AI a game changer for most downloaded apps in 2024, with Instagram, TikTok in the lead

Each year, the most downloaded Applications (apps) offer a snapshot of online activity trends worldwide.
According to a recent study by Setapp – a subscription-based software catalog that offers monthly access to a collection of macOS and iOS applications – half of the top-ranked apps in 2024 by the report come from Meta and ByteDance (think TikTok and Capcut).
The study methodology evaluated the popularity of mobile apps across several categories, including social media, messaging, gaming, and shopping by analyzing key indicators such as the number of downloads, average user ratings, and overall user satisfaction.
Data was sourced using official APIs from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store and third-party analytics from Business of Apps and Appfigures.
Each app was assigned a score from 0 to 100, with normalization techniques applied to facilitate fair comparisons across categories.

Although ChatGPT didn’t make it into the top 10 apps of the year, AI is still ruling the scene with all the ranked apps relying on AI to deliver a high-quality user experience.

1. Instagram
Downloads: 696 million
The study shows that Meta’s Instagram is the most popular app of 2024, securing the top spot with impressive popularity driven by its substantial 696 million downloads.
Instagram’s ongoing success has been attributed to its user-friendly interface, innovative features like Stories and Reels, and seamless e-commerce integration, which keep users engaged and satisfied.
Last year, Meta revealed how its algorithms curate content for each user. For instance, to build a personalized feed, the AI selects about 500 posts from the accounts a user follows, assigns each a relevance score, and then displays them in the feed accordingly.

2. Tiktok
Downloads: 654 million
TikTok follows closely remaining a favorite, especially among younger demographics, for its engaging short-form videos and strong content delivery algorithms that foster long-term user engagement.
This year, TikTok expanded its advertising opportunities for brands and creators. They launched TikTok Symphony – a set of AI tools for creativity. It helps generate videos based on just a few inputs, creates scripts, assists with brainstorming, and even improves existing videos.

3. Facebook
Downloads: 553 million
Facebook which boasts of three billion active monthly users as of April 2024 had 553 million downloads. It uses AI to personalize content and draws on user actions from both Facebook and Instagram. However, it has the lowest average rating among the top apps, potentially due to privacy and data management concerns.

4.WhatsApp
Downloads: 475 million
With two billion monthly active users, Whatsapp known for its end-to-end encryption and secure and reliable communications leads the messaging category with 475 million downloads. WhatsApp is preferred for personal and business communication. Recently, it launched Meta AI (now available to a limited number of users). This chatbot can generate images, engage in conversations, and search for information.

5. CapCut
Downloads: 389 million
It appeals to beginners and professionals with its wide range of editing tools and its integration with TikTok, offering many powerful features, most of which are free thus enhancing user engagement.
It brings AI into video editing and makes it feel like magic. It can create AI characters to narrate a video, clone voices, clean audio from extraneous noise, create voiceovers with AI text-to-speech, and more. The app is considered a strong competitor to Adobe and Canva.

6. Telegram
Downloads: 355 million
Telegram stands out in the messaging category. It is well-regarded for its robust privacy features, such as secret chats and self-destructing messages, and its extensive functionality, which appeals to users who prioritize security and advanced communication features.
Its extensive functionality, such as channels, bots, and large file-sharing capabilities, distinguishes it from other messaging apps. It is particularly well-regarded among users who prioritize security, advanced communication features, and cross-platform experience.

7. Snapchat
Downloads: 343 million
Snapchat continues to attract younger audiences through unique features like ephemeral messages, snap streaks, and AR lenses, alongside continuous innovation in augmented reality technology. The app doesn’t attract much interest from people over 35. However, when it comes to the 13-34 age demographic, the app reaches more than 75 percent of this population in some countries.

8. Subway
Downloads: 304 million
Subway Surfers leads the gaming category. Its simple yet addictive gameplay, vibrant graphics, and regular updates have made it a classic in the mobile gaming scene, appealing to a broad audience. Released 12 years ago, it became the first game to break the one billion downloads barrier on Google Play.

9. Zoom
Downloads: 300 million
Zoom gained prominence due to the shift toward remote work and virtual meetings, offering reliable performance and a range of features like screen sharing, breakout rooms, and webinars. Zoom is now jumping on the AI bandwagon with the introduction of Zoom AI Companion. It can summarize meetings and chat chains, bring users up to speed if they missed a part of the meeting, and assist in crafting polished emails and messages.

10. Temu
Downloads: 274 million
Temu has strongly impacted the shopping category. Its success is driven by a user-friendly interface, diverse product offerings, competitive pricing, and efficient delivery services, making it a top choice for online shoppers in 2024.
Its addictive nature is often compared to TikTok with AI recommendation algorithms working similarly: they analyze the time the user spends on a product, the speed of switching between items, etc. Within minutes, Temu profiles the user and offers the most relevant products. Coupled with a well-designed interface, a diverse product range, and competitive prices, Temu is now competing with shopping giants like Amazon and Shein, even though it only launched in 2022.