In March, ChatGPT emerged as the most downloaded app globally, excluding games, surpassing usual leaders Instagram and TikTok. This marked the first time ChatGPT topped the monthly download charts, achieving its highest download month to date. App intelligence provider Appfigures reported that ChatGPT’s installations rose by 28% from February to March, reaching 46 million new downloads.
The app’s growth placed it slightly ahead of Instagram, which moved to the second position, followed by TikTok in third place. Contributing to ChatGPT’s installation surge were significant upgrades introduced in March, such as a major enhancement to its image-generation capabilities, which had not been updated for over a year. This led to viral moments in late March and early April as users began creating images and memes reminiscent of Studio Ghibli’s style, the renowned Japanese animation studio.
Furthermore, OpenAI removed certain content moderation safeguards related to image creation and improved ChatGPT’s AI voice feature. According to Appfigures, ChatGPT’s installations have shown a 148% year-over-year growth when comparing the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2025.
Despite the new features, Appfigures speculates that they were not the primary catalysts for the chatbot’s growth. Ariel Michaeli, the founder and CEO of Appfigures, mentioned that ChatGPT is becoming a household name, akin to how Google became a verb in the 2000s. Thus, when excitement around AI arises, even if it involves competitors like Grok or Manus AI, many users end up downloading ChatGPT.
The brand recognition of ChatGPT poses challenges for other AI chatbots, potentially hindering their uptake. This is partly why Anthropic’s Claude hasn’t performed as well compared to ChatGPT. On the other hand, Grok could emerge stronger due to its association with Elon Musk and the broad platform offered by X.
In contrast, Instagram had previously secured the No. 2 position across both the Apple App Store and Google Play in January and February, while TikTok led during this period. TikTok’s earlier growth was partly spurred by concerns over a potential U.S. ban, prompting users to download the app quickly. However, this ban is currently on hold as negotiations continue between the U.S. administration and ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company in China, to maintain app availability.
Prior to these events, Instagram frequently overtook TikTok for the top spot around the globe throughout 2024. The app’s popularity in the U.S. market has been particularly strong, especially among teenagers. A recent Piper Sandler survey revealed that Instagram is the most-used social app among U.S. teens, with 87% monthly usage, compared to 79% for TikTok and 72% for Snapchat.
In March, other social media platforms, including Meta’s applications, also featured prominently in the download charts. Facebook and WhatsApp ranked within the top five, joined by CapCut, Telegram, Snapchat, Meta’s Threads, and Temu in the top 10. Altogether, the top 10 apps collectively amassed 339 million downloads in March, surpassing February’s total of 299 million downloads.
