The Most Popular iPhone Apps Of 2024: Top Picks Revealed

By Tricia Wei Last updated Dec 18, 2024

The Most Popular iPhone Apps Of 2024: Top Picks Revealed

The Most Popular iPhone Apps Of 2024: There are many apps on the App Store (Apple says there are almost two million). You might think that with so many options, the competition for the “most popular” apps of the year would be tough. But if you look at past years, the top apps usually stay the same.

Temu Takes the Top Spot In The Most Popular iPhone Apps Of 2024

On Monday, Apple released its list of the most popular iPhone and iPad apps of the year in various categories. As expected, Temu was the most popular free app of 2024, just like last year. People still love finding affordable products, so this isn’t a surprise.

However, what’s more interesting is the second spot: Threads. Meta’s version of “X” has had a strong year as former Twitter users search for an alternative. It’ll be interesting to see if Bluesky can keep its momentum and possibly make the list in 2025.

TikTok takes third place, which isn’t surprising either, as it’s the top short-form video platform. But don’t expect to see it on next year’s list unless the Supreme Court steps in to prevent a potential ban in the U.S.

AI Apps from OpenAI and Meta

ChatGPT was the fourth most downloaded free app of 2024, which makes sense since AI is everywhere, and people are still curious about it. However, it’s the only app focused on AI that made it into the top 10. This might show that while ChatGPT is well-known, AI hype might not be as big as some think.

Meta made a smart move by adding AI features directly into apps like Instagram and WhatsApp. Even though I’m not a fan of Meta’s AI, these apps ranked sixth and seventh for the year. That’s a lot of exposure, which a standalone Meta AI app might not have received.

Top Paid Apps: VPNs, Productivity, and Creativity

The top paid apps are pretty interesting. If you’re like me, you might not recognize many of them. The top three apps this year—Shadowrocket, HotSchedules, and Procreate Pocket—are the same as last year. Shadowrocket is a customizable VPN that lets you route your internet traffic through proxy servers. HotSchedules is an app for employee scheduling, and Procreate Pocket is the iPhone version of the popular iPad art app, Procreate.

Most Popular Games

When it comes to games, MONOPOLY GO! is still on the list, but it has dropped to second place for free games. This year, Block Blast! topped the chart, a puzzle game that was in seventh place last year. Roblox and Subway Surfers are back, along with a new Call of Duty game—Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile. As for the top paid games, Minecraft and Heads Up! are still at the top, just like last year. No surprises there.