The most-downloaded game in history has been installed more than 4 billion times — that’s about one download for every two humans on Earth.
How to Play: Guess if the app on the right has MORE or FEWER lifetime downloads than the one on the left.
Name A
Name B
Top 10 Most-Downloaded Apps
Lifetime download counts span both iOS App Store and Google Play. Single-platform-only apps are at a disadvantage — TikTok and Instagram dominate cross-platform.
| # | Name | Downloads (millions) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | YouTube (app) | 10,000 | millions |
| 2 | Gmail | 10,000 | millions |
| 3 | Facebook (app) | 8,000 | millions |
| 4 | 6,000 | millions | |
| 5 | 5,500 | millions | |
| 6 | Messenger | 5,000 | millions |
| 7 | Google Maps | 5,000 | millions |
| 8 | TikTok | 4,500 | millions |
| 9 | Subway Surfers | 4,000 | millions |
| 10 | Candy Crush Saga | 2,800 | millions |
How App Downloads Are Counted
App download tracking comes from data.ai, Sensor Tower, and Statista. Numbers combine iOS and Android, lifetime cumulative since launch. Re-installs by the same user usually count separately.
Subway Surfers has held the top spot among games for over a decade. Its 4+ billion lifetime downloads reflect global appeal across age groups and very low data requirements.
Threads (Meta) launched in July 2023 and crossed 100 million downloads in its first week — fastest in app history. It has continued growing slowly to ~280M.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the most-downloaded app ever?
YouTube and Gmail (each ~10 billion) — they’re pre-installed on most Android phones, so each new device adds one download.
Most-downloaded game?
Subway Surfers at over 4 billion lifetime downloads.
Why is ChatGPT so high?
ChatGPT crossed 500M downloads after launching apps in mid-2023. Fastest-growing consumer app since Threads.
Are these numbers reliable?
Approximate. App stores report internally, third-party trackers estimate. Within 10-20% of actual figures.
Note: Lifetime download counts in millions per Sensor Tower and data.ai 2024.
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