The previous summer, Bria Sullivan was on the verge of introducing her application, Focus Friend—a charming assistant designed to aid individuals in regulating their digital usage. Her ambitious aspiration was to achieve 100,000 installations. Having developed the application alongside Hank Green, an influencer boasting a vast following, she speculated that perhaps Focus Friend might secure a spot among the top 10 applications in the efficiency segment. Even that, however, appeared to be an ambitious target. “This segment encompasses giants like ChatGPT and Google,” she notes. “Indeed, the productivity sphere incorporates Gmail!”
Sullivan initially deployed the application to the iOS App Store without widespread announcement. Nevertheless, in August, owing to significant endorsement from Green and his equally renowned sibling, coupled with considerable press attention (including from The Verge), the application commenced its ascent. It attained a top 10 position within its specific classification, then subsequently cracked the top 10 on the general rankings. Upon reaching the fourth position, Green informed Sullivan of his desire to claim the top spot. “I was like, ‘That outcome is improbable,’” Sullivan recounts. “Nonetheless, congratulations on conceiving such a possibility.”
It persisted in its ascent. On August 18th, Sullivan retired for the night with Focus Friend holding the second position on the charts. “I awakened hourly, incessantly checking for updates,” she states. And then, it materialized: on August 19th, Focus Friend rose to become the leading complimentary application in the United States, dominating both the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store. (Sullivan, like virtually every other developer, prioritizes iOS significantly more.) Her fellow developers dispatched celebratory messages; Green and his equally renowned sibling both produced video content detailing the application’s triumph. “I’ve been creating apps since 2010,” she says, “and I never conceived of such an ambitious objective. It was like an unforeseen aspiration materialized.”
Subsequently, the marketplace updated once more, and its reign concluded. ChatGPT, having held the position of the store’s top application for the preceding 22 days, reclaimed its ranking for the subsequent 23 days. Focus Friend’s modest, mind-calming utility was the foremost mobile software for merely a single day’s duration.
Despite its brevity, one day nonetheless holds significance. Focus Friend is permanently designated as a “#1 in the App Store” application. This accomplishment is now prominently displayed in large letters at the top of the Focus Friend website, and Sullivan has devoted the intervening period to subtly introducing this detail in informal discussions. She possesses numerous screen captures of the App Store charts from that day — she is considering enlarging one onto a substantial poster board for display during virtual meetings. This is because it reveals that the ultimate benefit of attaining the premier position in the App Store is not solely tied to user acquisition figures, nor even to the enduring commercial sustainability of a business. It is, fundamentally, the privilege of proclaiming your supreme achievement.
I began contemplating the experience of reaching the summit of the App Store when OpenAI’s Sora app debuted in October. The application swiftly ascended to the pinnacle of the charts and maintained that position for the subsequent 20 days. Sora was unquestionably successful, yet none of my acquaintances were utilizing it. Therefore, what was Sora’s true impact? What genuine effort is required to achieve the top spot, and what does that accomplishment truly signify?
At least conceptually, the figures appear colossal. Apple recently disclosed that 850 million people engage with the marketplace weekly, and creators have generated over $550 billion via the platform since its inception in 2008. By 2024, the total applications accessible amounted to 1,961,596—should one manage to become the paramount among them, the potential advantages could be immense.
Per market intelligence firm Sensor Tower’s data, dating back to 2012, a mere 569 distinct applications have secured the premier position in the US iOS App Store’s complimentary category. (This represents less than two hundredths of a percent of all applications housed within the store.) Temu, the persistently trending economical shopping application, has occupied that status for a longer duration than any competitor, registering 399 days at the summit. An additional seven applications—Facebook Messenger, ChatGPT, YouTube, TikTok, Zoom Workplace, Bitmoji, and Threads—have each accumulated a minimum of 100 days atop the rankings. These eight applications collectively constitute the App Store’s expanded Mount Rushmore, and with Bitmoji as a potential outlier, their presence is hardly astonishing.
(Incidentally, the paid application roster presents a fundamentally distinct scenario: Minecraft has maintained its status as the top-selling paid iOS application for an astonishing 3,289 days — while the subsequent contender, the social game Heads Up, has only managed 283 days. Third place is held by WhatsApp, which has not been a paid application since 2013. Such rankings exhibit minimal fluctuation.)
The subsequent tier of App Store prominence is predominantly allocated to two categories of applications. Firstly, applications that achieved immense popularity yet for a limited duration exist, such as BeReal (67 days at the summit) and Draw Something (38 days). Secondly, there are perpetually favored utility applications like Google Maps (29 days) and iTunes U (50 days). Predominantly, the remainder consists of games—a multitude of them. Games which you
remember and might still play and also games like Egg Punch and 100 Balls and Weed Firm: RePlanted and Legend of Mushroom. It has long been a truism that people generally don’t like downloading apps, but evidently they’ll download games.
Almost all applications that attain peak chart positions — specifically 478 out of 570 on the compiled roster — experience a brief tenure, lasting ten days at most. A total of 292 applications maintained the top spot for three days or less, with 130 of them claiming the premier position for merely a single day. These single-day phenomena, notably, provide a comprehensive snapshot of the App Store’s diversity. Both Taco Bell and Jimmy John’s enjoyed their moment of fame. Similarly, Netflix and Yahoo Mail, numerous scanning and printing applications, Planet Fitness, MrBeast’s unsuccessful burger enterprise, Bath & Body Works, and many more, all experienced this.
