Top 10 Most Used Apps in The World 2023

We depend on mobile phones and many applications that we download from them. There’s literally an app for everything, which has made things a lot easier. Of course, this has made a number of applications quite popular. While there is no one most used app in the world, we will talk about the most popular apps in the world, in this article. 

Apps have different categories, uses and features, so determining the best app isn’t a possible task. So, there are ways to check which app is being used more by people.

What Is The Popularity Of Apps Based On?

Understanding what users want is essential to the success of your app. This is especially true when developing a brand-new app. Even if your app is revolutionary in terms of the software or concept, you won’t be able to get downloads if there is no market for its use.

The popularity of an app depends on a number of factors, which you can constantly alter. But it’s judged by a few parameters – like downloads, active users or ratings. This data decides how the app is doing in the market and with its target audience. 

For instance, an increase in the number of active users, which is significant, indicates that users are regularly engaging and interacting with the app. This shows that you are acting in the right way for your users in your own apps. Examining the app’s customer journey and the impact of its marketing campaigns is made easier with an understanding of the number of active users over a specific time period.

This is also why the most used app in the world is not a fixed answer and keeps changing constantly. Because users keep shifting to different apps for different needs. 

Also Read About – How To Create an App For Free And Make Money?

Most Downloaded Apps In 2023

Even though there are thousands of apps for Android and iOS, only a selected few stand out and attract the majority of users. Almost half of the year is already gone, and there have been a lot of technical advancements and shifts in the market. So, the trends in the usage of apps have also probably changed from 2022. 

Here are the most downloaded apps on both Apple and Google Play Store, as of April 2023:

  • TikTok
  • WhatsApp
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Messenger
  • CapCut
  • Telegram 
  • Snapchat
  • Spotify
  • Shein
  • Zoom

List Of Most Popular Apps In The World

  • WhatsApp
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Facebook
  • Telegram
  • Snapchat
  • CapCut
  • Spotify
  • Google Maps

1. WhatsApp

WhatsApp is one of the most popular apps in the world for text that is appreciated for its global calling. Users can make video and voice calls as well as send text messages and voice messages. This mobile app also makes it simple to share documents, images, user locations, and other content.

The popular app has been downloaded more than 5 billion times and has more than 2 billion active users. WhatsApp remains a popular method of communication for many people despite the availability of new applications that are similar to it.

2. YouTube

The platform dates back to 2005 when it started out for long-form video content, and its relevance among emerging video-sharing applications never diminished. Now you can find content of all kinds on the world famous app and many people have made careers out of creating content on YouTube.

It is one of the best apps in the market that lets people share and watch videos online. Each month, YouTube users watch approximately 6 billion hours of video. It also receives an average of one hundred hours of video upload every minute. Moreover, after the introduction of  ‘YouTube shorts’, its usage has increased, getting it over 10 billion downloads.

3. Instagram

Since 2010, this app for sharing photos and videos has come a long way. Now owned by Meta, it took some time for it to emerge as a world-popular app.

Instagram is now one of the best social media apps, thanks to its extensive features for creators, businesses, and social networking, as well as photo posting. The photo-sharing app is easily one of the world’s most used apps now. On a typical day, Instagram users spend at least 53 minutes on the platform. To use it, you must download the app because there is no web version. And it’s rightly the most famous app in the world, given that it has over 1 billion downloads on Google play store alone.

4. TikTok

TikTok is one of the apps that have the largest global presence of short-form videos. TikTok was launched in 2016 and gained a larger user base when it acquired Musical.ly, another video-sharing karaoke app. The app is well-known for its challenges and trends, which are featured in some of the platform’s most-watched videos.

In 2022, TikTok overtook Instagram as the most-downloaded Google Play app with 15 million more downloads. It was initially regarded as a Gen Z-only app, but after the global lockdown, it has recently gained a significant number of new users. Now, as one of the most famous apps in the world, it has over 1 billion downloads. 

5. Facebook

Facebook is among the best applications in the world. This social networking site, which is among the most used apps in the world, makes it simple to connect with loved ones and share ideas online. Anybody who is over the age of 13 and owns a valid email address can join Facebook.

The Facebook messenger app is necessary for sending and receiving messages. As a result, Messenger and Facebook apps are also downloaded together by most users. Facebook is listed as the third-best social networking app on the Apple store and it saw combined downloads of 38 million in April 2023 alone. This application is the most installed app in the world and still has a large number of active users.

6. Telegram

With this app, users can send documents, photos, and videos inside a confidential space while making and overseeing large groups of people with similar interests. Additionally, the app offers both public and private channels, each of which can be customized in numerous ways. Telegram as of now has more than 500 million active users and over 2 billion downloads and its popularity just keeps on expanding as time passes. 

Self-destructing messages, editing sent messages, and even locking conversations are additional features. The good part is that many people use the app to share private or sensitive information with people they trust because it promotes a sense of privacy and safety. So, it could totally become the most used app in the world 2023.

7. Snapchat

In contrast to other apps that keep track of everything you share, Snapchat messages are designed to disappear. Snapchat is a simple app for sharing everyday moments with close ones. The app offers games, quizzes, news, and other forms of entertainment in addition to its distinctive photo and video editing tools. The ability to send timed photos and videos that disappear after a single viewing was greatly appreciated by users. So, it has more than 1.5 billion downloads and great reviews on both Google Play Store and Apple Store.

You can also quickly and easily create advertisements using its Instant Create feature and distribute them geographically to ensure that your target audience sees them. In this sense, Snapchat is a world famous app which can also be a useful marketing tool.

8. CapCut

The app is a Chinese video editor application that gives people access to editing features, fonts, effects, and everything they need to capture the moment. CapCut was formerly known as Viamaker, and shares the same parent company as TikTok. The app is working hard to become big and the most popular app in the world 2023 with its constant updates. 

And there’s a good reason for it. This video editor is making waves in a market where there are few competitors and a lot of money to be made. Therefore, it enjoys constant popularity, and scores over 500 million downloads, with more than 200 million active users.

9. Spotify

With this app, you can easily make playlists, keep track of your favorite songs, and even set up notifications to be notified whenever your favorite artist releases a new album. It also flaunts a UI that people love, and is a go-to music app or the number one according to Apple Store. The company also has a low-cost pricing plan but you can use it for free if you’re okay with a few ads. 

Other than easy music search, playlist curation, and friend’s playlist following, people can also download playlists, check out podcasts and participate in Q&As and polls. In April, Spotify had over 17 million active users, making it among the most popular apps in the world.

10. Google Maps

When looking for directions, everyone relies on Google Maps, making it the most used app in the world. The app’s most helpful feature is that it shows customized routes based on the vehicle type. The app shows you the fastest route as it changes, avoiding traffic wherever possible. 

The app’s suggestions for nearby attractions are another intriguing feature. You can also use its ‘near me’ feature to find the nearest place for a specific thing, like a restaurant near you. People can also enhance the app by adding photos of public places and missing information to the map. Its utility is practical and so, over 8 million people downloaded the app on the Apple Store in April.

Conclusion

This list talks about the most used app in the world and the ones that are popular based on their downloads, active users and reviews. However, there is no one world famous app, because trends keep changing. On the other hand, users can select from hundreds of available apps rather than just one for each task. Building an unwavering client base and furnishing users with the best features are the important goals of all the applications that become the most used apps in the world.

Our Readers Also Love

Apps For Startup