It's clear that Gen Z has an influence on app consumption. Known as the "mobile-first generation," they make up about 40% of all mobile users worldwide. Curious about their preferences, we recently contacted the app intelligence firm Appfigures, which provided an overview of the 50 most downloaded apps by Gen Z this year.
However, due to privacy rules, we were unable to obtain data for users aged 13 to 17. The firm only shared total download numbers for users aged 18 to 24, and the data is limited to users in the U.S., so it doesn't provide a complete picture. Even so, this gives us an idea of the preferences among the older segment of this generation.
From popular e-commerce and social media platforms to photo editing tools, let's take a closer look at the apps that have resonated with this demographic in 2024.
Image Credits:Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto / Getty Images
Based on data from iOS and Android users in the U.S., the most downloaded app from January to October was Temu, the popular online marketplace that offers nearly every type of product you can think of at heavily discounted rates.
Gen Z young adults have downloaded the app 41.98 million times, indicating that the vast selection of affordable items is highly appealing to this particular group despite their dedication to sustainability and the ongoing debates around fast fashion. Temu also bets on gamification strategies to motivate shoppers, such as coupons, rewards, and free gifts.
In contrast to Temu, its competitor, Shein, managed to garner only 14.68 million new downloads. This figure doesn't necessarily reflect a dwindling interest in the app. Instead, it suggests that this specific demographic of young adults may have already installed it on their devices.
Image Credits:Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty Images
Not surprisingly, TikTok is in second place next to Temu with 33.23 million downloads. The short-form video app is popular among users aged 18 to 24 for several reasons, the most obvious being that it serves as a go-to source for fast-paced, easily digestible content. Interestingly enough, the Gen Z-dominated app is also preferred as a search engine over Google.
Another major video platform, YouTube, remains popular among Gen Z young adults. Over a span of around 10 months, the mobile app amassed 14.03 million new installs, Appfigures noted. While this number is not as high as TikTok's, it still indicates significant engagement among this group.
Interestingly, they also seem to be driving growth in the short drama app industry. One of the latest apps gaining attention is ShortMax, which features about 1,000 short films across various genres, including drama, romance, and mysteries. Data shows that 18- to 24-year-olds have installed the app over 10 million times so far in 2024.
Image Credits:Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto / Getty Images
In addition to their spending and streaming habits, Gen Z young adults have also been downloading Meta's family of apps. Threads tops the list at 32.32 million installs, followed by WhatsApp at 28.42 million, Instagram at 26.29 million, Facebook at 20.58 million, and Messenger at 17.63 million.
Since Threads was the most recent to launch, it makes sense that it has more new downloads. Additionally, there seems to be renewed interest in Facebook following the redesign aimed at engaging this social media-savvy generation. (While we cannot definitively determine whether the update directly influenced the spike in downloads, it's worth noting the potential correlation.)
Google, another tech giant, has also amassed a decent amount of downloads so far this year. The search engine app saw 17.65 million installs, whereas other Google-owned products Chrome and Meet saw 10.19 million installs and 9.63 million ...