Upon inquiring with Sullivan about the download volume required to attain the pinnacle, her estimation was that 200,000 daily downloads would nearly consistently secure that position. Other software creators with whom I conversed appeared to concur with this approximate figure, perhaps suggesting a slightly greater amount. However, a recurring sentiment expressed was that the App Store’s ranking system remains rather enigmatic. These rankings reportedly update several times daily and apparently factor in download activity from the preceding 24-hour period. There appears to be a correlation between download figures and chart placements — none of the individuals I interviewed alleged that Apple unfairly influenced or tampered with the rankings.
Achieving the top spot on the App Store seems most probable immediately following an application’s release. Another promising strategy involves providing complimentary items in return for app installations, a tactic employed by entities such as Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Jimmy John’s, and Krispy Kreme. Failing that, a significant cultural phenomenon is required to propel an app upwards through the rankings: Peacock, by way of illustration, has secured the premier position eight distinct times, almost invariably on occasions when the streaming service broadcast a major NFL match, the World Cup, or the Olympic Games. The application for the New York City Marathon ascended to number one in 2024, coinciding with the event itself. As for the Smithsonian Solar Eclipse 2017 app, its ascendancy is likely self-explanatory. More recently, the alteration in TikTok’s proprietorship (coupled with the application’s ensuing difficulties) propelled a competing social platform, UpScrolled, to the top rank momentarily.
Cesar Kuriyama, chief executive of the ‘1 Second Everyday’ application, discovered his significant cultural moment quite fortuitously. Many have likely encountered footage from his application, which prompts users to capture daily one-second video clips and subsequently compiles them into an annual time-lapse. The application debuted in 2013, and Kuriyama remarks, “Throughout our initial year, we garnered little notice on the App Store.” He adds, “Then, quite unexpectedly, on New Year’s Day, we observed our ascent in the rankings.” Users disseminated their yearly time-lapses, generating a widespread buzz for the application; individuals viewed the clips, acquired the software, and began producing their personal versions. According to Kuriyama, ‘1 Second Everyday’ consistently receives hundreds of thousands of downloads on December 31st and January 1st, positioning it among the App Store’s leading titles.
My perception has evolved to view “number one on the App Store” as largely analogous to being a “New York Times bestselling author” or an “Oscar-nominated actress.” While no precise correlation exists between such honors and long-term business viability, it nonetheless serves as a universally recognized hallmark of achievement. This distinction occupies the paramount position on one’s curriculum vitae, the inaugural slide in a presentation, an undeniable accomplishment irrespective of financial specifics. Several software creators informed me that attaining the premier rank instantly facilitated securing appointments with prospective collaborators and initiating fresh endeavors.
Ben Moore, the managing director of BeReal, observes, “Slack messages proliferate, and your phone constantly vibrates with notifications and calls. Images are circulated across WhatsApp and Telegram. It’s possible to receive texts from investors inquiring, ‘What exactly is happening?’” However, he posits that this phenomenon resembles a sudden surge more than a permanent change. “Indeed, it’s a fleeting instant — yet it doesn’t represent the ultimate objective.”
Moore likens reaching the App Store’s apex to achieving widespread social media virality. This occurs rapidly, nearly invariably unannounced, creating an immediate sensation that the entire globe is observing you. Resisting the allure is challenging. Subsequently, the multitude of new observers… disengages. He states, “Ultimately, you draw in users who weren’t primarily interested in the fundamental utility of your application. Individuals install the app, engage with it for a day or two, and then… discontinue use.” He affirms his commitment to disciplined growth, cultivating the application incrementally instead of pursuing subsequent surges.
Such widespread popularity also entails additional drawbacks. A sudden influx of downloads can tax existing infrastructure, compelling businesses to invest in supplementary servers or increased customer assistance, resources that might prove superfluous within a few days. Attaining the top position can accentuate a trend, yet it simultaneously motivates others to capitalize on it. Alex Chernoburov, Ticket to the Moon’s chief product officer, recounts, “We experienced a boom in downloads, a flurry of media attention (encompassing some contentious viewpoints), and an abundance of imitations.”
In 2019, Gradient, a photo-editing application from Ticket to the Moon, released a function purporting to identify celebrity resemblances for its users. The app reached the summit of the App Store after various Kardashians and other public figures began sharing content about it, but it promptly encountered criticism regarding its cost and certain contentious doppelgänger selections. Subsequently, numerous imitative applications emerged, bearing titles such as My Replica and Look Like You? Celebrity!, some of which were so transparently deceptive they were consequently delisted from the App Store. Chernoburov believes the advantages eclipse the disadvantages, yet, akin to Moore and BeReal, he emphasizes that the genuine objective lies not in pursuing fleeting popularity but in cultivating enduring products and a loyal customer base.
In conclusion, the surprising revelation is this: should one develop an application, aspiring for it to reach the App Store’s pinnacle is advisable. Such an achievement will not instantaneously transform your existence, and the relentless pursuit of downloads regardless of expense proves to be an inefficient use of resources. Competing applications, enterprises possessing more substantial promotional funds, and novel viral occurrences will perpetually arise, which you are unable to
even begin to foresee.
Nonetheless, that is of little consequence. Just one day is necessary. The captured image. The written digital exchanges, the Slack conversations, the eager financial supporters, associates, and acquaintances. The fresh top banner for the website you get to craft. For an application that reaches the apex of popularity maintains that distinction indefinitely.
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