Generative AI Apps Show Explosive Growth in 2025

Generative AI (GenAI) apps have experienced remarkable growth in the first half of 2025, according to a report by market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. Users downloaded GenAI apps 1.7 billion times globally, up from 1 billion in the second half of 2024. In-app revenue doubled to $1.87 billion, compared to $932 million in the previous six months.
Asia emerged as the fastest-growing market for GenAI apps, accounting for 42.6% of global downloads, driven by markets like India and Mainland China. Download growth in Asia reached 80%, outpacing Europe’s 51% and North America’s 39%. Meanwhile, North America led in in-app purchases, holding a 40% market share.
ChatGPT remained the top app for in-app revenue in most countries, though China’s DeepSeek outperformed in downloads after its launch. Users spent an average of 12 days per month on ChatGPT, rivaling platforms like X and Reddit. The app’s usage patterns now resemble those of Google, with consumers relying on it both during and outside work hours.
The report highlighted that ChatGPT is increasingly used for lifestyle purposes, with over a third of Q2 prompts related to health, shopping, personal finance, and meal prep. While ChatGPT has gained cross-platform users, it still trails services like Google and Facebook in terms of multi-channel adoption.
Additionally, Sensor Tower noted that the term “AI” now appears over 100,000 times in app descriptions across the App Store and Google Play. Apps in categories like AI content generation, photo editing, and health have increasingly incorporated AI-related terms, driving short-term download boosts.

Published: 7/30/2025