- Apple has revealed the most downloaded iPhone and iPad apps of 2024
- There are plenty of recognizable names in the top lists
- But there are also some surprising entries that made it into the top ten
Apple has revealed the most downloaded apps, games and Apple Arcade titles in the US in 2024, including free and paid releases on top iPhones and iPads. And while there are plenty of expected names in the top 10, there are also some that might raise a few eyebrows (scroll down for the full lists).
The most controversial choice can be found in the list of the most downloaded free iPhone apps, with the number one app being Chinese shopping site Temu. Despite these types of retailers becoming increasingly popular, a summer 2024 survey found that 94% of respondents did not trust Temu, and the brand has been accused of mishandling customer data in the past. Still, that hasn’t stopped iOS users from sending it to the top of Apple’s charts.
As for the most downloaded paid iPhone app, that award goes to proxy utility Shadowrocket, which can be used to redirect traffic on your device and shares similarities with some of the best VPN apps. It’s clearly a popular choice, as it also ranked number three on the list of top-paid iPad apps.
Speaking of iPad apps, the list of top ten free iPad apps is packed with household names, including YouTube, Netflix, Max, Disney Plus, Google Chrome, and TikTok. Many of these same names appear in the list of most downloaded free iPhone apps, although Threads, ChatGPT, Instagram and WhatsApp have displaced some of the iPad choices.
Familiar names and games
The game overviews also contain some interesting tidbits. The Tetris-like game Block explosion takes the number one spot on the list of free iPhone games, followed by Go monopoly, Roblox, Call of Duty Warzone mobile, Local authorityand more. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is the highest paid iPhone game Minecraftof Head up And Geometry dash follow behind.
Minecraft And Geometry dash takes the top two spots for paid iPad games, with Five nights at Freddy’s And Stardew Valley taking places three and four. Robloxmeanwhile, is the most downloaded free iPad game.
Finally, Apple recorded download figures for its Apple Arcade subscription service, which brings games to iPhone, iPad and the Mac. Here, NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition was the most popular Apple Arcade game, followed by Snake.io+ And Hello Kitty island adventure.
While most lists are dominated by established names, they show that some viral hits have been able to reach the top ten, as have long-lived titles like Head up. If you’re looking for a new app or game for your Apple device, it might be worth browsing the lists to see what catches your eye. Here are the full lists of the most popular iPhone and iPad apps of 2024.
The best free iPhone apps of 2024
- Temu: Shop like a billionaire
- Wires
- TikTok
- ChatGPT
- Googling
- WhatsApp Messenger
- CapCut – Video Editor
- YouTube: watch, listen, stream
- Gmail – Email from Google
The best paid iPhone apps of 2024
- Shadow Missile
- HotSchedules
- Produce bag
- 75 Difficult
- AnkiMobile flash cards
- AutoSleep Track sleep while on watch
- Paprika recipe manager 3
- TonalEnergy tuner and metronome
- Goblin tools
- Forest: focus on productivity
The best free iPhone games of 2024
- Block blast!
- MONOPOLY GO!
- Roblox
- Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Mobile
- Local authority
- Last war: survival
- Royal competition
- Brawl stars
- Subway surfers
- My perfect hotel
The highest paid iPhone games of 2024
- Minecraft: play with friends
- NB!
- Geometry dash
- Papa’s Vriezeria To Go!
- Bloons TD 6
- Five nights at Freddy’s
- Plague Inc.
- MONOPOLY: The board game
- Stardew Valley
- Red’s first flight
The best free iPad apps of 2024
- YouTube: watch, listen, stream
- Netflix
- Max: Stream HBO, TV and movies
- Calculator – Pad Edition
- Disney+
- Google Chrome
- Peacock TV: stream TV and movies
- Amazon Prime Video
- TikTok
- Good notes 6
The best paid iPad apps of 2024
- Reproduce
- Create dreams
- Shadow Missile
- forScore
- Nomad sculpture
- ToonSquid
- Bluebeam Revu for iPad
- AnkiMobile flash cards
- Teach your monster to read
- Endless paper
The best free iPad games
- Roblox
- Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
- MONOPOLY GO!
- Subway surfers
- Brawl stars
- Geometry Dash Lite
- Block blast!
- Among us!
- My perfect hotel
- Royal competition
The highest paid iPad games of 2024
- Minecraft: play with friends
- Geometry dash
- Five nights at Freddy’s
- Stardew Valley
- Bloons TD 6
- Papa’s Paleteria To Go!
- Five nights at Freddy’s 2
- Poppy Playtime Chapter 1
- MONOPOLY: The board game
- Ultimate customized evening