Apple unveils the most downloaded apps and games of 2025 for iPhone and iPad

Apple today published its 2025 App Store end-of-year charts. They list the top apps and games that were downloaded and spent the most time on iPhone and iPad devices in 2025. The 2025 charts are a mix of new AI tools like ChatGPT, highly popular social apps such as TikTok and YouTube, and perennial favorites like Microsoft Word and Roblox. Here’s a closer look at what people were using and searching on the App Store in 2025.

Note: The charts were gathered from all App Store activity around the world.

iPhone Apps

Top Free Downloads

OpenAI’s ChatGPT was the most-downloaded free app of 2025 on iPhone devices. Generative AI tools are already being woven into daily routines to get information and make lives easier. From answering questions to writing and editing text to productivity and more, ChatGPT and similar apps are becoming indispensable.

Other apps in the top 10 of free iPhone downloads include Threads, Google, TikTok, WhatsApp Messenger, Instagram, and YouTube. The list is filled with both social media, discovery apps as well as widely used utilities and entertainment apps.

Top Paid Downloads

HotSchedules, a workforce management app, was the most-downloaded paid iPhone app. The rest of the charts are filled with productivity, creative and utility apps like AnkiMobile Flashcards, Canva, Paprika Recipe Manager, and Strava. Users have long been willing to pay for productivity and utility apps that make working and organizing their lives easier and more fun.

Top Games

Block Blast! was the most-downloaded game for free iPhone. Fortnite and Roblox rounded out the top 3 slots. The rest of the charts are also full of some of the biggest and most popular free games with social and competitive aspects.

For paid iPhone games, most of the lists are taken up by the classics, as they have been for some time now. Minecraft: Dream it, Build it!, Geometry Dash, Genshin Impact, and Stardew Valley top the list.

iPad Apps

Top Free Downloads

YouTube was the most-downloaded app for free iPad apps. Other apps in the top 10 include ChatGPT, Netflix, Disney+, TikTok, Threads, and Apple Music. The lists are a bit more entertainment and media-focused as these apps are usually used with a larger screen in mind.

Top Paid Downloads

Creative and professional apps are the most downloaded on iPad, including Procreate and its sister app Procreate Dreams which are both top. Other app include Adobe Lightroom, Autodesk Sketchbook, Wondershare Filmora and the iAnnotate PDF Annotator.

Top Games

Fifa 24 was the most-downloaded iPad game. God of War Mobile, Among Us Mobile and Genshin Impact also appear in the top 10. As is the case on the iPhone, older and classic games are taking up a lot of the charts.

App Store Awards 2025

Apple also shared the winners of the App Store Awards 2025 earlier today. It’s an annual tradition to call out and honor some of the best apps from around the world for their design and innovation. Tiimo, Detail, AI Palette and Perfect Relink were the best overall and each app will get a $1 million award as part of the program.