Temu, the Chinese e-commerce startup whose app now has longer engagement periods than Amazon, has been named Apple’s most downloaded free app in the United States for 2023. The Cupertino-based tech behemoth today launched an App Store feature that highlights the year’s best iPhone applications, both free and premium, as judged by app installations—its proxy for overall popularity. This year, Chinese-based applications have surpassed U.S. software behemoths like Meta and Google, with CapCut and TikTok, both from Beijing-based ByteDance, ranking third and fifth, respectively.
Meta, which ranked third, fourth, and ninth with WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, respectively, returned to the top ten this year with a slightly altered combination. Facebook has dropped out of the rankings, while Meta’s new app, Instagram Threads, was the third most downloaded app in the United States. Instagram and WhatsApp came in at Nos. 6 and 9, respectively, sliding from their previous rankings.
Meanwhile, Google topped last year’s list with the No. 2 app, YouTube, which was just behind TikTok, as well as No. 5 Google Maps, No. 6 Google Search, and No. 7 Gmail. In 2023, however, Google’s only two applications in the top ten by downloads were No. 7 Google Search and No. 8 YouTube, both of which had dropped in position from the previous year. 
The change in downloads might indicate that U.S. IT behemoths are approaching market saturation when their applications aren’t as popular as they were in past years because so many people already have them loaded. It also highlights the increased desire for applications from Chinese enterprises, such as ByteDance, which are gaining the interest of younger users as well as official scrutiny, with TikTok being blocked from a number of government devices due to worries over its China links. Montana also sought to prohibit TikTok in its state, but the courts put that verdict on hold for the time being while TikTok’s case is being heard.
TikTok’s drop from No. 1 app last year to No. 5 app this year might be attributed to the bad attention it has gotten this year. However, given Temu’s No. 1 ranking, it seems that US users haven’t sworn off Chinese applications. According to Apptopia data released by Bloomberg, users spent 18 minutes per day on Temu’s app, compared to 10 minutes on Amazon. Younger users spent even more time, an average of 19 minutes each day. While Temu charms users with in-app games, its actual allure may be its low costs, which are more appealing during a recession. It’s also an extensively promoted app, just as TikTok was in the months building up to its top spot last year.
The only other top app on the list that was not created by Meta, Google, or a Chinese company was Max (previously HBO Max), which ranked third in terms of downloads in the United States.
The top-paid apps list represents a distinct market, with a greater emphasis on smaller developers or those creating helpful productivity tools, creative applications, or utilities that consumers are willing to pay for. Shadowrocket, HotSchedules, Procreate Pocket, The Wonder Weeks, 75 Hard, Autosleep Track Sleep on Watch, Goblin Tools, TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome, SkyView, and AnkiMobile Flashcards were in the top ten.
Meanwhile, the top free games featured several of last year’s winners, such as Roblox, Call of Duty: Mobile, Subway Surfers, and Parking Jam 3D, as well as some new entries. The top spot on this list went to MONOPOLY GO!, with Roblox (up from second last year), Royal Match, Subway Surfers (down from second last year), Gardenscapes, Call of Duty: Mobile (up from eighth last year), Block Blast!, Makeover Studio: Makeup Games, Parking Jam 3D (ranked the same as last year), and Survivor!.io following.
Heads Up!, Geometry Dash, Bloons TD 6, MONOPOLY, Papa’s Freezeria To Go!, Plague Inc., Red’s First Flight, Five Nights at Freddy’s (which also became a movie this year), and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas were among the best-paid games in the United States.
Apple’s feature also contains separate listings of the top iPad applications and games for the year, both free and premium, as well as the best Apple Arcade titles. The latter provides the sole view inside Apple’s subscription gaming shop, which is otherwise a mystery since it lacks a Top Charts section like the bigger App Shop.
There is significant overlap in these listings, although streaming applications do better among free iPad apps. Max, YouTube, and Netflix are ranked first and second, respectively, with Disney+, Prime Video, and Peacock ranked fifth, eighth, and tenth. More kid-friendly iPad apps include Toca Life: Hospital (No. 5) and Teach Your Monster to Read (No. 7).
