Temu Leads the App Store!

Chinese shopping app Temu was once again the most downloaded free app in the U.S., according to a list of top apps and games across the App Store released by Apple. The shopping app moved into the No. 1 slot last year, stealing the position from TikTok, which held the title in in 2022. Currently facing a U.S. ban, TikTok this year made the list at No. 3 behind Meta’s Instagram Threads, which moved up to the No. 2 spot after being the No. 3 most downloaded app in 2023. Apple releases its list of top apps and games at the end of the year to showcase what consumers are actually downloading on their devices, as opposed to those that App Store editors want to highlight as top apps or games of the year. It’s also the only year-end list from Apple where ChatGPT makes an appearance, as the iPhone maker largely snubbed AI chatbots in its editorial picks, favoring more traditional apps aimed at creatives when naming its app of the year finalists. That award ultimately went to pro video app Kino, from the makers of the pro camera app Halide.