Social media has become an inseparable part of daily life in India. With millions of active users spending hours online, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube have turned into powerful spaces for communication, entertainment, and business. From chatting with friends to building brands, these social media apps in India have completely reshaped how people connect and share information.
In 2025, India stands as one of the world’s largest social media markets, thanks to affordable internet and the rise of regional language content. People from every age group – students, professionals, entrepreneurs, and influencers – rely on different apps to express themselves, follow trends, and explore opportunities.
In this blog, we bring you the Top 25 Most Used Social Media Apps in India, explaining their features, popularity, and why they dominate the Indian digital space. Whether you’re a casual user, content creator, or business owner, this list will help you understand which platforms truly matter in 2025.
Here is the detailed description about Top 25 Most Used Social Media Apps in India
1. WhatsApp – Most Used Social Media App in India
WhatsApp continues to be the most widely used social media and messaging app in India, with over 500 million active users in 2025. Owned by Meta, it is not just a chat app anymore — it has evolved into a complete communication, commerce, and service platform.
Key Features
- Instant Messaging & Calls – Free voice and video calls with high quality.
- WhatsApp Business – Enables businesses to connect with customers via catalogs, quick replies, and chatbots.
- Payments (UPI) – Direct money transfers integrated into chats.
- Communities – Groups on steroids for larger organizations and neighborhoods.
- Privacy Focused – End-to-end encryption ensures conversations stay secure.
Why It’s Popular in India
- UPI integration makes it a mini payment ecosystem.
- Preferred for family, friends, and work communication alike.
- Local businesses, especially kirana stores, use WhatsApp for customer orders and updates.
2. Instagram
Instagram is India’s most loved visual-first platform, used by 350+ million Indians. From self-expression to influencer marketing, it has become a digital stage where creators and brands thrive.
Key Features
- Reels – Short-form videos with massive reach.
- Stories – 24-hour disappearing posts to share updates.
- Shopping – Integrated e-commerce for businesses.
- AI-Powered Feed – Personalized recommendations for users.
- Creator Tools – Insights, collabs, subscriptions, and monetization.
Why It’s Popular in India
- Reels compete with YouTube Shorts and have created a creator economy boom.
- Preferred by Gen Z and Millennials for lifestyle, entertainment, and trends.
- A strong platform for brand promotions and influencer campaigns.
3. Facebook
Despite competition from newer apps, Facebook still holds strong with 300+ million Indian users, especially in Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities. It remains a place for community groups, news, and local networking.
Key Features
- Facebook Groups – Local communities and interest groups.
- Marketplace – A popular choice for buying and selling products.
- Events & Pages – Useful for small businesses, organizations, and local events.
- Meta Integration – Seamless sync with Instagram and WhatsApp.
Why It’s Popular in India
- Favored by older demographics and regional language users.
- A go-to app for community networking and local classifieds.
- Still significant in the digital marketing ecosystem for advertisers.
4. YouTube
YouTube dominates India’s video consumption market, with over 500 million users. It’s the largest platform for long-form video content and one of the strongest tools for education, entertainment, and digital marketing.
Key Features
- YouTube Shorts – Competing with Instagram Reels and TikTok-style content.
- Live Streaming – Used by gamers, educators, and influencers.
- YouTube Premium – Ad-free experience with exclusive content.
- Monetization – Revenue sharing for creators via ads and memberships.
- AI Recommendations – Personalized content delivery for each user.
Why It’s Popular in India
- Used heavily for education, tutorials, and career guidance.
- A platform where influencers and creators earn real income.
- Accessible in multiple Indian languages, ensuring mass adoption.
5. Twitter (X)
Rebranded as X, Twitter continues to be India’s hub for real-time news, political discussions, and brand communication. It has around 40 million active users in India but is highly influential compared to its size.
Key Features
- Real-Time Updates – Breaking news, trends, and live events.
- X Spaces – Live audio discussions with global audiences.
- Subscriptions & Monetization – Creators can earn via memberships.
- X Premium (formerly Blue Tick) – Exclusive features and verification.
Why It’s Popular in India
- Widely used by politicians, journalists, and professionals.
- Key platform for brand reputation management.
- Trending hashtags often shape public opinion in India.
You can also read: Top 20 Most Visited Websites in India
6. Snapchat
Snapchat has become extremely popular among Indian Gen Z users because of its short-lived content and fun AR filters. Unlike other apps, its core idea is sharing “moments” that disappear after a short time, giving users a sense of privacy and authenticity. The platform also focuses heavily on augmented reality lenses, Snap Map for location sharing, and private streak-based interactions.
- Key Features:
- AR-powered filters and lenses
- Streaks for daily interactions
- Bitmojis and Snap Map location sharing
- Spotlight (short video discovery similar to Reels)
- Why Popular in India: Youths use Snapchat for casual chatting, fun AR content, and short videos, making it a “cooler” platform compared to traditional social apps.
