Around 60% of the global population uses a smartphone. That is a staggering 4.88 billion people around the world, which is why it is no surprise that mobile technology and services currently generate 5.8% of the global GDP, and this is predicted to reach 8.4% by 2030.
For us as smartphone users, this means we have access to applications, specifically programmed code blocks that are designed to provide us with a specific service. From communication to work, banking to casual gaming, we have access to a supercomputer in the palm of our hands.
Mobile apps have come a long way from the very first Apple smartphone. With more than 1.9 million apps available on the Apple App Store and nearly 2.9 million available for Android users on the Google Play Store, there is an app for every possible application–and that makes sense when we spend about 88% of the time, we are using our smartphones on one app or another.
The Most Downloaded Apps
When we are considering what the most popular apps are, one of the things we might look at is the most downloaded applications. These are the apps that are being downloaded on smartphones globally, and as you will be able to see, most of them are considered social media or at least communication-related.
The list below represents data from 2025 from Statista.
- ChatGPT
- TikTok
- CapCut
- Temu
- Threads
- Snapchat
- Telegram
What is interesting about this list is the sheer volume of people who have decided to download ChatGPT, a generative AI chatbot that can have ‘conversations’ and provide research and advice based on large language models and machine learning. This is a new addition this year, as previously, the top spots of downloaded apps belonged to social media.
Further down the list of apps, we start to see gaming coming in. Now, it would seem that smartphone users have a preference for casual gaming, with apps like Roblox coming out of these lists relatively high (especially when you consider the sheer volume of apps available). But other gaming options, like online casinos and even mobile versions of AAA-rated console games, are consistently in the top lists of downloads. In fact, of the 300+ billion app downloads that are predicted for 2025, around 46.9 billion of them will be for some sort of game-related entertainment.
So, what does this tell us about the way we use our smartphones? For the most part, it means we are using our hand-held devices to help us connect to others through social media apps like Facebook and Instagram. We are sending messages and memes to each other using WhatsApp, and keeping up with bite-sized statements to the world thanks to Threads.
But, we are also seeking to understand more about the technological possibilities and advancements of AI by conversing with ChatGPT, asking questions of the bot, and feeding more and more data to the machines that are learning all about us. Whether this is just curiosity or could turn into something a bit more dangerous, it is hard to tell–but you might be safer seeking answers without the use of AI.
North America & Smartphone Apps
The North America sector of smartphone users includes 332 million unique mobile subscribers across the US and Canada, and there are also 1.14 billion tablet users in that demographic. The statistics remain similar to the rest of the world, with many US and Canadian smartphone users focusing on the shiny new AI toy and social media, but also downloading apps like Temu and Shein.
In Q2 of 2025, Canadians downloaded the usual TikTok and Capcut, two apps that usually appear together on a user's device, as well as WhatsApp and other Meta offerings. But the prevalence of two well-known, super cheap online retailers like Shein and Temu speaks to the interest in fast fashion, in cheap pricing, and in crippling shipping prices for boxes of unlicensed clothing, household items, and whatever else available for a few dollars on the app.
The North America gaming market generated a revenue of USD 68,505.2 million in 2024 and the rise of online gambling in Canada played a huge part in that, it surged as many providers now offer dedicated apps for easy access, the best gambling apps in Canada according to Casino.ca are those that offer an excellent section of games, payment options and bonuses. Their expert reviews simplify the search, providing safe and enjoyable gambling experiences for Canadian players across the country.
This isn’t forgetting our streaming apps, however. In the Top 10 for Canada is Amazon Prime Video, and in the global top 20, you will find apps like YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix are popular choices. Although it is a US-based statistic, the fact that 70% of all digital media consumed by people in America is via a mobile app suggests that we are more interested in our entertainment to go, rather than at home.
What’s Next?
There is no suggestion that the trends of the most popular smartphone apps being social media and communication-related will slow down; the increased penetration of 5G and high-speed internet connections, as well as the Internet of Things and AI, means we can stay connected wherever we are.
This article was written in cooperation with Jamie Gilchrist