ChatGPT Tops App Store, Instagram Leads Google Play in July 2025, FoxData Finds

FoxData has released its July 2025 worldwide mobile app download rankings, uncovering a pivotal month in the evolution of the global app economy. Covering App Store and Google Play performance from July 1–31, the analysis identifies three defining forces shaping the industry: the platformization of AI, the integration of content and commerce ecosystems, and the rapid expansion of lightweight, locally adapted content formats.

Read the full report here: Top Mobile Apps Worldwide in July 2025: ChatGPT, TikTok Lite, Temu

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Top 10 Global App Store Downloads in July 2025

On the App Store, ChatGPT continued to lead globally with over 27 million monthly downloads, cementing its role at the center of the emerging “AI as Operating System” paradigm. The platform’s evolution from a conversational assistant to a multi-scenario operating layer signals a shift in how users interact with mobile devices and moving away from isolated app usage toward a unified AI interface for productivity, communication, and creativity.

Temu followed in second place with over 16 million downloads, leveraging a combination of AI-driven recommendations and aggressive price subsidies to achieve strong traction in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Threads secured third position, maintaining over 16 million downloads despite a slight decline, driven by its deep integration into Instagram’s multimodal content ecosystem.

The rise of short video–tool hybrids and AI-enhanced localized content was reflected in the success of “Red Fruit” short dramas, which reached 9.26 million downloads, penetrating mid- and lower-tier markets through AI-assisted translation and cultural adaptation.

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Top 10 Global Google Play Downloads in July 2025

On Google Play, Instagram held the top position with nearly 47 million downloads, underscoring its dominance in short-form content. The notable newcomer Seeke AI debuted in second place with over 35 million downloads, gaining rapid adoption in emerging markets via its minimalist, multilingual AI assistant model. ChatGPT maintained third place with approximately 30 million downloads, boosted by optimizations for mid- to low-end Android devices in India and Indonesia.

A key shift emerged in TikTok’s dual-version strategy, with TikTok Lite surpassing the full version in downloads for the first time (28.92 million vs. 27.42 million). The lightweight version’s lower data and hardware requirements positioned it as the growth driver in bandwidth-constrained markets.

Additionally, India’s PhonePe reached eighth place with 25 million downloads, exemplifying the “payment-as-a-platform” model in financial services.

FoxData’s analysis highlights four priority areas for 2025: the rise of niche, verticalized AI assistants; the shift from algorithmic recommendations to integrated, multi-device content ecosystems; deepening convergence of commerce, finance, and entertainment; and cost-optimized, AI-enhanced content production for emerging markets.

These findings emphasize the necessity for app developers and marketers to adapt growth strategies to evolving user pathways, content distribution models, and platform-specific monetization opportunities.

About FoxData

FoxData is a global leader in mobile app analytics, offering end-to-end tools for app marketing, competitive benchmarking, user behavior profiling, and ROI optimization. With a mission to turn complex data into actionable insights, FoxData supports publishers, marketers, and developers in achieving measurable growth across global markets.

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