Apple has released its annual breakdown of the most-downloaded apps and games of the year, and the results highlight just how dramatically the mobile landscape is changing. For 2025, OpenAI’s ChatGPT claimed the top spot on the U.S. list of free iPhone apps — a significant milestone that reflects the explosive growth of AI usage among everyday consumers.
ChatGPT’s rise to No. 1 places it ahead of long-time App Store heavyweights. The full top ten lineup for free iPhone apps includes Threads, Google, TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Gemini. This mix has historically been dominated by major social platforms and essential Google utilities, making ChatGPT’s victory even more notable.
The app’s momentum has been building over the past two years. In 2024, ChatGPT finished in fourth place, behind the viral shopping app Temu, which held the No. 1 spot. And going even further back, ChatGPT wasn’t even among the top ten most-downloaded iPhone apps in 2023 — despite launching on iOS with a strong debut that sparked immediate interest.
ChatGPT’s rise underscores a major behavioral shift: consumers aren’t just curious about AI anymore — they’re actively integrating it into their daily routines. The fact that an AI assistant is surpassing social networks, messaging apps, video platforms, and essential navigation tools suggests that users increasingly see AI as a go-to source for answers, recommendations, and productivity. This trend also signals a growing challenge to Google’s longstanding dominance in search on mobile devices, as more users rely on conversational AI rather than typing queries into a browser or the Google app.
ChatGPT became the most-downloaded app worldwide
Apple’s data aligns with earlier global trends. In March 2025, ChatGPT became the most-downloaded app worldwide, temporarily overtaking TikTok, Instagram, and other consistently top-performing apps. That surge hinted at the sustained demand that ultimately helped push ChatGPT to the top of Apple’s U.S. charts.
In addition to listing the year’s most-downloaded free iPhone apps, Apple also released rankings for top paid titles and leading games across both iPhone and iPad.
Here are some of the highlights from this year’s lists:
- Top free iPhone game: Block Blast!
- Top paid iPhone game: Minecraft, continuing its long run as a fan favorite
- Most-downloaded free iPad app: YouTube
- Top paid iPad app: Procreate, the popular creativity and illustration tool
- Top free iPad game: Roblox, maintaining its strong appeal among younger audiences
Apple says the trends reflected in these lists highlight an evolving App Store ecosystem, where entertainment, creativity tools, and AI-powered productivity apps are rising in influence. The company notes that artificial intelligence continues to reshape how users search for information, create content, learn new skills, and stay entertained across its devices.
With ChatGPT’s surge to No. 1 — and the rapid mainstream adoption of AI tools — Apple’s 2025 rankings offer one of the clearest signals yet that AI is becoming as central to the mobile experience as social media or streaming apps once were.
