Apple on Monday announced its annual year-end charts of the most downloaded apps and games on the App Store in over 35 countries, including India. WhatsApp — the popular instant messaging platform owned by Meta Platforms — has emerged as the top free iPhone app. Meanwhile, the Forest: Focus for Productivity app, which helps users put down their iPhone and focus on more important things in life, is the most downloaded paid app of the year. The App Store charts announcement came after Apple revealed the 2024 App Store Award winners last week.
Apple App Store 2024 Downloads
According to Apple, the 2024 year-end charts featuring the top free and paid apps and games of the year, along with the top Apple Arcade games, can be seen on the App Store’s Today tab. WhatsApp was followed by Instagram, YouTube and Google Pay as the most downloaded free iPhone apps of 2024.
Meanwhile, Money Manager, DSLR Camera, Shadowrocket, and iTablaPro claimed the second, third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively, in the top paid apps chart. On the gaming side, Battlegrounds Mobile India, popularly known as BGMI, was the most downloaded free game on iPhone. Minecraft, on the other hand, was the top paid game. Similar to last year, Ludo King and Subway Surfers rounded up the top three free iPhone games, while Earn to Die 2 and Hitman Sniper grabbed the second and third spots in the top paid iPhone games chart. Notably, Hitman Sniper was the most downloaded paid game last year but was dethroned by Minecraft in 2024.
The Cupertino-based technology giant also published a list of the top games on Apple Arcade — its monthly subscription that provides access to several games without ads or in-app purchases. Getting Over It+ was the most downloaded Apple Arcade game of 2024 on iPhone, followed closely by NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition, Snake.io+, Asphalt 8: Airborne+, and Angry Birds Reloaded.