Whether you have an idea for an innovation or your product already exists in the market, you will always find better ways to cater to the growing need to serve your consumer. All the popular app ideas that are trending today have one thing in common, they all use advanced mobile technology to present themselves as problem solvers. If your product is able to solve a problem for your target audience, then you are set for a long and profitable run in the market. Uber is leading the global market as a popular app. The on-demand ride-sharing service, connecting 103 million riders with drivers in over 70 countries. Despite several competitors, they continue to dominate the U.S. Market as one of the most popular app, with 71% of the market share in the mobile appdevelopment industry; with these figures, Uber has managed to develop a powerful presence in most countries across the globe. The question is, what made Uber so successful? Being the first to the market definitely adds to the overall success to become most popular app; however, the way Uber has designed the app that offers a superior user experience also contributes to where it stands as a brand on a global level. Most of us have used Uber services. Let’s explore a few things the Uber app does correctly: We are all aware of the impact of Instagram on our personal and professional lives. It is one of the world’s largest social media forums and most popular social media app, with over 1.3 billion users; Instagram offers an easy and fast way to connect with friends through sharing images and videos. It was launched in 2010 and then later on purchased by Facebook in 2012; Instagram is especially most popular app among Millennials and Gen-Zers, making it an influential medium for advertisers & marketers trying to reach those segments. The few things the Instagram app does right are: With over 2.9 billion facebook users worldwide, Facebook is the most popular social media app and has managed to be the leader since its commencement. It was one of the very first free-to-use digital platforms to connect with friends. The platform allows you to organize, store, save, and share photos with your connections. The user has complete control over their images and privacy settings; therefore, you can easily share photos from your phone storage.1. Uber
2. Instagram
3. Facebook
Let’s see some great app functionalities that get the user’s attention:
- Organize Your List allows you to add your friends into the organized categories and post to the selected groups. Giving you content that is specific to those categories,
- Watch Party feature allows you to have a group of streaming videos for your friends to view and comment on,
- Royalty-Free Music is a recent feature added by Facebook, it has thousands of tunes available for us to download and add to our videos, and all are royalty-free.
4. Telegram
With over 700 million telegram users worldwide, Telegram has managed to build its credibility among its users. It is a solid and popular messaging app that has gained popularity among millennials. It is an excellent and easy-to-use platform if you are looking for something out of ordinary social media forums. There are lots of little touches around the app that make it a fun-to-use app.

It is a fantastic all-around messenger, especially when you start using its finest features:
- Telegram allows you to save messages you want to access anywhere, helping you to keep a record of important information,
- Telegram users have complete authority over their privacy and security settings and can change/adjust according to their preferences,
- If you want to use Telegram in a region where you are unable to access it, you’ll appreciate the Telegram feature that allows you to safely connect via a proxy server.
5. TikTok
Developed by Beijing-based firm ByteDance, TikTok is one of the most popular apps worldwide for creating and sharing short videos. You can enjoy the most popular app features like lip-syncing and dancing. Still, users also use it for making highly-creative short films which are gaining popularity among content creators. Initially used by teenagers, TikTok has become a mainstream app used by 1 billion active users worldwide.

Let’s explore a few things the app does right:
- Automatic filters surely do drive engagement to the app as people enjoy looking great on camera,
- The app delivers a highly-effective algorithm that determines what users want to see and keeps them coming back,
- Duets allow users to collaborate on different devices to create group videos. It further encourages users to create content that is creative and entertaining to watch.
6. Netflix
A platform that has made in-home content watching interesting for people worldwide. Netflix is a subscription-based on-demand and video streaming app. With over a sweeping 209 million paying subscribers, Netflixs’ users skyrocketed even more during the pandemic as the world was in a lockdown phase, and Netflix turned out to be a fantastic escape. It constantly updates and adds exciting movies and most acclaimed shows in its inventory across many genres. It is also the foremost Over the Top (OTT) media service that users can access on multiple devices.

Below are a few things the app masters in:
- Parental controls allow parents to efficiently manage the content their children download or watch on a family plan via the app,
- The offline viewing feature lets users download films and shows so they can view them later on anywhere with a connectivity issue,
- Netflix keeps its users engaged by recommending content based on what users like; it also suggests shows or movies produced by Netflix itself.
