The 20 Most Popular Apps on Google Play and the App Store (2026)
With millions of apps available on Google Play and the App Store, it can be tough to decide which ones to download. But if you know the most popular ones, you can easily switch to new apps if you’re not happy with your current ones, or you can discover some cool new apps.
Here’s a list of the top apps on both platforms, so you can make the best of your mobile device.
Google Maps
You can use Google Maps to search for directions by foot, car, bike, and public transportation. The service can even find you flights for long-distance journeys and provide real-time updates.
Google Maps also lets you search around your local area for things to do and places to eat. If an area is particularly busy, you’ll also see this color-coded. Use Google Maps to save frequently visited locations, such as your workplace or home address.
The app also lets you contribute to Google Reviews and follow others in your local area.
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ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a generative AI tool that can answer questions, make recipes from scratch, and more. Premium users can access numerous extra tools, including custom GPT plugins and image creation with DALL-E.
To use ChatGPT, enter a prompt such as, “What are the benefits of running?” or, “Please make a recipe for a New York cheesecake.” The software will then generate a response within a minute or so.
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While many users go to Safari or Chrome to browse the web, the Google app is a clean and simple alternative. It works very similarly to the Google.com website.
The Google app also provides real-time updates and can pull articles that you might be interested in reading. It’s also possible to search in Incognito Mode.
Google also lets you bookmark your favorite web pages and search based on screenshots. Users can translate via their camera, too.
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CapCut
CapCut is best known for its comprehensive video editing features. You can add effects to your images and change your content’s resolution from 480p to 4K. CapCut also lets you adjust frame rates.
If you want your audience to understand the text in your video, you can use this video editor app to add captions. CapCut also has a text-to-image image generative AI tool, plus templates to make editing less strenuous.
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YouTube
YouTube is the world’s most popular online video service, with over two billion monthly active users. Browse countless YouTube channels for all kinds of content, from music videos to educational content and sports highlights. You can subscribe to the ones you particularly enjoy.
In addition to the free version, you can subscribe to YouTube Premium and no longer see ads. YouTube offers recommendations based on your viewing history, and you can also upload your own content.
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Amazon Shopping
Amazon is one of the most popular online stores and serves several regions, including the US, the UK, and Germany. You can find just about anything on Amazon, such as books, tech gear, movies, games, and toys.
Delivery prices vary depending on the products you purchase. For an extra fee, you can get Amazon Prime. Benefits include unlimited free shipping on selected items and access to Amazon Prime Video.
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Temu
Temu’s online marketplace offers clothing, smart home products, and many other items for affordable prices. When you buy a product in the app, you get free delivery and can also return your items within 90 days.
The app has a visual search feature that lets you upload a picture from your smartphone or tablet and find products you might be interested in. You can also pick a category from the “Popular right now” section.
Temu accepts several payment methods, including PayPal and Google Pay.
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Duolingo
Duolingo lets you learn dozens of languages and has tens of millions of monthly active users. You can learn commonly spoken languages like Chinese, German, French, and lesser-known ones like Finnish, Hungarian, and Norwegian.
The Duolingo app gamifies language learning with weekly leaderboards. You can add people you know, participate in friends’ quests, and complete monthly challenges.
Courses vary from language to language. Some of the most comprehensive ones include French, Norwegian, and Spanish. Free and premium plans are available.
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Audible
Audible has an extensive library of 800,000+ audiobooks, including best-selling titles like Atomic Habits and the Harry Potter series. If you want to consume more books but would prefer to listen on the go, it’s well worth looking at a subscription.
The number of books you can listen to per month depends on your membership level. Audible has several podcasts if you want to consume a more diverse range of content, too.
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Gmail
Gmail is another one of the best apps in Google Play and the App Store, and it’s the main email service for users with a Google account. Signing up is completely free, and you can use the same login details for YouTube, Google Drive, and many other services.
The Gmail app works similarly to most other email apps. You can select all messages if you want to delete them or mark each as read, and categorizing your emails is also possible.
You can subscribe to Google One for an extra fee, which offers benefits like using the Gemini AI tool within Gmail.
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Spotify
Spotify has over 700 million monthly users and, thanks to over a million artists, a comprehensive catalog of songs. You can find countless playlists for music of all genres and even create your own for private use or public sharing.
The Spotify app provides homepage suggestions and daily mixes. You can also listen to music stations featuring artists you like. Besides its comprehensive music offerings, Spotify also has an extensive library of podcasts and—in some markets—audiobooks.
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TikTok
TikTok has one billion monthly active users and specializes in short-form videos. You can view content in landscape and portrait mode. Videos cover several categories, including holidays, photography, and exercise tutorials.
Users can follow creators they like and visit the For You page for recommended content. If you see videos that you especially like, the app has a bookmarking feature. You can also leave a comment for creators.
If you don’t want to put a download on your phone, it’s still possible to watch TikTok without the app.
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WhatsApp is one of the best apps on Google Play and the App Store for instant messaging. It’s a great way to stay in touch with friends and family when traveling or living abroad, as you don’t need to pay international SMS charges.
WhatsApp lets you send voice messages, pictures, and videos within your chats, including ones that will disappear after a while. You can also call others and add content to your Story. Messages are encrypted end-to-end.
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Netflix
Netflix is another popular streaming service with some killer original shows, such as Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Bridgerton. You’ll find a huge library of documentaries and movies there.
The Netflix app has also added a number of games, including GTA: San Andreas and Sonic Mania Plus. Watching Netflix requires a subscription; prices vary depending on where you live, video quality, and whether or not you want ads.
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Google Chrome
Google Chrome is one of the best web browsers, and despite Safari being the default on Apple devices, many iPhone and iPad users still make the switch. Once you’ve signed in to your Google account, your computer searches will sync across your other devices.
The Chrome app is almost identical to the web browser. You can use it to perform quick searches, autofill passwords, and access your most commonly visited web pages. The Discover section aggregates content from several websites based on your interests.
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With over 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the world’s most popular social media network. It’s best known for the ability to add friends and family, but you can also use the app to shop via its marketplace and view your favorite Facebook pages.
Facebook also lets you follow people if you don’t want to add them, and you can RSVP for events you’d like to join. The app lets you view trending topics, check in when you’re out and about, and upload photos.
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HBO Max
HBO Max is a comprehensive streaming service with popular TV series like Game of Thrones and Tom and Jerry. You can also watch a number of movies, and in some territories, Max offers live sports via a B/R Sports add-on.
If you’re not ready to subscribe, you can sample some of Max’s biggest hits with free episodes. Should you decide to sign up later, don’t forget to check out the best shows on Max.
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Instagram started as a photo-sharing platform, but it now also lets you post short-form videos, send private messages to others, and stream live. Users can post single images and carousels of up to 10.
Instagram has a diverse audience that includes regular users, professional photographers, bloggers, and political figures. Users can follow accounts they find interesting and receive on-feed recommendations based on their previous consumption.
The app also has an Explore page for more recommended content, which works similarly to For You on TikTok. Get more out of your experience on the app with these cool Instagram tips and tricks.
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Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush is one of the most popular mobile games of all time, and it’s still going strong this year.
Your job in Candy Crush is to match symbols and get rid of each row. If you get certain combos, you can unlock various moves. You can move symbols in several directions to clear rows.
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