A Chinese app becomes the most-downloaded iPhone app in the US; JioCinema features in top four free apps

Chinese apps have beaten the likes of Meta and Google to make their presence felt in the United States. This year, a Chinese app has emerged as the most-downloaded app on iPhones and it's not TikTok! A Chinese e-commerce company named Temu's app has earned the top slot as Apple’s most downloaded free app in the US for the year 2023. Temu has also beaten the US's top e-commerce giant, Amazon, by attracting longer engagement times.

Apple has released an App Store feature that displays the top iPhone apps of the year. The list comprises both free and paid apps, as measured by app installs. Besides, the company has also unveiled the most popular downloaded apps and games of 2023, with year-end charts localised for users in more than 35 countries and regions.

The 2023 charts, now available on the App Store’s Today tab, include the top free and paid apps and games, as well as the top Apple Arcade games, the company said in a statement.


Among the ‘Top Free iPhone Apps’ category, WhatsApp Messenger, Instagram, YouTube and JioCinema were the top four platforms.

In the ‘Top Paid iPhone Apps’ slot, DSLR Camera, pdf scanner – Wordscanner pro and Slow Shutter Cam were the top three apps.

In the ‘Top Free iPhone Games’ category, BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI), Ludo King and Subway Surfers ruled the turf in 2023.

Among the ‘Top Paid iPhone Games’ category, Hitman Sniper, Minecraft and RFS - Real Flight Simulator were the top three games.

JioCinema, YouTube and Google Chrome were the top three in the ‘Top Free iPad Apps’ category while Procreate, LumaFusion and Nomad Sculpt were the top three in ‘Top Paid iPad Apps’ category.

Top 10 most-popular apps on iPhones in the US

1. Temu: Shop Like a Billionaire
2. CapCut – Video Editor
3. Max: Stream HBO, TV, & Movies
4. Threads, an Instagram app
5. TikTok
6. Instagram
7. Google
8. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream
9. WhatsApp Messenger
10. Gmail – Email by Google

(With inputs from agencies)