7. Amazon
It is one of the world’s largest multinational tech giants that offers a broad spectrum of products and services: digital streaming (Prime Video), e-commerce, and many more. The amazing user experience allows users to compare, review, buy and return products seamlessly.
Let’s explore a few things the app does right for its audience:
- The buy now button lets users conveniently purchase a product with a single click,
- A well-developed and managed return process guides users at every step of the way. You can return the product directly via the app or in certain parts of the world; users can then bring the items they wish to return to the local retailer.
- The Barcode scanner feature allows buyers to scan the barcode for the product they find in a store and compare the price on the Amazon app.
8. YouTube
The world’s most popular video streaming platform, YouTube, offers video streaming services and has an ocean-like source of entertainment, original, and exciting content; with specific rules to follow and policies to understand, it has become a vital source of credible information for its users. YouTube helps millions of creators to shoot and share their creations with the world.
Let’s look at some exciting app features of YouTube:
- You can subscribe to your favorite creator’s channel simply with one click. You will receive a notification each time the creator posts new content,
- The caption buttons are easy-to-access for viewers to read captions on any video,
- Creators can create Video chapters to break longer videos into sections so that viewers can jump directly to the chapters they want to view.
Here you find the best news apps for both Android and IOS.
9. Dropbox
Used by 700 million users online, Dropbox is a secure and well-developed cloud storage app that is accessible on multiple devices. Dropbox makes it easy to store essential documents and share information with teams on the cloud. With the interactive features, you can also comment and share views on documents you’ve shared with teams or groups.

Let’s look at a few fantastic features of the app:
- Dropbox offers easy integration with other leading apps and web services without any compatibility issues,
- You don’t have to worry about file size anymore with no file-size limit on uploads feature the app offers,
- The app also gives its users easy sharing features, which allow users to create secured links to documents they share with the teams.
10. Spotify
Being one of the most popular apps in the music world, Spotify has, over the years, upgraded its user experience for mobile design, music sharing, and streaming quality. Even though the app has an ad-supported free version, users can enjoy ad-free streaming with Spotify premium membership along with playlist suggestions according to the interests of the user.
Let’s explore a few features of the Spotify app:
- You can easily listen to your favorite music offline as you can download songs; this is one of the additional features in the premium membership,
- The users can follow playlists of their liking to discover new music,
- The app has worked amazingly in developing app algorithms to share customized playlists after understanding your genre and preferences.
11. WhatsApp
With over 2.4 billion active users worldwide, it is one of the most famous & free-to-use popular messaging apps. Since its commencement in the year 2009, it has been one of the giants of the industry. You can use WhatsApp to chat, make phone calls, and facilitate seamless communications with people from around the world. The App offers hassle-free sign-up and easy to use interface for its users that helps them to navigate easily.

Let’s understand how the app delivers quality to its users:
- The easy-to-use voice message features give its users the mobility to communicate in complex situations,
- End-to-end encryption keeps your data safe and secure,
- You can also stay connected with its Pin-Locator feature, where you can share your location directly with your friends.
12. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the most popular social media platform that connects professionals from different industries under one roof. With over 830 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is a great place to connect with industry leaders, potential leads for your business and apply for jobs. You can sign up and set your profile by mentioning your field of interest, educational background, and current job profile. The app is highly recommended for people who don’t want to get bothered by content not related to their interests.

Let’s see what the app does right:
- Manage, add and endorse your skills; if you are looking for a job on LinkedIn you can access this feature to showcase your skills & potential,
- Users will get a notification as soon as someone views your profile, which is blissful as well as a bummer as well,
- With the Save your searches feature, you can save your searches in case you wish to revisit them.
Companies should start investing in mobile app development
Digital transformation is shaping the future of every industry that’s functioning online, and missing out on it could result in a downfall. As we have seen above, the apps that are most popular worldwide use features that help make human lives better and more efficient. Companies who are looking to identify their consumer base can use these social media platforms to understand user behavior and where they can find suitable audiences to increase website traffic.
