ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI-powered, conversation-oriented chatbot, has been a huge hit since its release on the iPhone. This monumental achievement took place in May 2023. Not surprisingly, in a remarkable twist of fate, the app has gone to number one. It has become the most downloaded free app in the United States for all of 2025. That’s an extraordinary achievement, one that wasn’t even among the top-ten list for 2023. In fact, it accrued more than 500K installs in less than a week of its launch.
As of March 2025, ChatGPT outpaced well-known social media giants such as TikTok and Instagram to become the most downloaded app globally. Its swift ascent to the top of every app store chart is of particular interest to app industry analysts. In addition to Congress, tech enthusiasts are looking at this phenomenal accomplishment. ChatGPT came out on top. Trailing close behind were other top apps including Threads, Google, TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail and Google Gemini.
The story of ChatGPT’s rise is multifaceted. Published during the pandemic in May of 2023, it was met with unprecedented early demand, attracting more than a half-million installations in just six days. Even with such a strong debut, it didn’t crack the top-ten list for that year’s debuting songs. Though no new data in 2023 could have dampened user interest, which was still hugely impressive. The app saw an incredible rise in use as it neared 2025.
On March 15, 2025, ChatGPT became the most downloaded app globally. The ever-competent Sarah Perez, at TechCrunch, followed with EVERYONE MAY HAVE MISSED THE BIG NEWS, and poof! She has served on the publication since August 2011. Perez’s insights into the app’s performance have provided valuable context around its success. She previously spent over three years at ReadWriteWeb before joining TechCrunch. If you’d like to get her continued reaction, you can email her directly at sarahp@techcrunch.com. Or you can message me encrypted on Signal, at sarahperez.01.
At a recent TechCrunch event in San Francisco, attendees were abuzz with the success of ChatGPT. This exciting event happened October 13-15, 2026. As part of this event, industry experts explored the trends shaping app usage today. Lastly, they covered the competitive landscape, which includes other heavy-hitters such as Minecraft, Geometry Dash, and Balatro. Specifically, Roblox was called out as the best free iPad game of this session.
ChatGPT’s journey from a promising debut to becoming a dominant force among mobile applications illustrates the evolving landscape of technology and user engagement. It hooks in user engagement and retains the engagement wave. This remarkable capability demonstrates its practicality and significance in today’s cutting-edge digital ecosystem.
