Apple reveals the most popular free iPhone apps of 2025 — and there’s a surprise runner-up to ChatGPT
Apple has already crowned the 2025 App Store Winners – a relatively short list of 17 apps and games with spotlights across each of its platforms (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro included). But today, the Cupertino-based tech giant is also sharing a bit of the people’s vote in the realm of apps.
We have the top 10 lists – along with extended rankings within the App Store – for the most downloaded apps and games on iPhone and iPad, split by free and paid. There’s even a list of the most downloaded Apple Arcade titles. And while we all could have guessed that OpenAI’s ChatGPT would be high up, it ranks as the number-one free app for the iPhone. Still, there are a few surprises as you look down the lists.
Coming in at number two on the most downloaded free iPhone apps is Threads – yes, the still-new platform from Meta that Mark Zuckerberg hopes will steal thunder from X (formerly Twitter and Bluesky). That means a significant number of people have downloaded it, whether they discovered it on their own or via recommendations from the Instagram app.
Instagram itself isn’t far down the list at number six, and TikTok – which remains in something of an awkward spot here in the United States – comes in at number four. You can see the full list below, but it’s worth noting that Google also had a strong presence in the top ten, with Gemini, YouTube, the main Google app, and Google Maps all making the cut.
On the iPad side, while Instagram finally arrived on the platform, it didn’t break into the top 10 free iPadOS apps. As expected, it’s a streaming-heavy list, with Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video all securing major slots. YouTube takes the top spot, and Google Chrome isn’t far down the list. The ever-popular GoodNotes – a note-taking app with a suite of AI functionality, including handwriting cleanup and extensive folder organization – also appears.
You can keep scrolling to see the full top 10 lists for the top free and paid iPhone and iPad apps, the top games for each, and the overall list of most downloaded Apple Arcade titles. It’s always fun, and often insightful, to browse these year-end lists to see what people use most – or, in some cases, download and only open once.
I’m keen to know what apps you use most on the iPhone and iPad, so let me know your picks in the comments below – and whether you use any of the most downloaded ones.
Top Free iPhone Apps – 2025
- ChatGPT
- Threads
- TikTok – Videos, Shop & LIVE
- WhatsApp Messenger
- YouTube
- Google Maps
- Gmail – Email by Google
- Google Gemini
Top Free iPad Apps – 2025
- YouTube
- ChatGPT
- Netflix
- Disney+
- Amazon Prime Video
- TikTok – Videos, Shop & LIVE
- Google Chrome
- Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF
- Canva: AI Photo & Video Editor
- HBO Max: Stream Movies & TV
Top Paid iPhone Apps – 2025
- HotSchedules
- Shadowrocket
- Procreate Pocket
- AnkiMobile Flashcards
- Paprika Recipe Manager 3
- SkyView®
- TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome
- AutoSleep Track Sleep on Watch
- Forest: Focus for Productivity
- RadarScope
Top Paid iPad Apps – 2025
- Procreate
- Procreate Dreams
- forScore
- ToonSquid
- Nomad Sculpt
- Shadowrocket
- AnkiMobile Flashcards
- Bluebeam Revu for iPad
- Teach Your Monster to Read
- Feather: Draw in 3D
Top Free iPhone Games – 2025
- Block Blast！
- Fortnite
- Roblox
- Township
- Pokémon TCG Pocket
- Royal Kingdom
- Clash Royale
- Vita Mahjong
- Whiteout Survival
- Last War:Survival
Top Free iPad Games – 2025
- Roblox
- Block Blast！
- Fortnite
- Perfect Tidy
- Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
- Mini Games: Calm & Chill
- Goods Puzzle: Sort Challenge
- hole.io
- Subway Surfers
- Township
Top Paid iPhone Games – 2025
- Minecraft: Dream it, Build it!
- Balatro
- Heads Up!
- Plague Inc.
- Geometry Dash
- Bloons TD 6
- Stardew Valley
- Papa’s Freezeria To Go!
- Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp C
- Red’s First Flight
Top Paid iPad Games – 2025
- Minecraft: Dream it, Build it!
- Geometry Dash
- Stardew Valley
- Balatro
- Bloons TD 6
- Plague Inc.
- Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp C
- Poppy Playtime Chapter 3
- Purple Place – Classic Games
- Papa’s Sushiria To Go!
Top Apple Arcade Games – 2025
- NFL Retro Bowl ’26
- NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition
- Balatro+
- Snake.io+
- Sneaky Sasquatch
- Hello Kitty Island Adventure
- Fruit Ninja Classic+
- Bloons TD 6+
- PGA TOUR Pro Golf
- Solitaire by MobilityWare+
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Apple has already crowned the 2025 App Store Winners – a relatively short list of 17 apps and games with spotlights across each of its platforms (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro included). But today, the Cupertino-based tech giant is also sharing a bit of the…