Companies should also start investing in bettering their mobile app development to create amazing user experience to their as people tend to spend more time on phones, and apps like those mentioned above are giving it all to retain the attention of their users.
Adding features that not only give the users a reason to choose your brand over the others but also add value to your brand credibility in the technology sector.
FAQ
What is the no.1 app in the world?
TikTok is currently the no.1 app in the world with over 1 billion users.
What is the most popular app right now?
Instagram is the most popular app right now globally.
Which is the most used app in 2023?
Instagram is the most used app currently in the year 2023.
FAQs
Top 12 Most Popular Apps in 2023? ›
The most downloaded app at the beginning of 2023 was TikTok. That fact isn't so surprising; the list of apps most popular in 2023 includes all the expected major social media platforms, but TikTok in particular has dominated the consumer conversation for a few years now.
What is the most popular app in 2023? ›The most downloaded app at the beginning of 2023 was TikTok. That fact isn't so surprising; the list of apps most popular in 2023 includes all the expected major social media platforms, but TikTok in particular has dominated the consumer conversation for a few years now.
What are the top 10 apps of the year? ›- 3 Whatsapp.
- 4 CapCut. ...
- 5 Snapchat. ...
- 6 Telegram. Number of downloads: 310 million. ...
- 7 Subway Surfers. Number of downloads: 304 million. ...
- 8 Facebook. Number of downloads: 298 million. ...
- 9 Stumble Guys. Number of downloads: 254 million. ...
- 10 Spotify. Number of downloads: 238 million. ...
- Rise of 5G. The 5G technology has been around for a while. ...
- Apps for Foldable Devices. ...
- AR & VR. ...
- Wearable App Integration. ...
- Food & Grocery Delivery Apps. ...
- Mobile Entertainment & Gaming. ...
- AI & Machine Learning. ...
- There Will be More Focus on Mobile App Security.
- Find that Photo.
- Galaxy Enhance-X.
- Mood Journal.
- PlainApp.
- Prosper.
#1) TikTok
By now, it has been downloaded over 2 billion times overall globally.
Type of App | Average Cost |
---|---|
Native apps (Android & iOS) | $50,000 to $100,000 |
Cross-platform apps | $25,000 to $60,000 |
Web apps | $15,000 to $50,000 |
Hybrid apps | $10,000 to $150,000 |
- Temu. An interesting fact about the 10 most downloaded apps of 2023 is that the top 4 apps are all Chinese-based. ...
- TikTok. It's no surprise that TikTok is one of the most downloaded apps of 2023. ...
- CapCut. ...
- SHEIN. ...
- WhatsApp. ...
- Instagram. ...
- Roblox. ...
- Cash App.
TikTok is by far the most popular entertainment app, with 672 million downloads to second place Netflix's 165 million. Netflix remains the most popular video subscription service, beating out Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
Which app is mostly use in USA? ›Most downloaded mobile apps U.S. 2022
In 2022, TikTok was the most popular mobile app in the United States, with 99 million downloads.
What is the future of app? ›
The future of mobile app development is exciting and full of potential. With the rise of AI and ML, cross-platform development, progressive web apps, the Internet of Things, and 5G, developers have the tools they need to create truly innovative and transformative mobile apps that can change the way we live and work.
How apps make money? ›The majority of top-grossing apps combine ads with in-app purchases for revenue generation. Purchases of in-app resources, subscriptions, and freemium upsell are among the highest-earning monetization methods. Transaction fees, online sales, or sponsorships may complement these.
Why apps are so popular? ›Ability to access built-in phone features.
Mobile apps have the benefit of being able to use a phone's built-in features. One example of this would be when an app can access a phone's GPS, which means users can open a map and have their location shown in real-time according to the store's location.
In 2022, TikTok was the most downloaded mobile app worldwide. The short-video sharing app generated 672 million downloads during the same year. The mobile apps of social media and communication platforms Instagram and WhatsApp followed with 548 million and 424 million downloads, respectively.
How is the best trending app? ›Snapchat. Snapchat is among the most popular social media apps in the category, with 375 million daily active users in 2022. This trending app was launched in 2011 as a mobile messaging application for sharing photos, videos, text, and drawings.
