In a major milestone, ChatGPT became the most downloaded app globally in March 2025, edging out longtime favorites Instagram and TikTok from the top spot. This marks the first time the AI-powered chatbot has led the global download charts in the non-gaming category and represents its most successful month yet.
According to analytics firm Appfigures, ChatGPT saw a 28% surge in downloads compared to February, hitting 46 million installs during the month. This impressive figure allowed it to narrowly overtake Instagram, which landed in second place, while TikTok secured third.
Contributing to this spike was a series of notable updates in March, including a major revamp of ChatGPT’s image-generation tools—its first in over a year. These improvements sparked viral activity on social media, especially as users experimented with creating art and memes in the distinctive style of Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio.
Additionally, OpenAI relaxed some of its image content moderation policies and upgraded ChatGPT’s AI-powered voice assistant, adding to the app’s overall appeal and functionality.
While these enhancements played a role, Appfigures suggested that the core reason for ChatGPT’s download boom may go beyond features alone. “It’s beginning to feel like ‘ChatGPT’ is turning into a verb, much like ‘Google’ did years ago,” said Ariel Michaeli, the company’s founder. “Even when there’s buzz about competing tools like Grok, DeepSeek, or Manus AI, newcomers often head straight to ChatGPT due to name recognition.”
That brand strength has created a challenge for rival AI apps to gain traction. For example, Anthropic’s Claude has struggled to gain similar attention, while Grok—backed by Elon Musk and promoted on his X platform—has shown more potential, not necessarily due to functionality, but because of its celebrity endorsement and wide reach.
Instagram, which had dominated the charts throughout 2024, had held the number two position across both Google Play and the Apple App Store in January and February. TikTok, once number one, saw its recent spike in downloads fueled by fears of a possible U.S. ban—a concern that has since been paused while diplomatic talks continue.
Other top-performing apps in March included Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat, with the top 10 non-gaming apps collectively racking up 339 million downloads, a significant jump from February’s 299 million.
