Google’s Gemini Takes Top Free iPhone App Spot

Last month, Elon Musk threatened to sue Apple and OpenAI, claiming Apple makes it impossible for any AI app other than OpenAI’s ChatGPT to reach the top of the App Store. A few days later, Musk followed through with a 60-page complaint filed against both Apple and OpenAI in Texas federal court.

There’s likely some strategy behind the timing of Musk’s filing. Apple is fresh off the heels of a $570 million fine in the EU and is still fighting a massive antitrust lawsuit from the US Department of Justice at home. Musk, a founding member of OpenAI, already has a trial anticipated to begin next Spring in California federal court centered around OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit structure against its founding mission.

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Yesterday, alongside the release of iOS 26, Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini, found itself in the number 1 spot on the App Store’s “Top Free Apps” chart, bumping ChatGPT to number 2.

It makes sense that iPhone users are either revisiting or exploring AI apps as they update to iOS 26 or order a shiny new iPhone 17 Pro.

Apple’s response to Musk’s threat of action regarding App Store top charts was that “The App Store is designed to be fair and free of bias,” with “curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria.” Apple acknowledges there’s a human element involved in selecting top charts. Do today’s rankings help validate Musk’s claims? Certainly, the lawyers on each side will likely use this news to their advantage.

But wait. We recently reported that Apple is in early discussions with Google about a possible Gemini-powered Siri as a backup if Apple’s own internal LLM (large language model) isn’t ready. Could Apple be intentionally using the release of iOS 26 to gently nudge iPhone owners towards Gemini…just in case? If Siri’s internal “brain” may not be ready in time for its next launch, why not hedge toward your backup plan?

This is pure speculation, but it makes sense. We’ll keep an eye out for any comments from Musk. Either way, any time an AI app now makes it to the top of the App Store’s chart is likely to be referenced in pending litigation. With the combined threat of the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit and Musk seeking billions in damages, it’s hard to imagine there’s not more intention behind these top charts. This isn’t your average lawsuit. It’s the world’s richest person versus one of the world’s most valuable companies, an unstoppable force against an immovable object. Expect them both to stand their ground.