What apps are still running? ›...
From shortcuts
- Swipe up from the bottom, hold, then let go. If you're on Android Go with 3-button navigation, tap Recent apps .
- Swipe left or right to switch to the app you want to open.
- Tap the app that you want to open.
Google Play Store is the most popular Android app store in the market. According to app store statistics, over 3.57 million Android apps are published on the Google Play Store.
Can u make an app for free? ›App creation is no longer just for professional developers. Now everyone can build mobile apps without programming using a free version of an award-winning low-code app development platform. Alpha Anywhere Community Edition is a free app development software that creates Android apps and iPhone apps with ease.
What is the most expensive app created? ›Moreover, users have to pay a yearly subscription fee and cover extra upgrade costs, making CyberTuner the most expensive app in the world.
Is it expensive to start an app? ›According to the latest industry reports that the cost to create a mobile application is between $30,000 and $250,000, with an average cost of $171,450. Keep in mind that these figures are only estimates and the final cost may be significantly more or less based on the particular project's requirements.
What is the most downloaded app in the Play Store? ›
App | Developer | Category |
---|---|---|
Google Photos | Photo/video manager | |
Facebook Messenger | Meta | Communication |
Google Meet | Communication | |
Gboard | Keyboard |
The Bottom Line. TikTok is an astronomically popular web app, with more than 3.5 billion downloads worldwide. TikTok allows users to make short videos, roughly 15–30 seconds in length, and distribute them within the app's following. Most of the videos are based on entertainment, hijinks, and comedy.
What is the most downloaded game on the app Store? ›The combined score is based on their ranking in both top downloads and top revenue lists, with revenue being weighted 2X as much as downloads. Completely unsurprisingly given their positioning in both the iOS and Android top lists, Royal Match, Roblox, and Candy Crush Saga are #1 and #2 and #3, respectively.
What's the most downloaded app of all time? ›TikTok reigns supreme as the app with the most downloads. At the end of 2022, it had reportedly been downloaded over 2 billion times worldwide. One billion of those users are active. Its short videos morphed from entertainment into big business.
What is the famous social media? ›1. Facebook — 2.96 billion MAUs. Facebook is the largest social networking site, with nearly 3 billion people using it monthly. This means roughly 37% of the world's population are Facebook users.
What is the most downloaded social media app in the US? ›Characteristic | Number of downloads in millions |
---|---|
72 | |
63 | |
Messenger | 46.3 |
45.5 |
The use of AI and machine learning in mobile apps has been on the rise in recent years, and this trend is set to continue in 2023. These technologies enable apps to understand user behavior and preferences in order to provide personalized and seamless experiences.
What will replace mobile apps? ›Advancements of web technologies and increased capabilities of progressive web apps (PWAs) are making mobile web a feasible replacement for apps.
How long will an app last? ›On average, users delete apps three months after installing them. However, it's a bit more complicated than that. Users tend to get rid of bad looking, slow or difficult to use apps. Good apps tend to stay on phones indefinitely.
Do app owners get paid? ›Mostly, the app owners are paid when the user clicks or hits the ad, or when the user installs the application via advertisement, the app owner gets paid. You can get paid every time an ad is displayed (per impression), per click on the ad, and when a user installs the advertised app.
How can I make money with my phone? ›
- Invest in Dollars. ...
- Become a Social Media Manager. ...
- Sell Things You Don't Need Anymore. ...
- Complete Online Surveys. ...
- Sell Online Courses. ...
- Provide Online Consultations. ...
- Blogging. ...
- Become a Freelancer.
- Get your app idea on paper.
- Build a Native app or a PWA, based on your needs.
- Make your app using the right method for your business.
- Create an app with an app builder (no-code option)
- Test your app on iOS and Android devices.
- Submit and Publish your app on the stores.
The performance of an app depends on many factors that can range from competition to marketing budgets to sheer luck. But beyond these factors, poor research and poor process execution are common reasons why apps fail when launched.
How do I make my app popular? ›- 1) Website. You need an online presence for your app. ...
- 2) Social Media. Social media is a must for app promotion. ...
- 3) Public Relations. ...
