DeepSeek app tops the U.S. App Store

Background

DeepSeek launched its mobile app on 15 January 2025. It was free, carried no ads or in-app purchases, and was powered by DeepSeek-V3 ^[1]. DeepSeek-R1 followed on 20 January 2025 and was made free in the iOS and Android apps ^[2].

What happened

On 27 January 2025 the app passed ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app on Apple's U.S. App Store ^[3]. The ranking change came within days of the R1 launch. Wikipedia reports a cyberattack on DeepSeek around 21 January 2025, following the launch ^[2].

Key details

On the same day, Nvidia shares fell 17 percent, losing close to $600 billion in market value. It was the biggest one-day drop for any company in U.S. history ^[3].

Australia's government also acted in early 2025. In February 2025 Australia ordered DeepSeek products removed from government systems ^[2].

Impact

The app's rise to the top of the download charts brought DeepSeek's chatbot wide attention in a short period. The episode also coincided with a market move of close to $600 billion in Nvidia's value ^[3], and it was followed by Australia's order to remove DeepSeek products from government systems ^[2].

Background on the terms

App Store charts rank apps by recent download volume. Reaching the top of the free chart reflects how many people installed an app over a short period. It does not show how many people use the app regularly or how much revenue it earns.

Nvidia is a major maker of graphics processors, the chips widely used to train and run AI models. Because of that role, its share price is closely followed by people who track the AI industry.

The rise came quickly. The app reached the top of the chart seven days after the R1 launch on 20 January 2025 ^[2][3].