According to the year-end rankings released by Apple, Chinese shopping platform Temu has reclaimed its place as the most downloaded free app in the US in 2024. The Temu app took over from TikTok in 2023 after TikTok held the top spot in 2022.
Meanwhile, TikTok, which is currently facing regulatory challenges in the US, has dropped to third place. The app has been replaced by Instagram Threads, a platform launched by Meta as a direct competitor to Twitter. Threads was the third most downloaded app in 2023 but has risen to second place this year.
Apple’s annual list shows the most downloaded apps and games on its platform, offering insight into consumer preferences.
Highlights for 2024 include the growth of ChatGPT, which rose to No. 4 in the U.S. App Store rankings, a win for the chatbot, which launched on iPhone in May 2023 but didn’t appear inside the top 10 last year.
Despite dropping slightly in the rankings, Meta maintains its top spot. Instagram and WhatsApp are in sixth and seventh place, respectively. Other apps in the top 10 include ByteDance’s video editing tool CapCut, YouTube, and Google Maps.
Shopping platform Shein secured 12th place, while once-perennial favorite Facebook took 13th place.
The remaining top 20 apps in 2024 include Telegram, Snapchat, Cash App, Spotify, Max, McDonald’s, and Amazon.
Gaming Trends in 2024
In the games category, Tetris-inspired game Block Blast! was the most downloaded free game in the U.S. in 2024. Monopoly Go!, Roblox, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, and Township.
The top title for Apple Arcade was NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition, while other popular titles included Snake.io+, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Sneaky Sasquatch and Bloons TD 6+.
Apple’s annual list provides insight into changing user preferences and the evolving scope of app usage. Long-established apps like TikTok and Facebook are slowly losing popularity, while newcomers and niche apps are on the rise.
The complete rankings, including the top paid apps and games, can be found on the App Store’s Today page.
