The ChatGPT app topped the global download rankings for the first time in March 2025, surpassing major platforms like Instagram and TikTok. According to analytics company Appfigures, ChatGPT installations rose by 28% compared to February, reaching around 46 million downloads. Since its launch, March has been the best month yet for OpenAI’s app in terms of user growth.
Instagram, which led the rankings in January and February, dropped to second place, while TikTok came in third on both the App Store and Google Play, as reported by TechCrunch. Analysts associate the rise in ChatGPT’s popularity with recent updates to the app. Notably, for the first time in over a year, the image generation tools were improved, enabling users to create viral images and memes in the distinctive style of Studio Ghibli. These visuals quickly spread across social platforms in late March and early April, drawing more attention to the app.
New Features and Shifts in AI Usage Trends
In addition to upgraded image tools, OpenAI also relaxed certain restrictions within its visual content moderation policy and made updates to the app’s voice mode. However, analysts point out that the renewed popularity of ChatGPT cannot be attributed to features alone.
“It seems that ChatGPT is becoming a verb, just like Google did in the 2000s. Many people are no longer talking about artificial intelligence, but just ChatGPT,” said Ariel Michaeli, founder and CEO of Appfigures. According to Michaeli, interest in artificial intelligence remains strong, with competitors like Grok and DeepSeek also gaining attention. Still, ChatGPT continues to lead in user downloads.
While this popularity is a success for OpenAI, it presents challenges for other chatbot developers, notes NIX Solutions. For instance, Claude from Anthropic still struggles to gain similar traction. Grok, on the other hand, has slightly better prospects, largely due to Elon Musk’s involvement and the promotion it receives through his X platform.
Other widely used messaging and social media apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, and Threads also appeared in the global top rankings for March. Collectively, the top 10 apps were downloaded 339 million times during the month—an increase of 40 million compared to February.
ChatGPT’s momentum appears to be ongoing, and we’ll keep you updated as more integrations and improvements become available.