Just a few weeks in the past, Apple unveiled the 2023 App Store Award winners, a listing of apps and video games the App Retailer Editorial staff compiled to spotlight significant and useful apps. However many apps that did not make Apple’s lists are downloaded tens of millions of instances and discover their means onto the house screens of all our Apple gadgets.
These are the highest free iPhone apps downloaded within the US in 2023.
1. Temu: Store Like a Billionaire
Temu made waves this yr for providing customers deeply discounted gadgets starting from electronics and tech equipment to clothes and home items. In line with MobiLoud, a cell app software program firm, Temu has over 100 million lively customers within the US.
ZDNET tried many merchandise from Temu this yr and defined every little thing we all know in regards to the web site, from find out how to safely purchase gadgets to which gadgets to keep away from and why Temu wanted to implement multifactor authentication to maintain customers secure.
2. CapCut – Video Editor
CapCut is a video editor that helps customers create elevated video content material for social media from their smartphones. CapCut is owned by ByteDance, TikTok’s mother or father firm, and customers can hyperlink their TikTok account to CapCut to add their edited movies on to their TikTok account.
3. Max: Stream HBO, TV, & Motion pictures
Max, previously often known as HBO Max, is a streaming service that had an attention-grabbing yr. Warner Bros. and Discovery mixed forces in Could to create Max, however the rollout wasn’t easy or well-received at first.
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Since then, Max has supplied a few of our favourite TV reveals like “Succession” and recently signed a deal with the favored movie studio A24 to carry award-winning motion pictures to the streaming platform.
4. Threads, an Instagram app
Threads is Meta’s brainchild that will entice customers dissatisfied with X, previously often known as Twitter. When Elon Musk took over X, customers complained about elevated dangerous content material, a difficulty that Meta hoped to capitalize on. In line with Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, threads could be a “sanely-run” Twitter-like expertise.
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Threads broke records when it launched, amassing 150 million downloads inside its first week. Nonetheless, users quickly lost interest because the app debuted with out most of the options that customers had hoped for. Since then, new features have appeared on Threads to re-engage loyal customers.
5. TikTok
TikTok, a short-form video app, has grow to be ubiquitous lately. According to Wallaroo Media, TikTok has been downloaded within the US over 220 million instances and enjoys customers from all generations.
This yr, TikTok has been beneath a watchful eye, as many governments worldwide have banned the app from authorities gadgets, citing potential nationwide safety issues. Earlier this yr, the US Congress proposed two bills that will eradicate the authorized hurdles the president would face when making an attempt to enact a country-wide TikTok ban.
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TikTok’s CEO testified in entrance of Congress for hours, assuring the congresspeople that the Chinese language authorities didn’t run his app and that programs were in place to help keep US user data safe.
Montana’s governor signed a invoice into regulation that will ban TikTok in the state, however this regulation was deemed unconstitutional by a US decide one month earlier than the regulation would take impact.
6. Instagram
Instagram is a well-liked social media app that has been on our house screens for over a decade. The app has taken new kinds through the years, and person curiosity within the app has ebbed and flowed. Earlier this yr, Instagram gave us a peek into its powerful algorithms, serving to us perceive why we see particular posts and why we do not see others.
Additionally: Instagram feed fix: How to see more of what you want (and less of what you don’t)
Instagram added many new options this yr, like including music to your photograph carousels, solely exhibiting Feed posts to Shut Pals, and redesigning Reels.
7. Google
This yr was massive for Google, because the search engine debuted many new options to assist customers shortly discover what they have been searching for. AI grew to become embedded into Google’s search capabilities, because the mighty expertise can summarize Google search inquiries and help users learn English.
Additionally: How to supercharge your Google searches with generative AI in Chrome
According to Statista, Google dominates about 83% of the worldwide search engine market. Google Chrome is the preferred net browser, even for iPhone customers whose default browser is Apple’s Safari.
8. YouTube: Watch, Hear, Stream
YouTube stays the preferred video streaming service and hasn’t loosened its grip available on the market in years. Like many on-line platforms, YouTube additionally introduced its fair share of AI-powered features and more ways for creators to profit from their content.
Additionally: The top 6 new YouTube features and design updates (out of literally dozens)
Nonetheless, YouTube’s most notable change in 2023 was its ad blocker ban. Individuals used advert blockers on YouTube to avoid watching unskippable advertisements after they click on on their favourite YouTube movies. Consequently, YouTube blocked customers with advert blockers from watching movies. So, customers have been left with two choices: Disable advert blockers or pay for YouTube Premium, which is ad-free. This led to a report variety of individuals uninstalling their ad blockers.
9. WhatsApp Messenger
This yr was full of latest options in WhatsApp, a messaging and photo-sharing app owned by Meta. From eight-person video calls and screen-sharing features to increased chat and user security, WhatsApp beefed up its person expertise.
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WhatsApp is fashionable worldwide, as individuals can use the messaging app to contact household and buddies in different international locations with out paying for worldwide calling or messaging companies.
10. Gmail – E mail by Google
Gmail is likely one of the hottest net purchasers for e-mail, as virtually 37% of e-mail addresses globally finish in gmail.com, according to Mailchimp. Gmail is straightforward to make use of and works on any gadget or working system.
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This yr introduced many new options to Gmail, together with emoji reactions and increased security. In typical 2023 style, many AI-powered options got here to Gmail, together with Help Me Write, which makes use of AI to assist customers compose emails primarily based on a immediate.