The Most Popular App Store Keywords of 2024

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, so do the trends and preferences of app users worldwide. With the growing importance of mobile marketing, understanding the most popular keywords on the App Store is crucial for developers, marketers, and anyone involved in the mobile app industry.

Let’s explore the top 20 most popular keywords on the App Store for the first half of 2024 across several key markets: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, India, Spain, and Germany.

We’ll also compare these to the top keywords from 2023 to highlight significant changes and emerging trends.

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 keywords in 2024

The top 20 from January – June 2024 compared to the same period this year remained, interestingly, mostly unchanged. Here are the 20 most popular keywords in 2024 in the US:

• instagram
• snapchat
• facebook
• reddit
• tik tok
• X
• youtube
• whatsapp
• roblox
• telegram
• discord
• grindr
• messenger
• tinder
• twitter
• netflix
• google
• spotify
• tiktok
• amazon

In the US, the only new entrant is X (Twitter rebranded), showing a successful rebranding strategy from the social app. Amazon left the top 20, leaving no shopping apps in the US with top branded keywords on the App Store.

Released in July 2023, Meta’s Threads has already been adopted, reaching the top 20 in France and Germany.

In 2023, Bereal was popular in Spain and Germany, but it lost a few ranks in Spain this year and left the German market. The app has entered the French market.

Most popular App Store keywords across countries

The following table shows the 20 most popular brand keywords with the highest search volumes recorded for the United States, United Kingdom, France, India, Spain, and Germany.

Social networking & communication apps are on the rise

Reflecting last year’s trends, social networking apps continue to dominate the top brand keywords in 2023.

• instagram
• snapchat
• tiktok
• facebook
• whatsapp

India stands out from this trend by featuring gaming and streaming apps among its top five.

Instagram remains the leading brand keyword across all markets, highlighting the app’s enduring and widespread popularity. Snapchat holds a strong presence, frequently appearing in the top three keywords in markets like the US, UK, France, India, and Germany, highlighting a steady user interest in social media platforms that deliver real-time, engaging content.

Other social apps, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Threads, enjoy significant positions in various markets, indicating a persistent demand for communication platforms with diverse privacy features.

Reddit is gaining momentum, reaching the top five in the US, UK, and German markets. Meanwhile, newcomers Ten Ten (a live talkie-walkie app) and Wizz (a messaging app) have made their way into the top 20 in the German, French, and UK markets, respectively.

Growth of mobile payment & finance apps

While the popularity of utility apps like Google slows down, the steady presence of finance apps, especially in India, like Google Pay, Paytm, and PhonePe highlights the growing reliance on mobile solutions for financial management and transactions.

This trend is gaining momentum across Europe, with Check24, a German app that lets you compare prices and coverage from hundreds of insurance companies, and Laymoon banque, a French ethical fintech app, leading the way.

Preference for mobile games

In the Indian market, the popularity of BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) and PUBG reflects a preference for intense, action-packed gameplay. In contrast, such titles are less prominent in Western or European markets.

Games like Roblox and Brawl Stars are prevalent across multiple markets. Roblox is popular in the UK, US, Germany, and France, while Brawl Stars stands out in France, Spain, and Germany. These games offer both competitive and casual elements, catering to a broad range of players from hardcore gamers to those who play casually with friends. This trend suggests that games offering diverse gameplay experiences are likely to maintain strong engagement across various demographics and markets.

While many of these games were already highly popular in 2023, this year includes two new entrants: BGMI and Squad Busters. This is even more impressive for Squad Busters, as the game was only released in May 2024 and already ranks in the top 20 in both Spain and Germany.

With Squad Busters and Brawl Stars, Supercell achieved two games in the top 20 of several major markets!

Popularity of shopping apps

Shein emerged as the most popular shopping app in the first part of the year, making it into the top 20 in four out of the six markets studied: the UK, France, Spain, and France again. Last year, it was only ranked in Spain.

In 2024, Amazon held a strong presence in the US, India, and Spain, marking its entry into the Spanish market while exiting Germany, where it was ranked last year.

Spain leads with the highest number of shopping-related keywords in its top 20, featuring Shein, Wallapop (a second-hand shopping app), Zara, and Amazon.

Absence of AI-related keywords

Since 2023, AI apps, especially ChatGPT, have seen a rise in popularity. However, they haven’t yet captured the widespread appeal of top 20 keywords.

The German market stands out as an exception, featuring “ChatGPT” in its top 20 once again this year.

In the US, ChatGPT ranked as the 35th popular keyword. Additionally, many apps are now integrating AI features. Apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook use AI for content recommendations and filters, although these are not the main search keywords.

Most popular generic keywords

Building a brand and using braided keywords in your app metadata is essential, but don’t overlook the power of generic keywords to boost your app’s visibility.

To highlight keywords store visitors use the most, we’ve looked into the most popular generic keywords in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, India, Spain, and Germany.

VPN and privacy-related searches

VPN stands out as the leading generic keyword across all six markets, highlighting a broad concern for privacy and secure browsing worldwide. It consistently ranks at or near the top of generic searches in the US, UK, India, and Germany, emphasizing its widespread importance.

Gaming keywords more popular across markets

Game or game-related keywords are consistently popular among generic keywords.

Keywords related to gaming, such as “games,” “no wifi games,” “puzzle games,” and “car games,” feature prominently in the US, UK, India, and Spain, reflecting a widespread interest in both casual and offline gaming. Users in these regions appreciate entertainment apps that don’t require constant internet access.

In Spain, “football” and “free games” (“juegos gratis”) lead the search charts, with “prank calls” (“bromas telefónicas”) also drawing interest. Indian users show a preference for cricket games, while French users lean towards watermelon and coloring games. Car games enjoy significant popularity in the US, UK, Germany, and India.

Music apps in demand

Music streaming apps are generating significant interest across nearly all analyzed markets, aligning with global trends.

In the US, India, and Spain, music-related searches are particularly prominent. In France and Germany, terms like “musique” and “musik” respectively, are popular. Additionally, the keyword “piano” frequently appears in France and Germany, suggesting a growing interest in music education tools or musical games.

Popularity of utility apps

The US, UK, and Germany consistently seek utility apps, with popular searches for weather, photo editors, journals, maps, and translators. This trend highlights a practical mindset toward app usage, as users prioritize tools that deliver vital daily services or boost productivity.

Additionally, there’s a noticeable interest in offline apps and games across various markets, showcasing a strong preference for platforms that function without internet connectivity, offering greater versatility.

Seasonal keyword searches

Seasonality on the app store refers to fluctuations in user behavior, such as traffic, spending, conversion, etc. caused by time-based external factors. As with any market, app stores are impacted by seasonality and its consequential changes in user behavior.

Three notable seasonal searches stood out, reflecting unique cultural and regional interests.

• Santa Tracker in the US and the UK: “Santa tracker” was popular in both the US and UK, highlighting a strong seasonal interest during Christmas, most probably among families and children using it to engage with the festive spirit.

• Aurora polarlicht (aurora borealis or northern lights) in Germany: Searches for apps forecasting or sending alerts for northern lights were popular in Germany. This year many countries not used to witnessing northern lights were able to see the striking lights usually seen in Nordic countries.

• Election Commission of India : In India, the “election commission of India” saw a spike, likely due to the electoral events and the public’s need to access official information.

Top 20 keywords on the App Store in the biggest app markets

Discover popular keywords in these app markets:

Top keywords H1 2024:US-UK-FR-IN-ES-DE

Review the most popular keywords in 2023:

Top keywords on the App Store in Q1 2023 -US-FR-UK-DE-ES-IN-JP-KR-SG

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