7. Moj
Moj is an Indian short video app launched after TikTok was banned in India. Developed by ShareChat, it quickly gained popularity by providing a TikTok-like experience but with localized flavors. With millions of creators making videos in multiple Indian languages, Moj has established itself as a homegrown alternative for entertainment and self-expression.
- Key Features:
- Short video creation with music, filters, and effects
- Regional language content across India
- Creator monetization and live streaming
- Seamless integration with ShareChat ecosystem
- Why Popular in India: Moj is widely loved in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities because of its regional content, giving it a massive local reach.
8. ShareChat
ShareChat is one of India’s biggest vernacular social networks, with users from small towns and villages. It supports over 15 Indian languages, making it highly inclusive. Unlike Instagram or Facebook, ShareChat’s focus is on regional content, memes, short videos, and community discussions.
- Key Features:
- Regional language posts and videos
- User-created groups and communities
- Memes, news, and trending topics in local languages
- Tight integration with Moj app for short video sharing
- Why Popular in India: It connects non-English speaking users with a comfortable, community-driven space, which is why it dominates in Bharat (rural + semi-urban India).
9. Chingari
Chingari rose as another major TikTok alternative in India, offering short video content and live streaming. What sets Chingari apart is its blockchain and crypto integration, allowing creators to earn through tokens and monetization models.
- Key Features:
- Short videos and trending music integration
- In-app currency and creator monetization
- News, entertainment, and contests
- Community engagement with rewards
- Why Popular in India: With its local-first approach and crypto-backed earning model, Chingari appeals to both content creators and digital entrepreneurs.
10. MX TakaTak
Originally launched by MX Player, MX TakaTak was one of the top TikTok alternatives. It offered short video content, lip-syncing features, and filters. However, in 2022, it merged with Moj, creating one of the largest Indian short video platforms. Despite the merger, MX TakaTak still has a strong identity in people’s minds, especially among users who started their short video journey here.
- Key Features:
- Music and lip-sync short videos
- Localized challenges and trends
- Creator ecosystem with monetization options
- Why Popular in India: Though merged, it still holds recognition as an early TikTok replacement, with creators migrating smoothly to Moj.
11. Josh
Josh is another leading short video app that filled the gap after TikTok’s exit. It focuses on high-quality short-form content in regional languages. Josh gained popularity by partnering with celebrities, influencers, and music companies, creating a strong creator economy.
- Key Features:
- Multi-language short video platform
- Live challenges and contests
- Partnerships with celebrities and influencers
- Integrated creator monetization
- Why Popular in India: Josh is a hit among regional creators and influencers, especially because it provides recognition and monetization opportunities.
12. Telegram
Telegram has moved far beyond being just a messaging app—it’s now a social media hub. In India, it’s heavily used for community groups, content sharing, educational channels, and news updates. With its end-to-end encryption, unlimited cloud storage, and massive group size capacity (up to 200K members), Telegram has built a strong presence among professionals, students, and community-driven users.
- Key Features:
- Encrypted chats and secret messaging
- Large groups and broadcast channels
- Cloud storage for media and documents
- Bots and automation for services
- Why Popular in India: Telegram is the go-to app for education, trading communities, and entertainment groups, making it more than just a messaging tool.
13. Helo
Overview:
Helo is a content-sharing platform that caters to regional language speakers in India. It allows users to share images, short videos, text posts, and status updates across 15+ Indian languages, bridging the language barrier in digital communication.
Why Popular in India:
- Strong focus on regional content.
- Allows users from small towns and rural areas to connect in their native language.
- Easy cross-sharing on WhatsApp and other platforms.
Best For:
Content creators and users from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities who prefer consuming social media in their mother tongue.
14. Chingari
Overview:
Chingari gained massive popularity after TikTok was banned in India. It’s a short-video platform that lets users create, edit, and share engaging content with music and filters. It has also introduced its own crypto token (GARI), merging social media with Web3.
Why Popular in India:
- Indian-made alternative to TikTok.
- Advanced editing tools and trending filters.
- Supports creators with monetization through GARI tokens.
Best For:
Short-video creators, influencers, and users looking for entertainment in Indian languages.
15. Moj
Overview:
Moj is another leading Indian short-video platform developed by ShareChat. It focuses on fun, engaging videos across categories like dance, comedy, lifestyle, and fashion. Moj offers a TikTok-like experience with Indian flavor.
Why Popular in India:
- Large base of creators across India.
- Available in multiple Indian languages.
- Seamless integration with ShareChat.
Best For:
Casual users and influencers who want to reach regional audiences.
16. Josh
Overview:
Josh is a short-video entertainment app from Dailyhunt. It provides a creative platform for content creators and allows users to watch trending videos across music, comedy, and lifestyle.
Why Popular in India:
- Strong community of local creators.
- Easy discoverability of trending content.
- Supports regional languages.
Best For:
Creators who want to grow an audience quickly through trending reels and videos.
