ChatGPT Surpasses Instagram and TikTok as World's Most Downloaded App in March 2025

ChatGPT became the most downloaded app globally in March | TechCrunch

ChatGPT became the world's most downloaded app in March, excluding games, topping the usual contenders for the No. 1 spot, Instagram and TikTok. This is the first time the app has topped the monthly download charts and ChatGPT's biggest month ever. According to new data, ChatGPT's installs jumped 28% from February to March to reach 46 million new downloads during March, app intelligence provider Appfigures recently reported. That put the app slightly ahead of Instagram, which fell to the No. 2 position. TikTok followed at No. 3. Perhaps helping to drive installs, ChatGPT saw some notable upgrades in March, including the first major upgrade to its image-generation capabilities in over a year. This led to a viral moment for ChatGPT in late March and early April as users discovered they could generate images and memes in the style of Studio Ghibli, the popular Japanese animation studio behind movies like "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away." OpenAI also removed some safeguards around content moderation policies for images in March and upgraded ChatGPT's AI voice feature. Appfigures noted that ChatGPT's installs have grown 148% year-over-year when comparing the first quarter of 2021 to Q1 2025. However, the firm speculates that new features weren't the main driver behind this month's growth for the popular chatbot. "It's starting to feel like ChatGPT is becoming a verb, a lot like how Google did in the 2000s, to the point where many don't think 'AI' but rather 'ChatGPT,'" said Appfigures founder and CEO Ariel Michaeli. "So when there's excitement about AI -- even about competition like Grok, Manus AI, or DeepSeek -- many who are not swimming in this topic come for AI but really download ChatGPT." Because of ChatGPT's brand recognition, it may be harder for other AI chatbots to take off. That's partly why Anthropic's Claude has poorer performance on this front than ChatGPT. It's also why Grok could do better when consumers than other ChatGPT rivals -- not necessarily because it's better, but because it has someone famous to market it with Elon Musk, and a large platform for distribution with X. Instagram, meanwhile, had previously held the No. 2 spot across both the Apple App Store and Google Play in both January and February of this year, while TikTok remained No. 1. To some extent, TikTok's download growth earlier this year was driven by concerns over a potential U.S. ban, as consumers rushed to download the app in case it disappeared from the app stores. Now, that ban is on hold as President Trump aims to cut a deal with China, where TikTok parent ByteDance is based, to keep the app available to U.S. users. Ahead of this, Instagram had regularly been beating out TikTok for the No. 1 position across global app stores, having been the No. 1 (non-game) app throughout 2024. Instagram's popularity in the U.S. market has been growing, remaining a fave among U.S. teens. For instance, a new survey of U.S. teens by Piper Sandler released this week found that Instagram is the most-used social app, with 87% monthly usage, compared with 79% for TikTok and 72% for Snapchat. In March, other social apps, including those from Meta, rounded out the top charts, with Facebook and WhatsApp filling out the top 5, and others like CapCut, Telegram, Snapchat, and Meta's Threads in the top 10, alongside Temu.

ChatGPT was the world's most downloaded app last month - 9to5Mac

When it comes to the most downloaded apps in the world, the top of the pack is usually fairly predictable. TikTok and Instagram tend to go back and forth in the one and two slots. But in March, no doubt fueled by the launch of 4o image generation and the viral Ghibli-style crazy that followed, ChatGPT claimed the top spot. Per a new Appfigures report, download numbers for apps (games are excluded) looked like this: Ultimately, it was ChatGPT's dominance on the iPhone's App Store charts that helped it squeak across the finish line with a narrow victory. Even though most of its downloads came from Android, the AI app had a big advantage on iOS over both TikTok and Instagram. ChatGPT was the top app in Apple's App Store, while TikTok was only number six -- Instagram didn't even make the top 10. I can't help but think about the contrast between ChatGPT's viral image success and the seemingly little impact Apple's Image Playground app has had. Ethical issues around AI-generated art are well worth discussing, especially as relates to ChatGPT's skyrocketing adoption. But as someone who covers Apple for a living, I wonder how much the company is kicking itself over OpenAI's recent success. Are you surprised ChatGPT was the number one app last month, or not so much? Let us know in the comments.

It was coming: ChatGPT becomes the most downloaded app in the world - Softonic

ChatGPT tops the app charts and surpasses Instagram with 46 million downloads In March 2025, ChatGPT became the most downloaded app worldwide, reaching over 46 million downloads, surpassing Instagram, which had similar figures. This is the first time since 2013 that a service outside the realm of social media has taken the top spot in this category, highlighting a significant shift in app consumption dynamics. According to the report from Appfigures, ChatGPT was the most downloaded app on iOS, accumulating 13 million downloads, while on Android it ranked third with 33 million. This phenomenon could indicate that iPhone users are seeking answers that they cannot find in Siri, reinforcing the integration of OpenAI's model into Apple's voice assistant. The spectacular increase in downloads is due, in part, to the opening of new features that allow for image generation, resulting in an overwhelming demand that led the app to reach five million users in just one hour. However, OpenAI's situation is complex: despite its success in downloads, the company faces difficulties in monetizing ChatGPT, as most users still use the free version, making the high operating costs unsustainable. OpenAI has around 10 million paid subscribers, although this is still insufficient. The competition with more affordable alternatives, such as Google Gemini, along with the rising cost of operating artificial intelligence systems, poses an uncertain future for the long-term viability of ChatGPT. The race for monetization becomes crucial, and any move regarding the free offering could substantially affect demand. In this environment, OpenAI will need to find a delicate balance to ensure its financial sustainability.

ChatGPT overtakes Instagram, TikTok as world's most downloaded app for first time - VnExpress International

ChatGPT became the world's most downloaded non-gaming app in March, surpassing long-time leaders Instagram and TikTok for the first time, according to app intelligence firm Appfigures. The AI chatbot saw 46 million new installs in March across App Store and Google Play, a 28% increase from February and its strongest month ever. In the first quarter it also recorded 148% growth from the same period in 2021. Instagram followed closely with an estimated 46 million downloads as well but slightly fewer than ChatGPT. TikTok, which led in February, ranked third with 45 million. Facebook and WhatsApp completed the global top five. Appfigures noted that with ChatGPT's surge, this ranking could remain unchanged in the coming months. The 10 most downloaded apps worldwide saw 339 million installs in March, up from 299 million in February. ChatGPT's spike came alongside several product enhancements, tech site TechCrunch reported. In March it introduced the first major update to its image-generation capabilities in over a year, helping drive a viral trend of users generating Studio Ghibli-style images and memes. Studio Ghibli is the renowned Japanese animation studio behind films such as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away." The app also saw upgrades to its AI voice feature and loosened certain image content moderation restrictions. Despite these updates, Appfigures suggested that ChatGPT's growing cultural status may have played a larger role in its rise. "It's starting to feel like ChatGPT is becoming a verb, a lot like how Google did in the 2000s, to the point where many don't think 'AI' but rather 'ChatGPT,'" Ariel Michaeli, founder and CEO of Appfigures, said. "So when there's excitement about AI, even about competition like Grok, Manus AI or DeepSeek, many who are not swimming in this topic come for AI but really download ChatGPT."