February was a strange month for apps, filled with unexpected shifts. Now that it’s behind us, let’s take a closer look at whether TikTok managed to retain its top position despite being banned in the US, how AI-related apps performed, and whether livestreaming apps continue to generate revenue.
The Biggest Earning Apps
TikTok remained the world’s top-grossing mobile app in February, according to Appfigures Intelligence, even though it was banned for much of the month in the US, its second-largest revenue market after China.
However, the ban did have noticeable consequences. TikTok’s estimated global net revenue dropped by 67% compared to its record high in December—the last full month suitable for comparison—bringing its February total down to $200 million.
YouTube took second place with $150 million in net revenue, which is the amount Google retains after paying Apple. YouTube has been steadily growing its revenue over time, and that upward trend helped it secure the No. 2 spot, though its earnings still trail TikTok’s by a significant margin.
Following YouTube, Disney+, Tinder, and Max rounded out the top five highest-grossing apps worldwide in February. Interestingly, the top five apps remained the same as in January, though each saw their revenue decrease compared to the previous month.
While the top half of the chart remained stable, the bottom half experienced significant shifts. Duolingo exited the top 10 as New Year’s resolutions faded, and Tencent Video also dropped out. In their place, Peacock and LinkedIn entered the list. It’s particularly notable that Peacock, which is only available in the U.S., managed to appear alongside global streaming giants like Disney+ and Max.
According to Appfigures Intelligence, the top 10 highest-grossing apps worldwide collectively generated $966 million in net revenue from the App Store and Google Play in February. This figure is slightly down from the $1 billion mark the group had reached in previous months, largely due to TikTok’s revenue decline.
We’ll keep you updated if any shifts in the app revenue landscape occur in the coming months.
Most Downloaded Apps
When it comes to downloads, TikTok was also the most downloaded mobile app worldwide in February, according to Appfigures Intelligence. Despite being banned in the US for most of the month, TikTok still led the charts. The US plays a major role in TikTok’s revenue, but not necessarily in downloads, making the drop in earnings more significant than the impact on download numbers.
The ban did affect TikTok’s downloads compared to January, but by the end of February, they had recovered, suggesting that the platform’s popularity remains resilient.
Instagram came in second place with 42 million downloads. This figure is down from January, though considering that February is a shorter month, the decrease is not particularly surprising.
One noteworthy shift was ChatGPT’s performance. The app climbed two spots from January to secure the No. 3 position in February, surpassing Facebook and WhatsApp with 36 million downloads. It appears that the launch of competing AI chat apps like DeepSeek and Grok did not negatively impact ChatGPT. In fact, their presence may have contributed to even more interest.
DeepSeek also made a strong entry onto the charts, securing the No. 10 spot with 20 million downloads. It’s uncommon for an app to chart so soon after launch, but DeepSeek’s trajectory seems to follow recent trends in the AI space. Even though initial hype has somewhat faded, the app is still being downloaded approximately 300,000 times per day.
The remainder of the download charts largely mirrored January’s figures, notes NIX Solutions. However, because February has fewer days, the total number of downloads saw a slight decline. Overall, the world’s top 10 most downloaded apps in February were estimated to be installed on 299 million devices, down slightly from January’s numbers.
As always, we’ll keep you updated as more shifts and trends emerge in the app landscape.