Most Downloaded iOS Apps and Games of 2019 Include Mario Kart Tour, Minecraft, YouTube and FaceTune - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Most Downloaded iOS Apps and Games of 2019 Include Mario Kart Tour, Minecraft, YouTube and FaceTune

Along with sharing its picks for the best apps and games of 2019, Apple today also updated the App Store with Top Charts that highlight the top free apps and games, paid and free, on the iPhone and the iPad.

When it comes to free games, Nintendo's latest title, Mario Kart Tour, topped the charts. Launched on September 25, Mario Kart Tour was a highly anticipated game and features one of Nintendo's most popular franchises.

iphonetopcharts2019
Below are the top five free iPhone games:

  • Mario Kart Tour
  • Color Bump 3D
  • aquapark.io
  • Call of Duty Mobile
  • BitLife Life Simulator

As for paid iPhone games, many titles that have been popular for years continued to hold on to their number one spots. Minecraft was the number one app on the paid game chart, followed by Heads Up, Plague Inc., Bloons TD 6, and Geometry Dash.

Many familiar apps also topped the free apps chart, including YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook Messenger, while the top paid app was FaceTune. Apple's top five paid iPhone apps are listed below:

  • FaceTune
  • HotSchedules
  • Dark Sky Weather
  • The Wonder Weeks
  • AutoSleep Apple Watch Sleep Tracking

Apple also did separate top charts for the ‌iPad‌, highlighting the most popular games and apps downloaded on its tablets. The top free game was Roblox, and the top paid ‌iPad‌ game was Minecraft. Top five charts are below.

ipadfreetopcharts2019
Top 5 Free iPad Games

  • Roblox
  • aquapark.io
  • Paper.io 2
  • Color Bump 3D
  • Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game

Top 5 Paid iPad Games

  • Minecraft
  • Geometry Dash
  • Bloons TD 6
  • Plague Inc.
  • Amazing Frog

As for free ‌iPad‌ apps, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Google Chrome, and Hulu secured the top spots, while the top paid ‌iPad‌ apps included Procreate, Notability, GoodNotes 5, Duet Display, and kids game Toca Hair Salon 3.

Apple separately created a top chart to highlight the most popular Apple Arcade games available for ‌Apple Arcade‌, the company's $4.99 per month gaming service. Top picks are listed below.

  • Oceanhorn 2
  • Sonic Racing
  • Hot Lava
  • Frogger in Toy Town
  • Skate City
  • LEGO Brawls
  • Shinsekai Into the Depths
  • Sayonara Wild Hearts
  • Overland
  • Assemble With Care
  • Speed Demons
  • WHAT THE GOLF?
  • Rayman Mini
  • Mini Motorways
  • Sneaky Sasquatch
  • Agent Intercept
  • Super Impossible Road
  • Where Cards Fall
  • Outlanders
  • Cricket Through the Ages

Apple's full ‌App Store‌ charts for the iPhone and the ‌iPad‌ can be found in the ‌App Store‌ under the respective Apps and Games categories for each device. Apple lists the top 20 paid and free games and apps in these charts.

If you missed it yesterday, Apple also shared its editors choice picks for the best games and apps of the year on iPhone, ‌iPad‌, Mac, and Apple TV.

  • Apple Arcade‌ Game of the Year - Sayonara Wild Hearts by Simogo
  • iPhone‌ App of the Year - Spectre Camera by Lux Optics ($2.99)
  • ‌iPhone‌ Game of the Year - Sky: Children of the Light by thatgamecompany (Free)
  • iPad‌ App of the Year - Flow by Moleskine (Free)
  • iPad‌ Game of the Year - Hyper Light Drifter by Abylight S.L. ($4.99)
  • Mac App of the Year - Affinity Publisher by Serif Labs ($49.99)
  • Mac Game of the Year - GRIS by Devolver / Nomada Studio ($4.99)
  • Apple TV‌ App of the Year - The Explorers by The Explorers Network ($4.99)
  • Apple TV‌ Game of the Year - Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap by DotEmu ($7.99)

More information on all of the apps and other gaming and app trends of the year can be found in the "Today" section of the ‌App Store‌ on the iPhone, ‌iPad‌, Mac, and ‌Apple TV‌.

Popular Stories

intel macs no more updates

Mac App Store Apps Can Now Drop Support for Intel Macs

Tuesday September 1, 2026 4:50 pm PDT by
Apple today informed developers that universal Mac App Store apps that require macOS 13 or later can remove support for Intel-based Mac computers. We're reaching out to let you know that universal macOS apps on the Mac App Store that require macOS 13 or later can now remove support for Intel-based Mac computers. By removing support for Intel-based Mac computers, you can simplify your...
MapQuest Logo 2026

MapQuest Tops App Store Charts After Refusing 'Lake America' Change

Monday August 31, 2026 7:49 am PDT by
MapQuest is in the spotlight this week after refusing to change "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" on its map following an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump last week. As of Monday morning, the MapQuest app is the top free iPhone app on Apple's App Store charts in Canada and fourth on the equivalent U.S. chart. For our younger readers, MapQuest was once a popular service...
Liquid Glass App Store Feature

Apple Plans to Squeeze More Revenue From the App Store, Report Says

Monday September 7, 2026 3:19 am PDT by
Apple is looking at further ways to monetize the App Store and increase the company's recurring revenue from the platform, according to a new report. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that newly appointed Apple CEO John Ternus and services chief Eddy Cue are behind the effort to raise margins from the App Store, which already generates Apple an estimated ...

Top Rated Comments

89 months ago
I have been living under a rock! I have not used any of these apps or games ever!!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FightTheFuture Avatar
89 months ago

Is there any such thing as a game that doesn’t have in-app purchases?
There's about a hundred of them on Apple Arcade.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
89 months ago
the worst mario kart version ever
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcdj Avatar
89 months ago
Is there any such thing as a game that doesn’t have in-app purchases?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
89 months ago

the worst mario kart version ever
I wonder how many of the downloads have never even been played.
The first thing it does is ask to create a Nintendo account. Given the bad reviews, I never bothered to continue …

The download count is really a terrible metric to give away awards for. Especially since the game could be "pre-ordered" before reviews were in.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
martinX Avatar
89 months ago
Something's wrong. I can't see Lee Carvello's putting challenge in the list.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)