Instagram maintained its lead globally with 54 million downloads in September. However, this figure represents a 10-million drop from July’s numbers, which had shown some growth. TikTok, ranked second, also experienced a decline, with 45 million downloads—4 million fewer than the previous month.
Facebook and WhatsApp held steady in third and fourth place with 39 million and 35 million downloads, respectively. Both apps saw noticeable drops: Facebook’s downloads were down 9% from August’s 43 million, and WhatsApp’s fell 17% from 42 million.
A significant change emerged in the fifth position, where Threads became the #1 free app on iOS and gained traction on Google Play. Another noteworthy shift was ChatGPT’s rise. In August, it entered the top 10 at #10 and climbed to #8 in September, increasing from 19 million to 24 million downloads within a month.
Overall, non-gaming app downloads declined in September to 334 million, marking a 5% drop from August. Although the month fell short of growth expectations, the launch of iOS 18, the iPhone 16, and new Google phones could bring a boost in the coming months. We’ll keep you updated on any further developments.
Top-Grossing Apps See Revenue Growth
While downloads declined, app revenue continued to grow, setting a course to surpass $1 billion soon.
TikTok led the revenue charts with more than $250 million in net earnings, adding $12 million to its July total—a 5% increase. YouTube retained the second position, growing to $166 million in September, up $9 million from August, driven by its subscription strategy.
Disney+, Tinder, and Max maintained their rankings but saw mixed results. Disney+ earned $125 million, a modest increase of $1 million. Tinder’s revenue dropped by $2 million to $95 million, while Max declined to $40 million, down $4 million.
Peacock, however, achieved its highest position ever, climbing to #6 with $48 million in revenue, up from $44 million in August.
NIX Solutions notes that the top 10 grossing apps are now close to crossing the $1 billion threshold, with combined net revenue of $945 million in September, a substantial increase from August’s figures.