September 2025 offered a revealing snapshot of the mobile world. Two names stood above the rest, but for entirely different reasons. OpenAI’s ChatGPT ruled global downloads, while ByteDance’s TikTok continued to pull in more revenue than anyone else. Together they defined what people wanted most last month: creativity, speed, and connection.
ChatGPT Rises to the Top
| Rank | iOS App Store | Google Play | Combined Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google Gemini – 12M | ChatGPT – 34M | ChatGPT – 45M |
| 2 | ChatGPT – 11M | Google Gemini – 28M | Google Gemini – 40M |
| 3 | Threads – 10M | TikTok – 28M | TikTok – 34M |
| 4 | Google – 7M | Instagram – 27M | Instagram – 31M |
| 5 | CapCut – 7M | Facebook – 22M | Facebook – 26M |
| 6 | Google Maps – 7M | WhatsApp – 19M | WhatsApp – 24M |
| 7 | Temu – 6M | Telegram – 13M | CapCut – 19M |
| 8 | Telegram – 6M | Snapchat – 13M | Telegram – 19M |
| 9 | Google Chrome – 5M | CapCut – 13M | Threads – 18M |
| 10 | Gmail – 5M | WhatsApp Business – 12M | Temu – 17M |
Appfigures[1] data showed ChatGPT adding about forty-five million new installs worldwide in September. That number slipped a little from August but still dwarfed every other app on both stores. Few products in recent years have expanded that fast or that evenly across markets. The growth also hints at something larger, AI is no longer just a novelty; it’s part of everyday habits.
Close behind came Google’s Gemini, reaching forty million installs, most of them from Android users. Its rise was sudden. Back in August, Gemini barely reached nine million downloads. Now, in a single month, it had multiplied that figure several times over. Some of this surge likely came from curiosity about its new generative features. Some, perhaps, from Google’s decision to blend Gemini more tightly with its search and productivity tools.
TikTok held third place with thirty-four million downloads. That’s no small feat considering it has been near saturation in several countries for years. Instagram and Facebook followed, though both slipped a little. Meta’s group of apps (Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp) did not dominate the top five for the first time in a long while. That alone says a lot about how attention is shifting.
CapCut, TikTok’s video editor, landed at number seven. Its downloads dipped slightly, likely because students and younger creators had less free time once school resumed. Telegram and Snapchat stayed steady, both drawing loyal bases. Temu closed the list after dropping four spots, down about twenty-three percent, which analysts link to lower ad spending and tighter trade conditions.
In total, the ten most downloaded apps together reached roughly two hundred seventy-three million installs. That’s about the same as August, though the mix tells a different story… more users are exploring tools that create rather than just consume.
TikTok Keeps the Revenue Crown
| Rank | iOS App Store | Google Play | Combined Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TikTok – $214M | TikTok – $100M | TikTok – $315M |
| 2 | YouTube – $134M | Google One – $100M | ChatGPT – $174M |
| 3 | ChatGPT – $125M | ChatGPT – $49M | YouTube – $134M |
| 4 | Tinder – $85M | Amazon Shopping – $40M | Tinder – $116M |
| 5 | CapCut – $80M | Disney+ – $32M | Disney+ – $105M |
| 6 | Disney+ – $73M | Tinder – $31M | Google One – $101M |
| 7 | HBO Max – $69M | Spotify – $30M | CapCut – $94M |
| 8 | Peacock TV – $53M | HBO Max – $24M | HBO Max – $92M |
| 9 | Snapchat – $48M | Crunchyroll – $19M | Peacock TV – $66M |
| 10 | Tencent Video – $48M | Prime Video – $17M | Crunchyroll – $58M |
On the money side[2], TikTok kept its crown. The app earned around three hundred fifteen million dollars after store fees in September, even with a six percent decline from the month before. The gap between TikTok and the next contender remains so large that few expect it to change soon.
ChatGPT came next with one hundred seventy-four million dollars in estimated net revenue. That figure edged higher than August, showing that demand for premium AI access isn’t fading. The steady climb also shows OpenAI’s ability to hold user interest as it moves further into GPT-5 and enterprise-level features.
YouTube, Tinder, and Disney+ filled out the rest of the top five. Each of them lost a bit of ground, a typical pattern for September as people return to work and school. Still, their totals remain solid for a slower month. CapCut also inched upward, collecting around ninety-four million dollars in combined income. It’s quietly turning into a reliable earner within TikTok’s family of products.
The streaming sector had mixed fortunes. HBO Max and Disney+ both saw revenue slip, while Peacock managed a small gain. Good programming helped it hold its ninth-place spot with about sixty-six million dollars in earnings. For content platforms, that’s proof that shows and series still drive revenue even as the market leans toward subscriptions and AI tools.
Altogether, the ten highest earners brought in roughly 1.3 billion dollars after fees. That’s nearly identical to August’s total… a sign that mobile spending stayed resilient even when users’ attention shifted elsewhere.
A Market Split Between Curiosity and Habit
Looking at both charts together, it’s clear the mobile economy is now split between two instincts. One is curiosity, people trying out new AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to see what they can do. The other is habit… viewers returning to platforms like TikTok or Disney+ for entertainment and community.
The overlap between those worlds is starting to grow. AI apps are learning how to engage people like social networks, while entertainment apps are weaving in smarter algorithms to keep users hooked. That could be where the next wave of growth appears.
As the year winds down, the race between these categories is tightening. AI may pull in more downloads, but entertainment still brings in the bigger checks. The question is how long that balance will last. By December, we might see if curiosity can finally out-earn habit, or if watching, not chatting, still rules the phone screen.
References
- ^ Appfigures (appfigures.com)
- ^ On the money side (appfigures.com)