Apple’s 12 December 2023 year-end charts put WhatsApp Messenger at No. 1 among free iPhone apps in India and JioCinema at No. 1 among free iPad apps. The release is a set of historical download charts, split by device, free or paid status, and Apple Arcade—not one overall ranking and not an App Store Awards list.
Below are all of Apple’s India top-10 lists, followed by what the categories mean, what can and cannot be inferred from them, and how the chart release differs from Apple’s separate editorial awards announced in November 2023.
What exactly did Apple publish for India?
Apple published localized year-end App Store charts for more than 35 countries and regions on 12 December 2023. India’s page is headed “most downloaded apps and games of 2023 in India” and contains separate top-10 lists for iPhone and iPad, free and paid downloads, and Apple Arcade games.
That wording matters. A position in one list is not a position in a combined national chart. For example, WhatsApp Messenger is first in the free iPhone-app list, while JioCinema is first in the free iPad-app list. Apple does not provide download totals, the exact period covered, its ranking algorithm, tie handling, or whether the figures represent unique users or download events in the announcement.
How should you read the India rankings?
- Device is part of the ranking: iPhone and iPad results are different lists, so an app’s place on one device cannot be transferred to the other.
- Price category is part of the ranking: “Free” and “paid” charts are separate. A paid-chart entry is not competing directly with a free-chart entry.
- Games have an additional channel: Apple Arcade has its own top-10 list rather than being mixed with free or paid App Store games.
- These are popularity charts, not quality scores: Apple calls them most-downloaded lists and does not publish the numerical gap between positions.
- The release is historical: it describes 2023 activity and should not be presented as a current India ranking or a guarantee that every listed app remains available in the same form.
What were the top free iPhone apps in India in 2023?
WhatsApp Messenger led Apple’s free iPhone-app chart. Social, video, search, payments and email services filled most of the remaining places.
| Rank | App |
|---|---|
| 1 | WhatsApp Messenger |
| 2 | |
| 3 | YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream |
| 4 | JioCinema – Bigg Boss & Sports |
| 5 | |
| 6 | Snapchat |
| 7 | Google Pay: Save, Pay, Manage |
| 8 | Gmail – Email by Google |
| 9 | Google Chrome |
| 10 |
JioCinema appears fourth in this iPhone list, which is a different result from its first-place finish on iPad. Apple’s chart does not explain why an app ranks differently by device, so the table should be read as two device-specific snapshots rather than a measure of an app’s overall Indian audience.
Which paid iPhone apps made Apple’s top 10?
The paid iPhone chart is led by camera, scanning, focus, customization and finance utilities. Apple lists the products below in this order.
| Rank | App |
|---|---|
| 1 | DSLR Camera |
| 2 | pdf scanner – Wordscanner pro |
| 3 | Slow Shutter Cam |
| 4 | Forest: Focus for Productivity |
| 5 | FlipClock + |
| 6 | Logo Creator & Maker |
| 7 | Sticker Babai: Telugu Stickers |
| 8 | Fliqlo |
| 9 | Money Manager (Remove Ads) |
| 10 | Live Wallpapers & Backgrounds+ |
The paid list should not be interpreted as a ranking of the most-used iPhone utilities overall. It only identifies the paid-chart positions Apple published for India; the announcement gives no prices, sales totals or explanation of whether a one-time purchase, an in-app purchase or another payment model determined eligibility.
What were the most downloaded free iPhone games?
Battle royale, board, racing, puzzle and casual games dominate the free iPhone-game chart. BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA takes first place.
| Rank | Game |
|---|---|
| 1 | BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA |
| 2 | Ludo King |
| 3 | Subway Surfers |
| 4 | Candy Crush Saga |
| 5 | 8 Ball Pool™ |
| 6 | Zupee: Play Real Money Games |
| 7 | Royal Match |
| 8 | Dr. Driving |
| 9 | Call of Duty®: Mobile |
| 10 | Gardenscapes |
A chart position alone does not reveal how far ahead one game was from the next, how many people played after installing, or how revenue was distributed. None of those measurements appears in Apple’s India announcement.
Which games topped the paid iPhone chart?
Recognizable premium and paid-to-download games occupy the paid iPhone list, with Hitman Sniper in first place.
| Rank | Game |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hitman Sniper |
| 2 | Minecraft |
| 3 | RFS – Real Flight Simulator |
| 4 | MONOPOLY |
| 5 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas |
| 6 | Earn to Die 2 |
| 7 | Bike Race Pro: Motor Racing |
| 8 | Shadow Knight Ninja Fight Game |
| 9 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City |
| 10 | Driving Zone 2: Car Racing |
Because this is a paid-download list, it should not be merged with the free-game results. Minecraft, for instance, appears in the paid iPhone and paid iPad charts, but that does not make it a top free game on either device.
