Spending on mobile apps rose sharply in May, with total revenue across the top ten performers reaching $1.4 billion. That figure marks a 17% increase from the month before, even as download numbers remained relatively flat. According to AppFigures data, TikTok led the surge, pulling in $380 million from users worldwide, with the majority coming from Apple’s App Store. The app, which continues to dominate the short-video space, grew its earnings by $51 million in just one month.
ChatGPT held second place, earning $180 million in net revenue after store fees. Most of that came from iOS, where it brought in $145 million, while Android users added another $34 million. Its income rose 22% compared to April, suggesting its appeal continues to spread beyond business use. Store rankings mirrored that trend. On Apple’s platform, it climbed to the second spot, and on Google Play, it landed in sixth.
YouTube, long a mainstay among top-grossing apps, came in third. The platform added $142 million in revenue, roughly 8% higher than its April total. Tinder followed with $134 million, and Disney+ recorded $121 million. These five apps alone brought in nearly a billion dollars between them, showing the staying power of entertainment and utility apps when it comes to user spending.
Further down the list, Tencent Video and CapCut each earned around $72 million. Max followed closely with $97 million, and QQ Video added $58 million. LinkedIn also made the top ten, pulling in $68 million globally. On Android, Google One stood out with $88 million, while Amazon’s app generated $45 million.
iOS remained the stronger platform in terms of revenue, with every top app earning more through Apple than Google Play. That imbalance continues to shape how developers invest in features and markets.
ChatGPT held the number one spot with 50 million installs—14 million from iOS and 36 million from Android. Instagram rose to second place with 42 million total downloads, gaining just enough to overtake TikTok, which came in third with 40 million. Both apps saw only modest growth month over month.
Facebook added 34 million installs in May, most of them through Google Play. WhatsApp followed with 30 million. Those five apps continue to dominate user acquisition, driven largely by their established global reach.
Elsewhere in the top ten, Temu recorded 26 million new installs, CapCut had 25 million, and Threads added 23 million. Telegram, Snapchat, Microsoft Teams, and Canva also stayed within the upper rankings. Many of these apps saw minor shifts in position but retained consistent demand.
Messaging and social media platforms continued to make up most of the list. Only two—CapCut and Temu—broke that pattern, suggesting users are still gravitating toward familiar forms of interaction and content sharing.
The May data shows that developers no longer have to chase installs to succeed. Strong monetization strategies, useful features, and ongoing engagement are becoming more important than chart position. For many apps, especially those offering subscriptions or premium services, fewer downloads can still lead to higher revenue — if the product delivers lasting value.
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ChatGPT held second place, earning $180 million in net revenue after store fees. Most of that came from iOS, where it brought in $145 million, while Android users added another $34 million. Its income rose 22% compared to April, suggesting its appeal continues to spread beyond business use. Store rankings mirrored that trend. On Apple’s platform, it climbed to the second spot, and on Google Play, it landed in sixth.
YouTube, long a mainstay among top-grossing apps, came in third. The platform added $142 million in revenue, roughly 8% higher than its April total. Tinder followed with $134 million, and Disney+ recorded $121 million. These five apps alone brought in nearly a billion dollars between them, showing the staying power of entertainment and utility apps when it comes to user spending.
Further down the list, Tencent Video and CapCut each earned around $72 million. Max followed closely with $97 million, and QQ Video added $58 million. LinkedIn also made the top ten, pulling in $68 million globally. On Android, Google One stood out with $88 million, while Amazon’s app generated $45 million.
iOS remained the stronger platform in terms of revenue, with every top app earning more through Apple than Google Play. That imbalance continues to shape how developers invest in features and markets.
| Rank | iOS App Store | Revenue | Google Play | Revenue | Combined Total | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TikTok | $261M | TikTok | $119M | TikTok | $380M |
| 2 | ChatGPT (OpenAI) | $145M | Google One | $88M | ChatGPT (OpenAI) | $180M |
| 3 | YouTube | $142M | Disney+ | $50M | YouTube | $142M |
| 4 | Tinder (Tinder LLC) | $97M | Amazon | $45M | Tinder (Tinder LLC) | $134M |
| 5 | Tencent Video | $72M | Tinder (Tinder LLC) | $36M | Disney+ | $121M |
| 6 | CapCut (Bytedance) | $72M | ChatGPT (OpenAI) | $34M | Max | $97M |
| 7 | Disney+ | $71M | Spotify | $32M | Google One | $88M |
| 8 | Max | $65M | Max | $32M | CapCut (Bytedance) | $82M |
| 9 | QQ Video | $58M | Crunchyroll | $21M | Tencent Video | $72M |
| 10 | $55M | Prime Video | $19M | $68M |
Downloads Were Up Slightly, but Big Changes Were Limited
Total downloads across the ten most-installed apps reached 313 million in May. That’s about 4% higher than April’s total, breaking a long-running downward trend. Still, the top of the list stayed mostly the same.ChatGPT held the number one spot with 50 million installs—14 million from iOS and 36 million from Android. Instagram rose to second place with 42 million total downloads, gaining just enough to overtake TikTok, which came in third with 40 million. Both apps saw only modest growth month over month.
Facebook added 34 million installs in May, most of them through Google Play. WhatsApp followed with 30 million. Those five apps continue to dominate user acquisition, driven largely by their established global reach.
Elsewhere in the top ten, Temu recorded 26 million new installs, CapCut had 25 million, and Threads added 23 million. Telegram, Snapchat, Microsoft Teams, and Canva also stayed within the upper rankings. Many of these apps saw minor shifts in position but retained consistent demand.
Messaging and social media platforms continued to make up most of the list. Only two—CapCut and Temu—broke that pattern, suggesting users are still gravitating toward familiar forms of interaction and content sharing.
| Rank | iOS App Store | Downloads | Google Play | Downloads | Combined Total | Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPT (OpenAI) | 14M | 36M | ChatGPT (OpenAI) | 50M | |
| 2 | Threads (Instagram) | 11M | ChatGPT (OpenAI) | 36M | 42M | |
| 3 | CapCut (Bytedance) | 11M | TikTok | 33M | TikTok | 40M |
| 4 | 9M | Facebook (Meta Platforms) | 30M | Facebook (Meta Platforms) | 34M | |
| 5 | Google Maps | 8M | 24M | 30M | ||
| 6 | Temu | 8M | Temu | 18M | Temu | 26M |
| 7 | TikTok | 7M | Snapchat | 17M | CapCut (Bytedance) | 25M |
| 8 | Telegram Messenger | 6M | Telegram Messenger | 16M | Threads (Instagram) | 23M |
| 9 | Microsoft Teams | 6M | CapCut (Bytedance) | 15M | Telegram Messenger | 22M |
| 10 | Canva | 6M | WhatsApp Business | 15M | Snapchat | 21M |
A Clearer Picture of User Behavior Is Emerging
While downloads held steady, revenue rose dramatically, pointing to a shift in how users interact with mobile apps. New installs matter less now than how much time, and money, people are willing to spend inside the apps they already use. TikTok and ChatGPT are clear examples. The former isn’t adding as many users as it once did, but it’s earning more than ever. The latter, while relatively new, has found a way to draw both attention and payment from a growing base.The May data shows that developers no longer have to chase installs to succeed. Strong monetization strategies, useful features, and ongoing engagement are becoming more important than chart position. For many apps, especially those offering subscriptions or premium services, fewer downloads can still lead to higher revenue — if the product delivers lasting value.
Read next: Emotional Coping Through Screens May Be Harming Children More Than Helping
