Top 10 Most Downloaded Apps by 2024
Why do some programs "stick" around while others become obscure? Examining the list of the top mobile apps available is a wonderful place to start when trying to find the answer to that query.
We've made the decision to include the best applications of 2024 while emphasizing some of their most distinctive qualities. If you're a business executive trying to improve your mobile presence or an entrepreneur with an app idea, this list will motivate you. In order to help you replicate the success of some of the biggest tech businesses in the world, it will also give you an idea of what works for them.
Uber
Uber is the world’s leading on-demand ride-sharing service, connecting 103 million riders to drivers in over 70 different countries across the globe.
Even though Uber has many rivals these days, they still control 71% of the market for mobile app development in the United States. Additionally, they are well-represented in the majority of nations worldwide (though their withdrawal from China and Russia was not without controversy).
What factors contributed to Uber's success? Being the first to market was undoubtedly a huge benefit, but users who have used local competitors in different regions of the world can verify that the app itself offers a superior user experience.
There are a few things the Uber app excels at:
- Excellent GPS integration with Google Maps, allowing users to drop pins in precise locations and giving them the option to make their location known to the driver.
- Seamless payment processing, with the option to pay in cash in parts of the world where credit cards are less widespread.
- Price calculation so riders know what they’re paying upfront. We’re all used to this by now, but this was an innovative feature when it launched.
Price: Paid as per ride.
With 1.4 billion monthly users, Instagram is one of the biggest social media networks in the world and provides a simple means of connecting through photos and videos. Instagram, which was introduced in 2010 and acquired by Facebook in 2012, is a highly effective medium for marketers aiming to connect with Millennials and Gen-Zers.
A few things the Instagram app does right:
- The “stories” feature first appeared on Instagram before it spread to Facebook, making it easy to capture videos and photos that would automatically disappear within 24-hours.
- In-app video and photo editing for on-the-spot uploads.
- In-app shopping, allowing users to connect with brands they love and browse new products for sale.
Pricing: Free.
TikTok
ByteDance, a Beijing-based company, created the well-known software TikTok, which allows users to create and share short movies. Lip-syncing and dancing are two of the most popular genres on the platform, but many people also utilize it for incredibly imaginative short films. TikTok, formerly the darling of the under-18 set, has become mainstream.
A few things the TikTok app does right:
- A highly-effective algorithm figures out what users want to see, and it keeps them coming back. Sure, every social media site does this, but TikTok is “sticky” beyond belief—with the average user spending 52 minutes per day on the app, and with 90% of their monthly users accessing it daily.
- Automatic filters that make everyone look a bit better on camera. Maybe this is not the best for teaching self-acceptance and body-positivity, but it sure does drive engagement.
- Duets feature, allowing users to collaborate on different devices to create group videos. Since lip-syncing is all the rage on TikTok, this comes in handy with videos like this one, where users add on to existing viral videos.
Price: Free.
Airbnb
Airbnb links tourists in need of lodging with hosts who offer rooms or flats for rent. Founder Brian Chesky, who is now well-known, had a difficult time getting investors at first. He begged them for $150,000 to keep the business afloat in exchange for 10% of the business. After meeting with Chesky at a coffee shop, one of those VCs left feeling that he was a crazy guy with a bad concept. I apologize!
A few things the Airbnb app does right:
- Powerful filters that make it easy to find the precise accommodation you want, down to details like whether the place has an iron to iron clothes or a desk to work from.
- Easy in-app communication so hosts and guests can coordinate directly from the app.
- Fully integrated payment system that includes the ability to pay for incidentals. For instance, if you lose the house keys and owe the landlord extra money for the copy they made, you can handle that exchange through the app.
Price: Paid as per booking.
Netflix
Netflix is a video-on-demand app that requires a membership. It is the leading Over-the-Top (OTT) subscription media service available anywhere, including on mobile devices. Netflix continuously adds the newest and most highly regarded films and television series from a wide variety of genres to its enormous library of films.
At the end of 2020, Netflix had over 204 million paying subscribers, and 47% of Americans prefer Netflix over any other video streaming service. Usership skyrocketed even more as the Covid-19 pandemic wore on, with many of us on lockdown and longing to escape into a world of cinema.
A few things the Netflix app does right:
- Suggestions based on the content users like have not only allowed Netflix to keep users engaged, but it’s led to a burgeoning of original TV shows produced by Netflix itself.
- Offline viewing lets users download shows and movies so they can view them later on the metro or anywhere else they don’t get data service. We’re getting used to this by now, but it used to be that we could only stream content using a live connection.
- Parental controls allows parents to easily control the content their kids download on a family plan, and it can all be done via the app.
Pricing: Paid subscription.
Amazon
Among the biggest international tech companies in the world, Amazon provides e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and other services. The Amazon app, which is always at the forefront of UX innovation, makes it simple to purchase, rate, and return goods worldwide.
A few things the Amazon app does right:
- Barcode scanner feature, which allows shoppers to scan a barcode for an item they find in a store and compare it to the price on Amazon.
- A high-tech, seamless returns process allows users to select products they wish to return and process those returns directly from the app. In certain parts of the world, customers can then bring the items they wish to return to a local retail partner. The partner scans a QR code from the app, receives the item, and takes care of all the return shipping.
- Buy Now button that lets users make a purchase with a single click, assuming they’ve already uploaded their credit card and address information.
Pricing: Free.
YouTube
YouTube is the most widely used video platform globally. It is a veritable gold mine of entertainment and original material, supporting millions of producers in producing and distributing their content globally.
A few things the YouTube app does right:
- Video chapters allow creators to break longer videos up into sections, that way viewers can jump to the “chapters” they want to view and skip past segments that don’t interest them.
- Easy-to-access caption buttons so viewers can see captions on any video.
- Subscribe button that allows users to subscribe to a favorite creator’s channel with one click. This means users will receive notifications each time that the creator posts a new video, thereby boosting engagement and growing the platform.
Pricing: Free, with the option to purchase an ad-free subscription.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a dependable and attractive cloud storage application that works well across a variety of platforms. It facilitates the sharing of files among teams and the cloud storage of crucial documents for later retrieval. Even documents that you've shared with others allow for comments.
A few things the Dropbox app does right:
- Easy integration with other top apps and web service available, with zero compatibility issues.
- No file-size limit on uploads.
- Easy sharing features, allowing users to create secured links to documents they want to share with a handful of people.
Price: Free to download, with a paid version that includes additional benefits like extra storage.
Spotify
One of the most widely used apps in the music industry is Spotify. Its music sharing functionality, streaming quality, and mobile app design have all been continuously improved. The free version of the program contains advertisements; however, the premium membership of Spotify eliminates adverts and offers more features.
A few things the Spotify app does right:
- Offline listening for premium members, allowing users to download the songs they like and listen without an internet connection (saying goodbye to iTunes).
- Playlist following and sharing allows users to share and discover new music.
- Made-for-you playlists, with the app’s algorithm sending you new music based on your preferences.
Price: Free, with paid subscriptions available for ad-free listening and additional features.
Globally popular, WhatsApp was founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum and was later acquired to Facebook for $19 billion. It uses internet data to get across foreign phone networks so that it may talk, make calls, and interact without interruptions. Currently, about 1.5 billion people utilize it globally.
A few things WhatsApp does right:
- End-to-end encryption helps keep users’ data safe.
- Voice messages with no time limit (unlike Facebook Messenger, which limits your messages to one minute).
- Pin-dropping that allows users to share their live location with friends.
Price: Free.
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