- 4) App Store Optimization (ASO) ...
- 5) Search Ads. ...
- 6) Influencer/Celebrity endorsements. ...
- 7) Traditional Advertising/In-Store. ...
- 8) Word of mouth/buzzworthy.
If your app is free, users won't lose anything by downloading it and users generally will have lower expectations. Hence, there is a greater chance of getting a good review for the quality of the app and a lesser chance of getting a bad review, simply because users didn't lose any money on the app.
What is the most an app has sold for? ›- WhatsApp bought by Facebook for $19bn. ...
- Instagram bought by Facebook for $1bn. ...
- Bitstrips bought by Snapchat for $100m. ...
- Vine bought by Twitter for $30m* ...
- Waze bought by Google for $966m.
Gen Z spends 66% of their digital media time using smartphone apps. (TechJury) As ComScore points out, smartphone users between the ages of 18 and 24 are the heaviest mobile app users.
How many apps do people actually use? ›However, businesses need to understand how people download and use apps. The average person utilizes nine apps daily and 30 apps every month, at best.
What is the 3rd largest app store? ›[News ] Huawei AppGallery becomes World's 3rd Largest App Store - HUAWEI Community.
What is the fastest growing app in the world? ›Is ChatGPT the Fastest Growing App of All Time? According to research by UBS analysts, ChatGPT is likely the fastest-growing app in internet history. The UBS research compared web application traffic data for apps launched in the last 20 years to the traffic at ChatGPT's official web address chat.openai.com.
How many apps are made in a day? ›
As per latest Google Play stats, you will be shocked to know that there are 3.48 million apps currently at the Google Play Store. This number of apps on Google Play is on a rise as 3,739 apps are added to the Play Store every single day.
What apps do girls use most? ›WattPad, a reading app, Timehop, a personal history app, BuzzFeed, the millennial media juggernaut, and ClassDojo, the communication app for teachers, all have a mobile app user base that is more than 80% female.
What app is the TikTok trend? ›TrendTok Analytics is the #1 App for TikTok Trends & TikTok Sounds.
How many apps in the world? ›Around 3.4 million apps are available for download in Google Play while nearly 2.09 million apps are available on the Apple App Store.
What app was made in 1997? ›In 1997, the Nokia 6110 included a built-in version of the basic arcade game “Snake,” which many consider the first mobile app.
Is there a future for apps? ›The future of mobile app development is exciting and full of potential. With the rise of AI and ML, cross-platform development, progressive web apps, the Internet of Things, and 5G, developers have the tools they need to create truly innovative and transformative mobile apps that can change the way we live and work.
What is the most useful app in the world? ›- Adobe apps.
- AirDroid.
- CamScanner.
- Google Assistant / Google Search.
- IFTTT.
- Google Drive suite.
- Google Translate.
- LastPass Password Manager.
...
Leading mobile apps worldwide in 2022, by downloads (in millions)
Characteristic | Number of downloads in millions |
---|---|
TikTok | 672 |
548 | |
424 | |
CapCut | 357 |
On average, social media apps and food delivery apps collect the most data. Browsers and image editing apps collect the least. The 3 most data-hungry apps are all owned by Facebook: Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. The least data-hungry apps tend to be developed specifically with privacy in mind.
What is the first app in history? ›A Brief History of Mobile Apps 📲 1994 – IBM's Simon phone predates the iPhone and Android as the first-ever smartphone. This phone offered 10 built-in apps including Calculator, Address Book, Mail, Notepad, and Sketchpad. Fun Fact – Snake was the first game app introduced to the mobile phone.
What app came out 2009? ›
Slingplayer Mobile. ColorSplash, Pocket Pixels. PocketGod, Bolt Creative. Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite, Quickoffice.
What app was popular in 2011? ›Facebook, Twitter, Skype, CNN top 2011 app downloads | EW.com.
What apps are becoming popular? ›App | Downloads (mm) |
---|---|
297 | |
Snapchat | 255 |
CapCut | 244 |
Telegram | 244 |
App | Revenue ($mm) |
---|---|
Google One | 891 |
TikTok | 674 |
Coin Master | 521 |
Candy Crush Saga | 502 |