What were the top free iPad apps?
Streaming and communications services are especially prominent on iPad. JioCinema leads, followed by YouTube and Chrome.
| Rank | App |
|---|---|
| 1 | JioCinema – Bigg Boss & Sports |
| 2 | YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream |
| 3 | Google Chrome |
| 4 | Hotstar- Movies & Live Cricket |
| 5 | Netflix |
| 6 | Amazon Prime Video |
| 7 | Gmail – Email by Google |
| 8 | Messenger Duo for WhatsApp |
| 9 | Telegram Messenger |
| 10 | Goodnotes 6 |
WhatsApp Messenger itself leads the free iPhone list, while the iPad chart includes Messenger Duo for WhatsApp at No. 8. Apple presents these as the names and positions on the iPad chart; it does not provide a combined ranking for related apps or services.
Which paid iPad apps ranked highest?
The paid iPad chart emphasizes creative work, video, 3D modeling, music and study tools. Procreate is first.
| Rank | App |
|---|---|
| 1 | Procreate |
| 2 | LumaFusion |
| 3 | Nomad Sculpt |
| 4 | Forest: Focus for Productivity |
| 5 | WhatsApp Messages for iPad® |
| 6 | GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer |
| 7 | iTablaPro |
| 8 | Amaziograph |
| 9 | GeoShred |
| 10 | AnkiMobile Flashcards |
Forest: Focus for Productivity is the one app appearing in both paid-device charts, at No. 4 on iPad and No. 4 on iPhone. That shared placement is a cross-device observation, not evidence that the two charts used identical audiences or measurement conditions.
What were the top free iPad games?
The free iPad-game list combines multiplayer shooters, board and casual games, racing, sports and educational play. BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA is No. 1.
| Rank | Game |
|---|---|
| 1 | BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA |
| 2 | Ludo King |
| 3 | Subway Surfers |
| 4 | Asphalt 9: Legends |
| 5 | Call of Duty®: Mobile |
| 6 | EA SPORTS FC™ MOBILE 24 |
| 7 | Roblox |
| 8 | Candy Crush Saga |
| 9 | Chess – Play & Learn |
| 10 | Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game |
Several familiar titles cross from the iPhone free-game chart to the iPad version: BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA, Ludo King, Subway Surfers, Call of Duty: Mobile and Candy Crush Saga. Their repeated appearance reflects the separate device lists; Apple does not say that their iPad downloads were added to their iPhone downloads for ranking purposes.
Which games led the paid iPad chart?
Minecraft tops the paid iPad games, followed by Hitman Sniper and MONOPOLY.
| Rank | Game |
|---|---|
| 1 | Minecraft |
| 2 | Hitman Sniper |
| 3 | MONOPOLY |
| 4 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas |
| 5 | RFS – Real Flight Simulator |
| 6 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City |
| 7 | Earn to Die 2 |
| 8 | Plague Inc. |
| 9 | Shadow Knight Ninja Fight Game |
| 10 | Need for Speed™ Most Wanted |
Six paid iPad games also appear in the paid iPhone top 10, although their positions differ: Minecraft, Hitman Sniper, RFS – Real Flight Simulator, MONOPOLY, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Earn to Die 2 and Shadow Knight Ninja Fight Game are represented across the two lists. The chart release does not provide a reason for any rank difference.
Which Apple Arcade games were most downloaded in India?
Apple Arcade is listed separately from the free and paid App Store game charts. Apple’s India top 10 is:
| Rank | Apple Arcade game |
|---|---|
| 1 | NBA 2K23 Arcade Edition |
| 2 | Asphalt 8: Airborne+ |
| 3 | Angry Birds Reloaded |
| 4 | Getting Over It+ |
| 5 | Gear.Club Stradale |
| 6 | Jetpack Joyride 2 |
| 7 | Fruit Ninja Classic+ |
| 8 | Mini Motorways |
| 9 | Snake.io+ |
| 10 | Football Manager 2023 Touch |
The plus signs in several names identify Apple Arcade editions as Apple published them. Their appearance here does not place those games in the paid-download chart, and the release does not state how Apple counted Arcade downloads or plays.
What patterns are visible across the iPhone and iPad lists?
