The Most Popular App Store Keywords of 2023
What were the most searched terms on the App Store in 2023? We looked into 6 of the largest app markets (United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and India) to find out which keywords reached the highest search volumes this year. Read this blog to learn more about the trends this year!
Most popular App Store keywords defined
The most popular keywords are defined as searches that received the highest possible search volume scores at some point in a year. The volume score is a number between 5 and 100, calculated and directly received from Apple. The higher the search volume, the more popular the keyword and the higher the frequency of searches for that term on the App Store.
Top 20 most popular App Store keywords of 2023 (US)
Only 6 keywords that ranked in the top 20 in 2022 still rank in the top 20 in 2023: “instagram,” “snapchat,” “facebook,” “whatsapp,” “youtube,” “netflix,” and “tiktok.”
On the other hand, this year witnessed some keywords lose popularity and leave the top 20 – truth social, cash app, and wordle – a word game that had gained popularity in 2022.
Here are the 20 most popular keywords in 2023 in the US:
- snapchat
- tik tok
- youtube
- tinder
- roblox
- discord
- grindr
- messenger
- vpn
- netflix
- spotify
- telegram
- tiktok
- amazon
Most popular App Store keywords across countries
The following table shows the 20 most popular keywords with the highest search volumes recorded for the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and India.
United States | United Kingdom | France | Germany | Spain | India | ||||||
Keyword | Max Volume 2023 | Keyword | Max Volume 2023 | Keyword | Max Volume 2023 | Keyword | Max Volume 2023 | Keyword | Max Volume 2023 | Keyword | Max Volume 2023 |
100 | 100 | snapchat | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |||||
snapchat | 98 | snapchat | 100 | 99 | snapchat | 95 | 91 | snapchat | 91 | ||
95 | tik tok | 94 | 95 | tik tok | 92 | tik tok | 89 | 91 | |||
tik tok | 91 | 91 | tiktok | 94 | 92 | telegram | 88 | youtube | 88 | ||
91 | telegram | 91 | vpn unlimited | 90 | youtube | 89 | tinder | 88 | 86 | ||
youtube | 90 | tinder | 91 | 90 | tinder | 88 | 85 | jio cinema | 83 | ||
tinder | 89 | dawn ai | 89 | youtube | 90 | ausweisapp2 | 87 | spotify | 84 | telegram | 83 |
89 | 89 | 89 | 87 | youtube | 84 | google pay | 81 | ||||
88 | 89 | roblox | 89 | 86 | netflix | 83 | paytm | 81 | |||
roblox | 88 | youtube | 89 | tinder | 89 | spotify | 86 | bereal | 82 | phone pay | 81 |
discord | 87 | netflix | 87 | 89 | dezor | 85 | 82 | vpn | 81 | ||
grindr | 87 | dezor | 86 | grindr | 86 | netflix | 85 | snapchat | 80 | amazon | 80 |
messenger | 87 | messenger | 86 | messenger | 85 | roblox | 85 | wallapop | 80 | netflix | 80 |
vpn | 87 | tiktok | 86 | netflix | 85 | ludo | 84 | zara | 80 | zomato | 80 |
netflix | 86 | roblox | 85 | spotify | 85 | telegram | 84 | brawl stars | 79 | free fire | 79 |
85 | spotify | 85 | discord | 84 | brawl stars | 83 | capcut | 79 | spotify | 79 | |
spotify | 85 | 83 | vpn | 84 | chatgpt | 83 | glovo | 79 | chrome | 78 | |
telegram | 85 | plato | 83 | wizz | 83 | stumble guys | 83 | gmail | 79 | flipkart | 78 |
tiktok | 85 | uber eats | 83 | 82 | bereal | 82 | shein | 79 | 78 | ||
amazon | 84 | vinted | 83 | hinge | 82 | amazon | 81 | skyshowtime | 79 | swiggy | 78 |
Generic keywords continue losing popularity in 2023
In previous years, the most searched keywords in each country were typically brand names. This trend grew in 2022 and has continued in this direction throughout 2023.
In the first quarter of 2023, vpn is the only generic keyword found in the top 20 keywords of the American, French, and Indian markets. The UK, Germany, and Spain counted no generic keywords in their top 20. Here is an overview of the top searches for generic keywords across the 6 markets:
- USA – 1 search: “vpn”
- UK – no searches
- France – 1 search: “vpn”
- Germany – no searches
- Spain – no searches
- India – 2 searches: “vpn”
Expert Tip
The top 20 most popular keywords contain many branded terms. Using competitors’ trademarked keywords in your metadata can be tempting to drive a lot of traffic, but this is not allowed on the App Store (and not recommended to include in your keyword field).
Social networking apps most popular on the App Store
Once again, resembling trends to the previous year, the top keywords in 2023 are dominated by social networking apps:
- snapchat
- tik tok
Instagram and snapchat are the top keywords in the 6 markets. The video app tiktok was at the top of all markets, except India, where it’s been banned since June 2020. The private messaging app Telegram entered the top 20 searches in the US and UK this year, becoming the 5th most searched keyword during the first quarter of 2023 in the UK.
Mobile payment apps highly popular in India
Mobile payment apps were highly popular during Q1 in India, with 3 apps among the top 20 — Google Pay, Paytm, and Phone Pay (aka PhonePe) — compared to one or none in other markets. In 2022, the top 20 keywords in India only counted one payment app (Phone Pay), indicating the growing popularity of mobile payments in the Indian market this year.
Searches for “Spotify” rise, while those for dating apps go down
Unlike last year, we see only 3 dating apps’ searches across the 6 markets this year: tinder, grindr, and hinge. Tinder remained the most searched dating app in 5 of the 6 markets studied, while Grindr was at the top of the French and American markets. Hinge, on the other hand, entered the top charts by breaking through the French market.
While dating apps have lost in popularity, Spotify has remained highly popular. The music app is present in all six markets, even making the top 10 in Spain and Germany.
Fewer gaming keywords make it to the top
Compared to last year, there were fewer games reaching the top 20 searches. While in 2022, popular games like PUBG, Subway Surfers, and Clash Royale dominated several markets, in 2023, we saw most game keyword searches concentrated in the German market – with a total of 4 games (Roblox, Ludo, Brawl Stars, and Stumble Guys).
One would expect to find a large number of searches referencing AI due to their current popularity. However, in the first quarter of 2023, conversations about AI and ChatGPT-related apps were still in their early stages.
Top 20 keywords on the App Store in the biggest app markets
Discover popular keywords in the biggest app markets:
Top Keywords on the App Store in 2023 -US-FR-UK-DE-ES-IN-JP-KR-SG
Wish to unlock more insights? Have a look at the full list of the 500 most popular keywords for the past few years:
Top 500 most popular keywords of 2022 -US-UK-FR-DE-ES
Top 500 most popular keywords of 2021 -US-UK-FR-DE-ES
Top 500 most popular keywords of 2020 -US-UK-FR-DE-ES
Top 500 most popular keywords of 2019 -US-UK-FR-DE-ES
Top 1000 most popular keywords of 2018 -US-UK-FR-DE-ES
Want to discover the keywords people use when searching for your app or competitors’ apps? Learn more about our App Keyword Research tools and sign up for a 7-day free trial.