Most Popular Apps (2026) – Business of Apps

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The Apple App Store and Google Play Store are made up of millions of apps, but the vast majority get less than 1,000 downloads. For the select few that reach the top, millions of people download them every year, and dedicated teams are needed to turn those downloads into regular users.

At the beginning of both app stores, the most popular apps tended to be either games or ports of popular web services, such as Facebook, Google and YouTube.

The first mobile-first apps to make a big dent were Instagram, WhatsApp and Shazam, all three taking advantage of the phone’s sensors to enhance the experience.

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Mobile games, such as Angry Birds, Temple Run and Fruit Ninja were very popular in the early years of the smartphone, again using the sensors to add gameplay elements. These apps tended to be paid-for, rather than freemium, although all changed to an ad or in-app purchase service.

The mid-2010s saw the growth of Snapchat a new form of messaging, specifically tailored for the younger generation with disappearing messages, 24 hour stories and other time-based content. TikTok, which started as Musical.ly in the West, brought short-form video sharing to the masses.

Experiences that were once made for TV only were ported to mobile, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Fortnite. Older console games regularly were ported to mobile, as a way for game developers to make money from older IP.

The apps and games market had stayed more or less the same from the pandemic to 2024, with the same few apps hitting the top 10 spot. A major deviation happened in 2025 with the growth of generative AI services, with ChatGPT and Google Gemini both making the top 10.

We have collected data and statistics on the most popular apps. Read on below to find out more. Want an overview of the entire app economy? Check out our App Data report.