Mobile applications have become an integral part of our daily lives. We rely on apps for everything from communication and entertainment to productivity and finances. Some apps have risen to the top and continue dominating the market year after year. Here are the 13 most downloaded apps of all time as of 2024.
Contents
1. Facebook
Facebook has been the king of social media for well over a decade now. It revolutionized how people connect online when it launched in 2004. Despite some recent controversies, Facebook still enjoys an enormous user base of over 2.9 billion monthly active users worldwide.
The Facebook app allows you to connect with friends and family, join groups, play games, watch videos, and much more. It‘s available on both iOS and Android. Facebook continues holding the top spot for most downloaded apps of all time.
Key Stats:
- 2.9 billion monthly active users
- Launched: 2004
- Founders: Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes
2. YouTube
YouTube has been the preeminent platform for uploading and watching video content since 2005. Now owned by Google, YouTube allows users to view, share, rate, and comment on videos.
With over 2 billion monthly users, YouTube offers an endless stream of content. You can find videos on any topic imaginable, from music videos and comedy sketches to tutorials, news, live streams and more. The YouTube app makes it easy to watch content on the go.
Key Stats:
- Over 2 billion monthly users
- Launched: 2005
- Owner: Google
- Hours of video uploaded every minute: 500+
3. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is the world‘s most popular messaging app with over 2 billion users. It offers free encrypted text messaging, voice and video calls, image/video sharing, and group chats. Owned by Meta, WhatsApp dominates the messaging market globally.
The app appeals to users thanks to its simplicity, security, and cross-platform availability. It offers handy features like chatting with businesses and payments. WhatsApp continues to see immense growth, especially in emerging markets.
Key Stats:
- Over 2 billion monthly active users
- Launched: 2009
- Founders: Jan Koum and Brian Acton
- Acquired by Facebook (now Meta) for $19 billion in 2014
4. Instagram
Owned by Meta, Instagram is one of the top social networking apps focused on photo and video sharing. Users can upload content, follow friends, explore popular content via hashtags, and share posts to other platforms.
Additional features include Instagram Stories, Reels short-form video, IGTV long-form video, Instagram Live broadcasting, messaging, influencer collaborations, shopping and more. Instagram surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in 2018.
Key Stats:
- 1+ billion monthly active users
- Launched: 2010
- Founders: Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger
- Acquired by Facebook (Meta) for $1 billion in 2012
5. Snapchat
Snapchat brought ephemeral messaging to the mainstream when it launched in 2011. The app allows users to share photos, videos, and messages that disappear after being viewed. Snapchat appealed hugely to younger demographics with its fun features and privacy.
Additional Snapchat features now include Stories, Discover for viewing curated content, Memories for saving Snaps, Lenses with filters and AR, messaging, Snap Map and more. Snapchat has retained popularity, especially among Gen Z.
Key Stats:
- Over 265 million daily active users
- Launched: 2011
- Founders: Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown
- Went public in 2017 with market cap of $24 billion
6. Messenger
Facebook Messenger allows users to communicate directly with their Facebook friends and contacts. Messenger began as an integrated feature within the Facebook app but was spun off into its own app in 2011.
Messenger offers free messaging, group chats, video and voice calls, stories, games, payments and much more. It surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in 2016. The app makes it easy to stay in touch with Facebook friends.
Key Stats:
- 1.3+ billion monthly active users
- Launched: 2011
- Owner: Meta (formerly Facebook)
- Platforms: iOS, Android, desktop
7. WeChat
WeChat is the most popular messaging app in China and has also gained popularity in other Asian countries. Owned by Tencent, WeChat offers texting, voice/video calls, moments/timeline for sharing updates, mobile payments and much more.
WeChat appeals to users thanks to its many integrations and capabilities beyond simple messaging. It has become an indispensable "super app" in daily life for over 1 billion monthly active users in China. WeChat also enables global connections with Chinese users.
