs in our step-by-step guide. Build an App like Amazon.
10.Netflix
It is an online video streaming website/app that lets you watch movies, videos, TV series, and other content from Netflix through your mobile phone or desktop/laptop. Launched in 2010, Netflix is available in 190 countries with over millions of subscribers . According to latest reports, Netflix has over surpassed 700 million total downloads globally.
Interested in creating a similar app? Find out what it takes in terms of features and investment. Build an OTT App like Netflix.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed knowing about the top 10 most downloaded and used mobile apps in the world. The world's leading apps consistently attract the most users across both iOS and Android devices, reflecting their global popularity and reach. App rankings and positions can shift significantly from the previous year, and analyzing data from previous years helps highlight interesting trends and changes in consumer interest. The latest rankings were published recently, providing up-to-date insights into which platforms are currently dominating the market. There is a growing interest in innovative features and user engagement, making it interesting to observe how certain apps maintain or improve their positions over time.
Today, mobile apps are generating greater revenue and are a need for today’s business. If you still wonder why a business should invest in mobile app development trends then here are some reasons worth considering. A mobile app:
- Increase Customer Engagement
- Help you Stay Competitive
- Bring in Great Revenue for your business
Get your own smartphone app developed by industry experts!
Your Next Big App Idea Deserves Expert Execution — Build It with QSS Technosoft
Turn your vision into a standout mobile app with QSS Technosoft, a trusted name in mobile app development. We specialize in building powerful, affordable, and scalable apps across Android, iOS, and other major platforms—tailored to your industry and business goals.
With 14+ years of experience and 500+ successful projects, we know what it takes to launch apps that make an impact.
Why Choose QSS Technosoft?
- 14+ years of proven mobile app development expertise
- 500+ custom apps delivered across 30+ global industries
- End-to-end development across Android, iOS, and cross-platform
- Scalable architecture with top-tier performance and security
- Agile methodology with rapid prototyping and faster go-to-market
- Advanced feature integrations like payment gateways, push notifications, analytics, chat support, and more
- Free initial consultation to explore your app idea
Let’s build your next big app — connect with us today for a free consultation!
About Author:
Rashmi Kanti is a passionate content writer & a blogger having written numerous blogs for IT domain. Being into the Blogging world for the past 5 years, she is presently contributing technology loaded articles & blogs regularly to QSS Technosoft. Rashmi has a proficient knowledge of the latest market trends in the mobile & web applications and expresses herself a big technology geek.
Top 10 Most Popular and Used Mobile Apps in the World- Updated 2025