Overview
- Apple’s U.S. list of most-downloaded free iPhone apps places ChatGPT first, ahead of Threads, Google, TikTok and WhatsApp.
- The rest of the top ten—Instagram, YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail and Google Gemini—places AI alongside social staples and Google utilities, raising questions about shifting mobile search habits.
- ChatGPT climbed from No. 4 in 2024, when Temu led the rankings, with earlier reporting noting a March surge that briefly made it the most-downloaded app worldwide.
- Apple’s year-end charts also highlight category leaders: Block Blast! as top free iPhone game, Minecraft as top paid iPhone game, YouTube as top free iPad app and Procreate as top paid iPad app.
- Context from family and policy debates includes Utah’s App Store Accountability Act requiring age verification and parental consent for minors, and a survey finding Americans view AI more positively than social media or smartphones.