Entertainment is strong on both devices
Video services occupy four of the top six free iPad-app positions: JioCinema, YouTube, Hotstar, and Netflix, with Amazon Prime Video at No. 6. On iPhone, YouTube and JioCinema are also near the top, but communication and social apps take more of the highest positions.
Popular games cross device boundaries
BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA and Ludo King are first and second in both free-game charts, while Subway Surfers is third in both. This is the clearest same-position pattern in Apple’s India release, but it still represents two separate rankings.
Paid iPad use skews toward creation
Procreate, LumaFusion, Nomad Sculpt, Amaziograph and GeoShred point to illustration, video editing, 3D work and music among paid iPad entries. The iPhone paid list instead gives more space to camera, scanning, productivity and personalization utilities.
There is no defensible “overall winner”
Apple supplies no combined score that would allow WhatsApp, Procreate, Minecraft and an Apple Arcade title to be compared. Any article that turns these lists into one national leaderboard would be adding a methodology Apple did not publish.
Are these rankings the same as Apple’s 2023 App Store Awards?
No. Apple announced its 2023 App Store Award winners on 29 November 2023, before publishing the India download charts. The awards recognized 14 apps and games selected by App Store editors for meaningful experiences and cultural impact; Apple said the winners were chosen from nearly 40 finalists using considerations including technical innovation, user experience and design.
The award winners named by Apple were:
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| iPhone App of the Year | AllTrails |
| iPad App of the Year | Prêt-à-Makeup |
| Mac App of the Year | Photomator |
| Apple TV App of the Year | MUBI |
| Apple Watch App of the Year | SmartGym |
| iPhone Game of the Year | Honkai: Star Rail |
| iPad Game of the Year | Lost in Play |
| Mac Game of the Year | Lies of P |
| Apple Arcade Game of the Year | Hello Kitty Island Adventure |
Apple also named separate Cultural Impact winners. None of those award labels should be transferred to WhatsApp, JioCinema or any other India chart leader. A download position describes the chart Apple published for a device and price category; an award is an editorial distinction with different criteria.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said: “It’s inspiring to see the ways developers continue to build incredible apps and games that are redefining the world around us.” That statement accompanied the awards announcement, not the India ranking methodology.
What does Apple say about the wider App Store context?
In the awards announcement, Apple described the App Store as having “more than 650 million average weekly visitors.” That is Apple’s published figure, not an independent measurement and not a count of Indian users.
The same announcement said developers generated $1.1 trillion in billings and sales in 2022. The year belongs to Apple’s figure: it is not a 2023 total and should not be used as a measure of the India charts.
Can these lists tell you which app to install today?
They can show what Apple identified as heavily downloaded in India during 2023, but they are not a current recommendation engine. App availability, content libraries, compatibility, pricing and local regulations can change after a year-end chart is published.
Use the tables as historical context. Check the current App Store listing on the relevant device before installing, and do not assume that a high position guarantees a particular feature, price or service level now.
What information is missing from Apple’s announcement?
- The exact start and end dates of the chart period.
- The number of downloads behind each position.
- The ranking formula or weighting used by Apple.
- How Apple handled ties or multiple downloads by one account.
- Whether the figures represent unique users, download events, or another measure.
Those omissions prevent a precise statement such as “No. 1 was twice as popular as No. 2.” The reliable claim is only the ordered list Apple published, with its device, price and channel labels.
What is the main takeaway from Apple’s India 2023 charts?
WhatsApp Messenger was the leading free iPhone app, and JioCinema was the leading free iPad app in Apple’s India year-end lists. The complete release shows different patterns by device and category, but it does not establish a single best app, a current ranking, a download total or an App Store Award.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Apple publish the exact number of downloads for each Indian app?
No. The announcement gives positions in each list but no per-app totals or numerical distance between ranks. It also does not disclose whether a position is based on unique users, download events or another measure.
Are Apple Arcade titles included in the paid-game rankings?
No. Apple presents Apple Arcade as its own game channel, separate from the free and paid App Store game charts. A title in the Arcade top 10 should therefore not be compared directly with a paid-download position.
Why can the same app or game have different iPhone and iPad positions?
Apple published separate device charts, so each position belongs to the activity measured for that device list. The release does not explain the differences or provide a combined iPhone-plus-iPad calculation.
Can these 2023 lists be used as a current India popularity ranking?
No. They are a year-end release dated December 12, 2023. Later changes in availability, pricing, content, competition or user behavior may make the present-day order different.