TikTok Leads App Downloads in 2025 as AI Applications Experience Unprecedented Growth
The mobile app landscape underwent significant transformations in 2025, as detailed in Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2026 report. This comprehensive analysis sheds light on evolving user behaviors, emerging trends, and the shifting dynamics within the app ecosystem.
Stability in Downloads Amid Revenue Shifts
Throughout 2025, the total number of app downloads remained consistent with figures from 2024. However, a pivotal change emerged: for the first time, consumer spending within non-gaming apps surpassed that of mobile games. Despite a 7% decline in game downloads compared to the previous year, mobile gaming revenue experienced a modest 1% increase. This suggests a trend where users are investing more in fewer gaming titles, possibly due to enhanced in-app purchase strategies or the rising popularity of premium games.
TikTok’s Unwavering Dominance
TikTok solidified its position as a global powerhouse in the app market. In 2025, it led in worldwide downloads, in-app purchase revenue, and total user engagement time. The platform’s ability to captivate a vast audience underscores its influential role in shaping digital content consumption patterns.
The Meteoric Rise of AI Applications
Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications witnessed unprecedented growth in 2025. ChatGPT, a leading AI assistant, saw a 148% surge in downloads, a 254% increase in in-app purchase revenue, and an astounding 426% rise in total time spent by users. This propelled ChatGPT to the second position in Sensor Tower’s global top 20 apps by downloads. Other notable AI applications that gained traction include Google Gemini, DeepSeek, Doubao, Perplexity, Grok, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Seekee, Meta AI, and Microsoft Copilot.
Social Media’s Expanding Influence
Social media platforms continued to dominate user engagement metrics. Collectively, consumers spent nearly 2.5 trillion hours on these platforms in 2025, averaging over 90 minutes per day per user. This marks a 5% increase from the previous year, highlighting the deepening integration of social media into daily routines.
Emergence of New App Categories
The report identifies AI Assistants and Short Drama as breakout subgenres in 2025. Both categories ranked among the top three in growth for downloads and in-app purchase revenue. The surge in AI assistants reflects a growing reliance on AI-driven tools for various tasks, while the popularity of short drama content indicates a shift towards concise, engaging storytelling formats.
Gender-Specific App Preferences
Analyzing user demographics, ChatGPT emerged as the ninth most-used app among men in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2025. Conversely, platforms like Pinterest, TikTok, and Vemo were predominantly favored by female users, appearing exclusively in their top 10 app preferences.
Top Downloaded Apps by Category
Sensor Tower’s report also highlights the leading apps across various categories:
– AI: ChatGPT
– Gaming: Block Blast!
– Finance: PhonePe
– Retail: Temu
– Video Streaming: DramaBox
– Social: TikTok
– Food & Drink: McDonald’s
– Travel: Uber
– Health and Fitness: Flo
– Sports: Dream11
Conclusion
The State of Mobile 2026 report underscores a dynamic and evolving app market. The ascendancy of AI applications, the sustained dominance of platforms like TikTok, and the emergence of new content categories reflect changing user preferences and technological advancements. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, stakeholders must remain attuned to these trends to navigate the future of mobile engagement effectively.
