Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Gen Z, which comprises 40% of global mobile device users, is significantly shaping apps consumption trends worldwide. According to TechCrunch, a leading app intelligence firm Appfigures new data highlights the most downloaded apps among gen Z throughout 2024.
Appfigures reported the total download numbers for several apps among Gen Z users aged from 18 to 24. This data, however, is based solely on users in the United States, and therefore does not provide a global perspective.
Temu Tops the List
Leading the charts is Temu, a Chinese e-commerce platform that has taken the Gen Z demographic by storm. Between January and October 2024, the app was downloaded 41.98 million times on iOS and Android devices in the U.S.
Known for offering a wide range of products at budget-friendly prices, Temu’s affordability resonates strongly with Gen Z shoppers, despite ongoing debates around fast fashion.
However, Indonesia strictly banned the apps for failing to comply with the country’s rules. Concerns were also raised that Temu’s direct-from-factory-to-consumer model could potentially harm local SMEs by bypassing traditional sellers, resellers, and dropshippers.
TikTok Remains a Social Media Giant
Coming in second place, TikTok garnered 33.23 million downloads. The app remains a go-to source for easily digestible content, even surpassing Google as a preferred search engine among younger users.
In Indonesia, TikTok leads as the most widely used app, boasting 157.6 million users in August 2024, according to Statista, outpacing the U.S., which ranks second with 120.5 million users.
Meta’s Family App
In the social networking space, apps from Meta show strong performance. Threads, a newer entrant, leads with 32.32 million downloads, followed by WhatsApp (28.42 million), Instagram (26.29 million), Facebook (20.58 million), and Messenger (17.63 million).
GPT Apps on the Rise
As expected, AI-driven apps are gaining momentum among Gen Z. OpenAI’s ChatGPT leads this category, with 24.63 million installs, as students and young professionals turn to the app for academic assistance and career advice.
Social Media Favorites
In addition to Threads and Instagram, ByteDance’s editing tool CapCut remains popular, securing 21.72 million downloads. Other social media platforms like Snapchat (19.16 million), Telegram (13.12 million), Pinterest (8.23 million), Reddit (8.06 million), and X (formerly Twitter) (7.58 million) continue to be favorites among Gen Z.
Streaming Services
Among streaming platforms, Netflix continues to capture Gen Z’s attention with 15.67 million downloads this year. Other popular streaming apps include YouTube with 14.03 million installs, while Prime Video and Disney+ trail closely with 12.86 million and 11.68 million downloads, respectively.
Emerging platforms are also gaining traction; the new short drama app ShortMax, featuring over 1,000 short films in genres like drama, romance, and mystery, has attracted 10 million installs among Gen Z
Reog Ponorogo, The Traditional Performance Art of East Java
Google’s suite of apps remains a staple for Gen Z. The flagship Google Search app recorded 17.65 million installs, while other popular Google apps like Chrome and Meet saw 10.19 million and 9.63 million downloads, respectively.
Music Streaming Platform
Spotify remains the go-to music streaming app for Gen Z, drawing in 10.45 million downloads, solidifying its appeal among younger listeners.
Payment Apps
Finally, payment apps are seeing steady growth. PayPal led the category with 13.92 million downloads, followed by Venmo with 7.8 million, and Cash App with 6.9 million, as Gen Z continues to embrace digital payment solutions for purchases, splitting bills, and sending tips.
These insights reflect the growing influence of Gen Z on digital consumption trends, as they continue to shape the app landscape with their preferences for social media, streaming, e-commerce, and AI-powered tools.
(Raidi/Agung)
