Chinese shopping app Temu was once again the most downloaded free app in the U.S., according to a list of top apps and games across the App Store released by Apple on Monday. The shopping app last year moved into the No. 1 slot, stealing the position from TikTok which held the title in in 2022.
Currently facing a U.S. ban, TikTok this year made the list at No. 3 behind Instagram Threads, which moved up to the No. 2 spot after being the No. 3 most-downloaded app in 2023.
Apple releases its list of top apps and games at the end of the year to showcase what consumers are actually downloading on their devices, as opposed to those that App Store editors want to highlight as top apps or games of the year.
It’s also the only year-end list from Apple where ChatGPT makes an appearance, as the iPhone maker largely snubbed AI chatbots in its editorial picks, favoring more traditional apps aimed at creatives when naming its app of the year finalists. The award ultimately went to pro video app Kino, from the makers of the pro camera app Halide.
In 2024, however, ChatGPT ranked as the fourth most downloaded app in the U.S. App Store, just ahead of Google’s Search app. This change is notable because last year, ChatGPT didn’t make the top 10 after being released on iPhone in May 2023. This year, it’s beating Google in terms of downloads.
Meta’s apps are still present in 2024’s overall most-downloaded list but have been dropping in ranks in recent years. This time around, Instagram and WhatsApp came in at No. 6 and 7, respectively followed by CapCut (also owned by TikTok parent ByteDance), then YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Shein, and then Facebook at No. 13.
Rounding out the top 20 are Telegram, Snapchat, Cash App, Spotify, Max, McDonald’s, and Amazon.
Apple also released the list of top free games, top paid games, top paid apps, and top Apple Arcade titles for 2024. The full lists can be found on the App Store’s Today page.
Of note, the addictive Tetris-inspired game Block Blast! was the No. 1 most-downloaded free app of the year in the U.S., followed by Monopoly Go!, Roblox, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, and Township.
The Top Arcade title was NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition, with Snake.io+, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Sneaky Sasquatch, and Bloons TD 6+.