Key Stats:
- Over 1.2 billion monthly active users
- Launched: 2011
- Owner: Tencent (Chinese company)
- Revenue 2020: over $50 billion
8. TikTok
TikTok took the world by storm as a short-form video app full of creativity. Users can create, view, and share 15-60 second videos ranging from fun dances to comedy sketches and more. TikTok makes it easy for videos to go viral with its intuitive interface.
Bytedance launched TikTok in 2016 by combining its Douyin app for China with Musical.ly. TikTok grew exponentially since then, gaining over 1 billion monthly active users across 150 countries. It‘s one of the few recent apps to achieve such wild popularity.
Key Stats:
- 1 billion+ monthly active users
- Launched: 2016
- Owner: Bytedance (Chinese company)
- Downloads in 2019: ~750 million
9. Netflix
Netflix pioneered the streaming television model when it launched its online subscription service in 2007 for on-demand movies and shows. The Netflix app allows subscribers to watch content across a diverse range of genres.
Netflix shattered records as it grew to over 200 million subscribers in 2020. Its original content like Stranger Things, Squid Game and The Crown has permeated pop culture. Netflix leads the pack when it comes to popularity of streaming services.
Key Stats:
- 220+ million global paid subscribers
- Launched: 2007
- Founders: Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph
- Originals released in 2021: 379
10. Spotify
Spotify is the top music streaming app, offering access to over 82 million songs and 3.6 million podcasts. Users can listen to music and podcasts on-demand, create playlists, get recommendations, and share music.
Premium subscriptions remove ads and allow downloading content for offline listening. Spotify reshaped how we consume music for its 172 million premium subscribers and 406 million total monthly active users. It‘s by far the most popular music app.
Key Stats:
- 172 million premium subscribers
- Launched: 2008
- Founders: Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon
- Songs available: Over 82 million
11. Amazon Shopping
The Amazon shopping app brings the endless inventory of the largest online retailer right to your fingertips. Users can easily browse, search for, and buy all kinds of products on Amazon via the app.
Features include smooth mobile checkout, saving products for later, accessing orders, Amazon Assistant, barcode scanner, notifications, AR view and more. The convenience of mobile shopping on Amazon makes it one of the most essential apps.
Key Stats:
- Launched: 1998
- Founder: Jeff Bezos
- Mobile app launched: 2009
- Monthly active app users: Over 330 million
12. PayPal
PayPal revolutionized online payments when it launched in 1998 as one of the first electronic payment platforms. The PayPal app allows users to securely send, receive, and manage money right from your phone.
PayPal simplifies making purchases online, sending money to friends & family, getting paid, depositing checks, and managing finances. PayPal continues to be a popular choice for electronic payments and has over 350 million active user accounts.
Key Stats:
- Founded: 1998
- Acquired by eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion
- Spun off from eBay in 2015
- Total payment volume in 2021: $1.25 trillion
13. Uber
Uber revolutionized ride-hailing when it launched its app in 2010. The Uber app lets users request rides, track drivers, make payments, rate trips, and more. Uber disrupted the taxi industry with its on-demand service and still dominates the rideshare space.
Uber offers rides, food and package delivery, and is continuing to expand offerings. It provides service in over 10,000 cities globally. Uber went public in 2019 at a valuation of $75.5 billion.
Key Stats:
- Launched: 2010
- Founders: Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp
- Total rides in 2019: 14 billion
- Number of countries served: 72
Conclusion
These 13 apps have become the most downloaded of all time (so far) thanks to their incredibly useful services, viral trends, and sheer convenience. We rely on these apps daily for communication, information, entertainment, transportation and more.
It‘s fascinating to see how newcomers like TikTok can skyrocket to the top in just a few years. At the same time, early pioneers like Facebook, YouTube and PayPal have maintained their reign through constant evolution. As technology advances, it will be exciting to see which apps continue to dominate the coming decades.
