It’s clear that Gen Z has an affect on app consumption. Referred to as the “mobile-first technology,” they make up about 40% of all cellular customers worldwide. Interested by their preferences, we just lately contacted the app intelligence agency Appfigures, which supplied an summary of the 50 most downloaded apps by Gen Z this 12 months.
As a consequence of privateness guidelines, we had been unable to acquire knowledge for customers aged 13 to 17. The agency solely shared complete obtain numbers for customers aged 18 to 24, and the info is restricted to customers within the U.S., so it doesn’t present an entire image. Even so, this provides us an concept of the preferences among the many older section of this technology.
From standard e-commerce and social media platforms to picture modifying instruments, let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the apps which have resonated with this demographic in 2024.
Based mostly on knowledge from iOS and Android customers within the U.S., probably the most downloaded app from January to October was Temu, the favored on-line market that gives practically each sort of product you may consider at closely discounted charges.
Gen Z younger adults have downloaded the app 41.98 million occasions, indicating that the huge collection of inexpensive gadgets is extremely interesting to this explicit group regardless of their dedication to sustainability and the continuing debates round quick style. Temu additionally bets on gamification methods to encourage consumers, resembling coupons, rewards, and free items.
In distinction to Temu, its competitor, Shein, managed to garner solely 14.68 million new downloads. The determine doesn’t essentially replicate a dwindling curiosity within the app. As an alternative, it means that this particular demographic of younger adults could have already put in it on their units.
Not surprisingly, TikTok is in second place subsequent to Temu with 33.23 million downloads. The short-form video app is standard amongst customers aged 18 to 24 for a number of causes, the obvious being that it serves as a go-to supply for fast-paced, simply digestible content material. Curiously sufficient, the Gen Z-dominated app can be most popular as a search engine over Google.
One other main video platform, YouTube, stays standard amongst Gen Z younger adults. Over a span of round 10 months, the cellular app amassed 14.03 million new installs, Appfigures famous. Whereas this quantity is just not as excessive as TikTok’s, it nonetheless signifies important engagement amongst this group.
In addition they appear to be driving development within the brief drama app trade. One of many newest apps gaining consideration is ShortMax, which options about 1,000 brief movies throughout varied genres, together with drama, romance, and mysteries. Knowledge exhibits that 18- to 24-year-olds have put in the app over 10 million occasions to date in 2024.
Along with their spending and streaming habits, Gen Z younger adults have additionally been downloading Meta’s household of apps. Threads tops the listing at 32.32 million installs, adopted by WhatsApp at 28.42 million, Instagram at 26.29 million, Fb at 20.58 million, and Messenger at 17.63 million.
Since Threads was the latest to launch, it is smart that it has extra new downloads. Moreover, there appears to be renewed curiosity in Fb following the redesign aimed toward partaking this social media-savvy technology. (Whereas we can’t definitively decide whether or not the replace instantly influenced the spike in downloads, it’s price noting the potential correlation.)
Google, one other tech large, has additionally amassed an honest quantity of downloads to date this 12 months. The search engine app noticed 17.65 million installs, whereas different Google-owned merchandise Chrome and Meet noticed 10.19 million installs and 9.63 million, respectively. In the meantime, Google Drive garnered 7.22 million downloads, and Google Images had 6.79 million.
One other not-so-shocking discovery was that OpenAI’s ChatGPT continues to be favored amongst 18- to 24-year-olds, gaining 24.63 million app installs. With many Gen Z younger adults both beginning school or coming into the early levels of their careers, ChatGPT has emerged as a popular useful resource for instructional functions and profession steering. A survey carried out by Finest Schools revealed that 43% of school college students have admitted to utilizing ChatGPT or comparable AI instruments.
One other AI-powered app getting traction was AI research companion Gauth. The app, developed by TikTok mother or father firm ByteDance, achieved 8.37 million new installs. Whereas it has existed since 2021, Gauth noticed a surge in downloads earlier this 12 months, changing into the second most downloaded schooling app for iOS units within the U.S. in April.
For Gen Z, picture sharing and social media apps are integral to their day by day lives. So it’s protected to say that plenty of a majority of these platforms would make it to the listing.
Along with Threads and Instagram rating extremely, ByteDance’s CapCut is one other platform favored by Gen Z younger adults. The video modifying app is thought for its vary of results and filters, making it straightforward to add edited content material to TikTok and different appropriate platforms. Knowledge signifies that the app noticed 21.72 million new downloads.
One other app from ByteDance, Lemon8, has additionally gained some traction amongst this age group, with 7.7 million downloads. Though this Instagram copycat has been gradual to develop within the U.S., it appears to be making progress with its target market.
Others on the listing embody Snapchat with 19.16 million installs, adopted by Telegram with 13.12 million, Pinterest at 8.23 million, Reddit at 8.06 million, and X at 7.58 million.
Thus far this 12 months, Netflix has been the highest streaming service to draw probably the most 18- to 24-year-olds with 15.67 million installs. Prime Video and Disney+ are usually not far behind, with 12.86 million and 11.68 million downloads, respectively. Max, Peacock, and Tubi every have round 7 million downloads or extra.
And it seems the music streaming app capturing numerous curiosity amongst Gen Z younger adults is none apart from the main platform, Spotify. This app has attracted 10.45 million downloads, highlighting its important attraction to this age group.
Lastly, we took a have a look at obtain knowledge for fee apps to find out which platforms are hottest amongst younger adults for making purchases, splitting payments, and sending ideas. PayPal, a longtime participant out there, skilled a leap in new downloads, totaling 13.92 million. Venmo adopted with 7.8 million downloads, whereas Money App recorded 6.9 million downloads.
