It is clear that Gen Z is influencing app consumption. Known as the “mobile-first generation,” they make up approximately 40% of all mobile users worldwide. Curious about their preferences, we recently reached out to app intelligence company Appfigures. The company provided us with an overview of the 50 most downloaded apps by Gen Z this year.
However, due to privacy regulations, we were unable to obtain data for users between the ages of 13 and 17. The company only shares total downloads for users between the ages of 18 and 24, and does not share that data as it is limited to users in the United States. Provides a complete image. Still, this gives us an idea of the preferences of the older members of this generation.
From popular e-commerce and social media platforms to photo editing tools, take a closer look at the apps that resonated with this demographic in 2024.
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Based on data from US iOS and Android users, Temu was the most downloaded app from January to October. Temu is a popular online marketplace that offers deep discounts on almost every type of product imaginable.
Gen Z youth have downloaded the app 41.98 million times, and despite ongoing debates around sustainability initiatives and fast fashion, a wide selection of affordable items is a huge hit for this particular group. It shows that it is very attractive for Temu is also betting on gamification strategies to motivate shoppers, such as coupons, offers, and free gifts.
In contrast to Temu, its competitor Shein received only 14.68 million new downloads. This number doesn't necessarily reflect a decline in interest in the app. Rather, it suggests that this particular demographic of young people may already have it installed on their devices.
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Unsurprisingly, TikTok ranks second behind Temu with 33.23 million downloads. There are several reasons why this short-form video app is popular among users between the ages of 18 and 24, but the most obvious reason is that it serves as a go-to source for fast-paced, easy-to-understand content. Interestingly, Gen Z-dominated apps are also preferred over Google as a search engine.
YouTube, another major video platform, remains popular among Gen Z youth. According to Appfigures, mobile apps recorded 14.03 million new installs in about 10 months. Although this number is not as high as TikTok, it still shows the group's significant involvement.
Interestingly, they also seem to be driving the growth of the short drama app industry. The latest app that is attracting attention is “ShortMax,'' which contains approximately 1,000 short films in various genres such as drama, romance, and mystery. Data shows that by 2024, 18-24 year olds will have installed apps more than 10 million times.
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In addition to their spending and streaming habits, Gen Zers are also downloading the Meta family of apps. Threads topped the list with 32.32 million installs, followed by WhatsApp with 28.42 million, Instagram with 26.29 million, Facebook with 20.58 million, and Messenger with 17.63 million.
Threads is the most recent release, so it's no surprise that it has more new downloads. Additionally, interest in Facebook appears to be on the rise again following a redesign aimed at attracting this social media-savvy generation. (Although it is not possible to definitively determine whether the update directly influenced the spike in downloads, it is worth noting a potential correlation.)
Google, another tech giant, has also amassed a significant amount of downloads so far this year. Search engine apps had 17.65 million installs, while other Google-owned products Chrome and Meet had 10.19 million and 9.63 million installs, respectively. On the other hand, Google Drive recorded 7.22 million downloads and Google Photos recorded 6.79 million downloads.
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Another less shocking finding is that OpenAI's ChatGPT remains preferred among 18-24 year olds, garnering 24.63 million app installs. As many Gen Z youth begin college or enter the early stages of their careers, ChatGPT has emerged as a popular resource for educational purposes and career guidance. According to a survey conducted by Best Colleges, 43% of college students admit to using ChatGPT or similar AI tools.
Another AI-powered app that is gaining traction is the AI learning companion Gauth. The app, developed by TikTok's parent company ByteDance, has achieved 8.37 million new installs. Gauth has been around since 2021, but saw a spike in downloads earlier this year, becoming the second most downloaded education app for iOS devices in the US in April.
Image credit: CapCut
For Gen Z, photo-sharing and social media apps are an integral part of their daily lives. Therefore, it is safe to say that many of these types of platforms will be included in the list.
In addition to Threads and Instagram ranking highly, ByteDance's Capcut is also a platform of choice among Gen Z youth. This video editing app is known for its wide variety of effects and filters, and allows you to easily upload your edited content to TikTok and other compatible platforms. According to the data, the app has been newly downloaded 21.72 million times.
ByteDance's other app, Lemon8, has also gained some traction among this age group, with 7.7 million downloads. Although this Instagram copycat product has been slow to grow in the U.S., it appears to be making progress in capturing its target audience.
Also on the list are Snapchat with 19.16 million installs, followed by Telegram with 13.12 million, Pinterest with 8.23 million, Reddit with 8.06 million, and X with 7.58 million.
So far this year, Netflix has been installed 15.67 million times, making it the top streaming service that attracts the most 18-24 year olds. Prime Video and Disney+ are not far behind, with 12.86 million downloads and 11.68 million downloads, respectively. Max, Peacock, and Tubi have each been downloaded approximately 7 million times or more.
And it appears that the music streaming app that's garnering a lot of interest among Gen Z youth is none other than the leading platform: Spotify. The app has recorded 10.45 million downloads, highlighting its huge appeal to this age group.
Finally, we looked at payment app download data to determine which platforms are most popular among young people when it comes to making purchases, splitting bills, and tipping. PayPal, an established player in the market, saw a surge in new downloads, reaching a total of 13.92 million. Venmo followed with 7.8 million downloads, followed by Cash App with 6.9 million downloads.