ChatGPT becomes world’s most downloaded app with 1.36 billion installs since launch

Dubai: For years, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook dominated the world’s app charts, setting the benchmark for global reach and engagement. That dominance has now been disrupted. In just two and a half years, ChatGPT has not only joined that elite group but taken the top spot as the most downloaded app on the planet.

Data from AppMagic shows that between January and November 2025, ChatGPT was downloaded more than 902 million times, outpacing TikTok by nearly 200 million installs and leaving Instagram trailing by some 380 million. That surge has pushed ChatGPT’s total downloads to 1.36 billion since launch, a staggering achievement for an app that entered the mainstream less than three years ago.

The app’s rise highlights how quickly artificial intelligence has moved from a niche technology to a global phenomenon. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which brought generative AI into everyday use, has become the industry’s flagship platform, driving the fast-growing AI ecosystem.

Its growth trajectory now mirrors that of TikTok in its early years, an indicator of both lasting engagement and rapid adoption. The data also suggests users are not just experimenting with AI tools but actively integrating them into their digital routines.

TikTok remains the second-most-downloaded app this year, with 703 million installs, while Instagram follows with 521.6 million. Facebook, WhatsApp, and Temu round out the top five with 404 to 444 million downloads each. Google’s Gemini app is the only other AI entrant in the top ten, securing 392 million installs.

By November 2025, ChatGPT held an 81.8% share of the global AI chatbot market, more than four times that of its top five rivals combined, according to previous TechGaged research. Despite emerging players like DeepSeek and Perplexity intensifying competition, ChatGPT’s market leadership remains firm.

That grip will likely continue into next year as user engagement deepens and AI integration extends across industries.