Among social media platforms, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram dominate overall reach. But TikTok, Reddit, and WhatsApp are driving nearly all new user growth.
—Pew
Pew has just released its 2025 social media report. Once again, YouTube remains the most popular app: 84% of US adults say they “ever use” the platform. Facebook came in second at 71%. And Instagram came in third at 50%. (See “Teenagers’ Favorite Apps.”)
Since 2021, only four platforms have seen a meaningful increase in usership. TikTok has posted the largest gains: +16 percentage points to 37%. As more Homelanders age into adulthood, that share is likely to keep climbing. Reddit has also expanded, gaining 8 points to 26%, as users increasingly view the platform as a rare source of human-generated content in the age of AI. Instagram and WhatsApp have also grown, each adding roughly 10 percentage points.
Pew also tracked visit frequency. Facebook dominates daily usage, with 52% of adults logging in at least once a day, compared with 48% for YouTube and just 24% for TikTok. Facebook’s advantage likely stems from its low-friction format, which encourages quick, silent check-ins rather than longer, more immersive sessions.
