The most downloaded iPhone app of 2025? Not what you expect

Today, we’re looking at the clearest sign yet that AI isn’t just a trend, it’s a daily habit. ChatGPT just became the most downloaded iPhone app of the year, beating TikTok, Threads, and even Google. It’s a signal that users aren’t just experimenting with AI, they’re replacing the old tools with it. We’re also looking at Spotify’s quiet shift toward user-controlled AI. With its new feature, the company is handing over the algorithm, it’s a new interface for music discovery.

In today’s post:

• ChatGPT just became the most downloaded iPhone app in the U.S.

• Spotify’s new AI playlists go way deeper than you think

• Search advertisers aren’t sold on Google’s AI Max

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Apple’s #1 app of 2025? Not TikTok. Not Threads

Apple’s 2025 App Store rankings are out. And ChatGPT topped them all beating TikTok, Threads, and even Google.

Here’s everything you need to know:

• ChatGPT was the most downloaded free iPhone app in the U.S. this year, a first for any AI chatbot.

• That puts it ahead of Google, Instagram, YouTube, and even TikTok, which typically dominate the charts.

• In 2023, ChatGPT didn’t even crack the top 10 showing just how fast AI has gone mainstream.

• Its rise signals more than hype: it’s changing how people search, learn, and solve problems.

• OpenAI’s mobile app has quietly become a daily utility, not just a novelty.

• The momentum started early ChatGPT hit No. 1 globally in March and kept climbing.

• Its success points to one big shift: for many users, the chatbot is replacing Google on mobile.

This isn’t just an app ranking, it’s a turning point. When the most-downloaded app on the iPhone isn’t a social platform or a utility, but an AI assistant, it says something about where user habits are headed. The next time you reach for a browser, you might reach for a chatbot instead.

BREAKTHROUGH

Spotify is handing the algorithm over to you

Spotify’s testing a new AI playlist tool in New Zealand. And it’s more than just another personalized mix.

Here’s everything you need to know:

• Called “Prompted Playlists,” the feature lets users create custom playlists using detailed written prompts.

• Unlike other AI tools, it draws from your entire listening history not just recent plays.

• That means you can ask for “my favorite artists from the last five years” or “deep cuts I missed.”

• Spotify even lets you schedule refreshes (daily, weekly) and build playlists that evolve.

• You can get ultra-specific: think “30 minutes of hype music for a 5K, followed by cool-down tracks.”

• Spotify adds context to each track, explaining why it showed up a transparency move that’s rare in algorithm land.

• It's a notable shift: AI is now a way for users to steer Spotify’s algorithm, not just the other way around.

This is Spotify making AI feel useful, not gimmicky. By letting people shape playlists with deeper intent, they’re shifting from “you might like this” to “you told us exactly what you want.” If it works, it’s not just better music discovery, it’s a blueprint for more transparent, user-driven algorithms across the board.

RESEARCH

Google’s AI Max isn’t impressing search buyers (yet)

Google wants AI Max to be the future of search advertising. But early adopters aren’t convinced it’s ready.

Here’s everything you need to know:

• AI Max is Google’s new suite of tools to automate and optimize search ads, including placements in AI Overviews and AI Mode.

• It promises better reach, smarter matching, and less manual work but most buyers say it’s underdelivering.

• Ads are selected for AI placements at Google’s discretion, making it feel more like a raffle than a strategy.

• Some report better reach; others say performance is worse than traditional campaigns sometimes 2–3x more expensive.

• Key complaint: AI Max often generates broad or irrelevant keywords that dilute performance.

• Many agencies are disabling creative automation to regain control over ad copy and landing page direction.

• Still, some value the detailed reporting and see potential if placements become more accessible in 2026.

AI Max could be a powerful shift in how brands show up in search but right now, it feels like Google’s asking advertisers to give up control without proving the trade-off is worth it. Until placements are predictable and performance consistent, expect cautious testing, not full adoption.

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