tech

February 28, 2026

Anthropic's Claude hits No. 2 on Apple's top free apps list after Pentagon rejection

OpenAI's ChatGPT remains the top free app in the U.S. on Apple's rankings, but Claude has steadily gained traction.

Anthropic's Claude hits No. 2 on Apple's top free apps list after Pentagon rejection

TL;DR

  • Anthropic's Claude app reached No. 2 on Apple's U.S. free app chart.
  • This occurred after the Trump administration sought to block government agencies from using Anthropic's technology.
  • The app's popularity is linked to its refusal to support domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons.
  • President Trump criticized Anthropic's stance, calling it a 'DISASTROUS MISTAKE'.
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested Anthropic be identified as a supply-chain risk.
  • Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated they hope the Department of Defense reconsiders due to the technology's value.
  • Claude's ranking has significantly improved in February, moving from No. 131 to within the top 20.
  • OpenAI's ChatGPT remains the No. 1 free app, with over 900 million weekly users.
  • OpenAI announced an agreement with the U.S. Defense Department for model deployment.
  • Katy Perry posted about Anthropic's Pro subscription, indicating consumer interest.

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