What is the most influential app of the 2010s?

Ten years of home screens, argued down to a single winner. Some of these changed how people talk; others just quietly ate their evenings.

1

Instagram

The photo-sharing app that turned filtered squares into a global visual language and made the feed a career path.

2

TikTok

The short-video app whose recommendation feed rewired how a whole generation finds music, jokes and news.

3

Uber

The ride-hailing app that put a car on demand in your pocket and gave the gig economy its template.

4

WhatsApp

The free messaging app that replaced SMS for billions of people outside the United States.

5

Snapchat

The disappearing-photo app that invented Stories and the face filter, both copied everywhere since.

6

Spotify

The streaming app that ended the download era and made the playlist the unit of music.

7

Tinder

The dating app whose swipe gesture became shorthand for choosing anything at all.

8

Airbnb

The booking app that turned spare rooms into an industry and reshaped travel in city centres.

9

Pokémon GO

The 2016 augmented-reality game that briefly sent millions of people walking the streets hunting monsters.

10

Candy Crush Saga

The match-three puzzle game that proved casual mobile players would pay, over and over, for one more life.

11

Venmo

The payment app that made splitting a bill social, complete with a public feed of emoji-laden transfers.

12

Duolingo

The language app that dressed daily practice as a streak-driven game and got people to keep it up.

13

Twitch

The livestreaming app that turned watching other people play games into mainstream entertainment.