the.com/app
a tiny empire of taps that learned to own your dopamine for free.
means A piece of software, usually small and single-purpose, that runs on a phone, tablet, or computer.
from A clipping of "application" — itself from Latin "applicare," to attach or apply (something put to use). The full term "application software" dates to the mid-20th century; the snappy "app" rode in on smartphones and exploded into everyday speech after Apple's App Store launched in 2008, making the short form unavoidable.
- origin
- Short for application, popularized by Apple's 2008 store
- word of year
- Named 2010 Word of the Year by lexicographers
- economics
- Free apps profit by selling your attention
- sheer volume
- Millions exist; most downloaded once, never reopened
- first store
- Launched with just 500 apps available
for instance
tiktok — social media app with 1.5 billion monthly users as of 2024
uber — ride-sharing app operating in 70+ countries since 2009
spotify — music streaming app with 500+ million users globally
whatsapp — messaging app with 2 billion users owned by meta