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How Many Apps Are in the App Store?

By Sam Costello Sam Costello Writer Ithaca College Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 24, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

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Expand Jump to a Section Lack of Specific Data iPad vs. iPhone Versions Fewer Apps on Purpose Early Growth Pace of Growth The Apple App Store offers a seemingly limitless number of terrific apps for our devices. But we also know it's not actually limitless. So, have you ever wondered how many apps are in the App Store? The chart below lists of the total number of apps available in the App Store at various dates in the past. The list is based on Apple announcements, news from Apple and other companies, and estimates from analysts, so the numbers are approximate. The Total iOS Apps column includes all apps that work on the iPhone, the iPad, iPod touch, or all three. The iPad Apps column lists the number of apps that have specific iPad versions. The Apple Watch and Apple TV apps columns aren't counted as part of the Total Apps, since they have slightly separate App Stores.

Total iOS br Apps

iPad br Apps

Apple Watch br Apps

Apple TV br Apps

Jan. 2020 - 1,800,000

Feb. 2019 - 2,200,000 March 2018 - 2,100,000 May 2017 - 2,200,000 June 2016 - 2,000,000 June 2015 - 1,500,000 Jan. 2015 - 1,400,000 Sept. 2014 - 1,300,000 June 2014 - 1,200,000 Oct. 2013 - 1,000,000 June 2013 - 900,000 Jan. 2013 - 775,000 Sept. 2012 - 700,000 June 2012 - 650,000 April 2012 - 600,000 Oct. 2011 - 500,000 June 2011 - 425,000 March 2011 - 350,000 Nov. 2010 - 400,000 Sept. 2010 - 250,000 June 2010 - 225,000 May 2010 - 200,000 April 2010 - 185,000 Jan. 2010 - 140,000 Nov. 2009 - 100,000 Sept. 2009 - 85,000 July 2009 - 65,000 June 2009 - 50,000 April 2009 - 35,000 March 2009 - 25,000 Sept. 2008 - 3,000 July 2008 - 800 March 2016 - 1,000,000 Jan. 2015 - 725,000 Oct. 2014 - 675,000 Oct. 2013 - 475,000 June 2013 - 375,000 Jan. 2013 - 300,000 Sept. 2012 - 250,000 June 2012 - 225,000 April 2012 - 200,000 Oct. 2011 - 140,000 July 2011 - 100,000 June 2011 - 90,000 March 2011 - 65,000 Nov. 2010 - 40,000 Sept. 2010 - 25,000 June 2010 - 8,500 May 2010 - 5,000 July 2017 - 19,000 Sept. 2015 - 10,000 July 2015 - 8,500 June 2015 - 6,000 Oct. 2016 - 8,000 June 2016 - 6,000 March 2016 - 5,000 There are a few interesting things we can see in this chart:

It' s Really Hard to Get Good Numbers

We have lots of good, detailed data for the early days of these app stores. That the data gets less specific and is updated less often the closer we come to the present. That's because Apple has stopped providing this information so regularly. This part of an overall trend with Apple. In recent years, the company has limited the amount and types of data it shares with the public. For instance, it used to announce the number of iPhones sold it each quarter. Now it only announces the revenue generated from those sales. Apple seems to be following that trend with its app stores, preferring to talk about sales and pay-outs to developers rather than total numbers of available apps. It may also think that saying there are 2 million apps is enough — and that that's basically the equivalent of saying you can find anything you want.

There' s Some Confusion

Something important that Apple doesn't reveal in these numbers is whether the iPad Apps total includes those that are iPad only or if it represents those that are iPad only and those that have combined iPhone and iPad versions. If it's the second, the total number of iPad-only apps is smaller than what's listed here.

The App Store is Shrinking​​ — On Purpose

From 2017 to 2020, the number of iPhone apps in the App Store declined. That might seem bad. That's not necessarily the case. In recent years, Apple introduced new standards to improve the quality of the apps available in the store. The company also removed old apps that are no longer compatible with new versions of the iOS, apps that copy other apps, and those that provide tools that aren't needed on the iPhone, like antivirus. While numbers do sometimes go down, they're dropping while the quality of apps in the store is going up.

The Explosive Growth of Apps

Apple added support for apps to iOS in July 2008. In the 18 months from then to January 2010, nearly 150,000 apps were released. That's around 275 apps per day. That's an amazing start.

iPad Apps Grew at the Same Pace

You might think that the growth of iPad apps would be faster than iPhone apps, since the App Store ecosystem had been in place for two years and users were comfortable with apps. Not true. The iPad had around 140,000 apps after its first 18 months, just like the iPhone. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Cancel Apple Arcade Can You Delete the Apps That Come With the iPhone? How to Get Apps That Are Not in the App Store How to Lock Apps on Any iPhone The 22 Best Free iPad Apps of 2022 The History of iOS, from Version 1.0 to 16.0 How Many Apps and Folders Can an iPhone Have? How to Download iPhone Apps From the App Store Using iTunes How To Use the Apple App Store on iPhone A Buyer's Guide to Apple iPhone Basics and Features Can You Run iPhone Apps on Android and Windows? How to Use Apple App Clips (iOS 14) How to Rate an App in the Apple App Store Can You Install Apps on the Apple TV? iOS App Store vs. Google Play Store How to Scan a Barcode on an iPhone Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies