August App Report ChatGPT and TikTok Dominate the Market
A Summer Slowdown in App Downloads
The mobile app landscape settled into a quieter pace in August 2025, marking a typical seasonal shift as summer vacations concluded. Fresh data from Appfigures reveals a noticeable decline in app downloads compared to July, while overall revenue figures held firm. This stability suggests that while users were downloading fewer new apps, their spending patterns within their favorite applications remained consistent. The market leaders maintained their strong positions, and streaming platforms notably carved out a larger share of the earnings pie.
ChatGPT Leads the Global Download Race
ChatGPT continued its impressive run, securing the top spot for global downloads in August with approximately 48 million new installs across both the App Store and Google Play. The AI chatbot's growth was overwhelmingly fueled by Android users, who accounted for 35 million downloads, while iOS users contributed the remaining 13 million.
Following behind, TikTok amassed 38 million installs, with its Lite version proving popular on Android. The rest of the top five global downloads included social media giants Instagram (35 million), Facebook (27 million), and WhatsApp (24 million). In total, the ten most downloaded apps collectively reached 273 million installs for the month.
August 2025 Top Downloads at a Glance
| Rank | iOS App Store (Downloads) | Google Play (Downloads) | Combined Global Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPT – 13M | ChatGPT – 35M | ChatGPT – 48M |
| 2 | Threads – 11M | TikTok Lite – 32M | TikTok – 38M |
| 3 | Google Maps – 8M | Instagram – 30M | Instagram – 35M |
| 4 | CapCut – 8M | Facebook – 23M | Facebook – 27M |
| 5 | Temu – 8M | WhatsApp – 19M | WhatsApp – 24M |
| 6 | Google – 7M | Temu – 15M | Temu – 22M |
| 7 | TikTok – 7M | Snapchat – 15M | Threads – 21M |
| 8 | Telegram – 6M | WhatsApp Business – 13M | CapCut – 20M |
| 9 | Uber – 5M | Telegram – 13M | Telegram – 19M |
| 10 | Google Chrome – 5M | CapCut – 12M | Snapchat – 18M |
TikTok Reigns Supreme in App Revenue
While downloads saw a dip, app earnings remained robust. TikTok continued its reign as the top-earning app, bringing in an estimated $335 million in net revenue after store fees. This figure solidifies its significant lead over the competition. ChatGPT secured the second position with $170 million, with the majority of its revenue coming from the App Store. YouTube followed in third, generating $137 million, primarily through iOS transactions.
The top ten highest-earning apps collectively generated about $1.3 billion, a slight increase from July. This growth was bolstered by the strong performance of streaming services.
Streaming Platforms Bolster Earnings Charts
One of the key trends in August was the impressive performance of streaming platforms. Four different services—Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock TV, and Crunchyroll—made it into the top revenue chart, a notable increase from the typical two. This surge highlights the sustained demand for digital entertainment as users settled in after the summer travel season. Together, these platforms demonstrated the significant monetization potential within the streaming sector.
August 2025 Top Revenue at a Glance
| Rank | iOS App Store (Revenue) | Google Play (Revenue) | Combined Global Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TikTok – $213M | TikTok – $123M | TikTok – $335M |
| 2 | YouTube – $137M | Google One – $99M | ChatGPT – $170M |
| 3 | ChatGPT – $123M | ChatGPT – $47M | YouTube – $137M |
| 4 | Tinder – $92M | Amazon – $46M | Tinder – $130M |
| 5 | CapCut – $81M | Disney+ – $40M | Disney+ – $115M |
| 6 | Disney+ – $76M | Tinder – $37M | HBO Max – $101M |
| 7 | HBO Max – $72M | Spotify – $32M | Google One – $100M |
| 8 | Snapchat – $49M | HBO Max – $29M | CapCut – $93M |
| 9 | Peacock TV – $48M | Crunchyroll – $20M | Peacock TV – $59M |
| 10 | Tencent Video – $48M | Prime Video – $20M | Crunchyroll – $58M |