17. Discord
Discord started as a communication app for gamers but has now evolved into a community-building platform. In India, it is widely used by gaming communities, tech enthusiasts, educators, and crypto groups.
- Unique Features: Voice channels, private servers, live streaming, bots for automation, and community moderation tools.
- Why Popular in India: The rise of gaming culture (PUBG, BGMI, Free Fire, Valorant) boosted its popularity. It also serves as a platform for student communities, stock trading groups, and tech learning hubs.
- Who Uses It: Gamers, startup communities, crypto investors, and online course creators.
18. Pinterest
Pinterest is not just a visual discovery platform; it has become a creative search engine for ideas in fashion, interior design, cooking, travel, and more.
- Unique Features: Idea pins, mood boards, shopping integration, and image search.
- Why Popular in India: Indian audiences use Pinterest heavily for wedding planning, festival decorations, home decor ideas, and fashion inspiration. Brands also use it for e-commerce and content marketing.
- Who Uses It: Event planners, fashion designers, students, homemakers, and e-commerce businesses.
19. Tumblr
Tumblr is a microblogging and social networking platform where people share short posts, images, GIFs, and videos.
- Unique Features: Customizable blogs, multimedia sharing, trending tags, and niche communities.
- Why Popular in India: Though not as mainstream, Tumblr still attracts writers, poets, meme creators, and artists who love the creative freedom it provides.
- Who Uses It: Bloggers, meme communities, photographers, and digital creators.
20. Public App
Overview:
Public App is a location-based social network designed for real-time local updates. It connects people to news, events, businesses, and activities in their city or neighborhood.
Why Popular in India:
- Focus on local information and news.
- Helps small businesses promote themselves.
- Available in several Indian languages.
Best For:
Users who want updates from their locality and small businesses aiming to reach local customers.
21. MX TakaTak (Now MxShareChat)
MX TakaTak (merged with ShareChat) was India’s homegrown answer to TikTok after the ban. It quickly became popular among short-video creators.
- Unique Features: Regional language support, music integration, easy-to-use editing tools.
- Why Popular in India: Indian users, especially from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, embraced it for local content and regional language videos.
- Who Uses It: Aspiring influencers, regional content creators, and small businesses promoting products.
22. Clubhouse
Clubhouse is an audio-based social media app where people join virtual rooms to discuss various topics.
- Unique Features: Audio-only discussions, topic-based clubs, private/public rooms, and networking opportunities.
- Why Popular in India: It gained attention during the pandemic as Indians explored it for business networking, tech talks, and startup discussions. Though less hyped now, it still has a loyal niche audience.
- Who Uses It: Entrepreneurs, business coaches, educators, and tech communities.
23. Mitron App
Mitron is a homegrown short-video app similar to TikTok. While it hasn’t reached the popularity of Instagram Reels or Moj, it still holds a place in India’s social media ecosystem.
- Unique Features: Short-video creation, regional content, trending challenges, and simple UI.
- Why Popular in India: Built as a “Made in India” alternative to TikTok, it attracted early users who wanted local video-sharing platforms.
- Who Uses It: Small-town influencers, local entertainers, and youth experimenting with video content.
24. Koo
Overview:
Koo is India’s homegrown alternative to Twitter (now X). It enables users to express thoughts, share updates, and follow trends in multiple Indian languages, giving a platform for local voices.
Why Popular in India:
- Built for Indian users with regional language support.
- Strong presence of Indian leaders, celebrities, and influencers.
- Offers text, audio, and video-based communication.
Best For:
Users who prefer micro-blogging in local languages and want an alternative to global apps.
25. Likee
Overview:
Likee is a short-video platform that combines entertainment, live streaming, and interactive content. It offers a wide range of effects, AR filters, and editing tools.
Why Popular in India:
- Advanced video editing tools.
- Popular among Gen Z for trendy short videos.
- Mix of entertainment and talent showcases.
Best For:
Young audiences who enjoy short creative videos with effects and filters.
Conclusion:
India’s social media landscape is evolving rapidly with both global giants like WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube, and homegrown platforms like Moj, Chingari, and Koo shaping user behavior.
- Global platforms dominate in terms of scale and features.
- Indian apps are gaining popularity with their regional content focus and cultural relevance.
- Together, they create a diverse digital ecosystem where every user finds a space to connect, create, and share.
In 2025, social media apps in India are not just about entertainment—they’re about business, local engagement, and personal branding.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most used social media app in India is WhatsApp, with over 500 million users. Its simple interface, free messaging, and strong privacy features make it the go-to app for communication.
Not all global apps are available. For example, WeChat and some Chinese apps are banned in India. Popular platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat are fully available and widely used.
Social media apps are popular because they connect people instantly, support multiple Indian languages, offer business promotion tools, and serve as entertainment hubs.
Short-form video content, live streaming, influencer marketing, AI-driven recommendations, and regional language content are the biggest social media trends in India right now.