From homework help to AI art, an InboxArmy study reveals the real tasks driving ChatGPT’s mobile boom
ChatGPT’s Android app climbed to the top of Google Play’s non-game charts in March 2025 following the launch of its image-generation feature. To understand how users engage with the app, InboxArmy analyzed 88,998 English-language reviews posted between July 2023 and April 2025.
“We observed significant growth in ChatGPT mobile app downloads and wanted to understand how users engage with the app in practice,” said Scott Cohen, CEO of InboxArmy. “By analyzing nearly 89,000 Google Play reviews, we aimed to identify the specific tasks that drive daily usage.”
Of these reviews, 23,605 described a specific use case, while 65,393 focused on bugs or general feedback. Task-specific reviews were grouped into 20 real-world categories and scored for sentiment, revealing where ChatGPT excels and where it faces challenges on mobile devices.
The key findings below highlight where ChatGPT is making a meaningful difference and facing challenges, on mobile devices, based on the users who detailed their specific activities.
#1 Use Case: Education Reigns Supreme
Far and away the most cited application, “Education” dominated the rankings, representing 41.49% of all identified use cases. This suggests a massive adoption by students and learners using the app on phones and tablets. Crucially, user satisfaction in this area is exceptionally high, boasting 89.41% positive sentiment and a strong average rating of 4.60 stars. Common praise centered on homework help, concept explanation, and general study assistance.
“Outstanding and Helpful!” reads one top-rated review highlighted in the analysis. “I’ve been using this app for school projects and learning, and it’s amazing! It helps me solve math problems with detailed explanations… It’s like having a super-smart tutor available anytime.”
#2 Use Case: Visual Content – A Disputed Second Place
Ranking second in frequency but telling a vastly different story is “Visual Content” (18.58%). Despite being a popular feature that users engage with, it suffers from significant criticism. Only 31.6% of related reviews were positive, while 42.8% were negative and 25.5% were neutral, making it the most negatively perceived major category. This user frustration dragged the average rating down to 3.33 stars. Complaints frequently targeted image quality, accuracy issues, and confusing content restrictions.
“I looooove ChatGPT… The images ALWAYS come out messed up and poor quality,” lamented one user in a 3-star review that received over 2,800 “helpful” votes.
#3 Use Case: Research & Information Holds Strong
Securing the third spot, “Research & Information” (9.4%), demonstrated solid utility and generally positive user reception (74.83% positive, average rating 4.31 stars). This indicates users frequently rely on the mobile app for quick information gathering and exploration, valuing its ability to synthesize information.
Productivity, Personal Growth & More
Beyond study help and image tools, ChatGPT proves valuable for both work tasks and self-improvement.
Personal Improvement tops this group at 7.29% of mentions, with 96.05% positive sentiment and a 4.82-star average. Users highlight its usefulness for self-reflection, goal setting, and mindfulness exercises.
Work & Professional Communication follows at 6.23% of mentions, earning 89.87% positive feedback and a 4.68-star rating. One highly helpful review noted, “ChatGPT has helped me with simple questions, troubleshooting, research, editing, and so much more. It has also helped me in my personal life by breaking down and comprehending thoughts and life experiences/questions.”
Other notable categories include:
- Content Creation (5.0%)
- Language & Translation (4.31%)
- Programming & Development (2.73%)
Together, these use cases show ChatGPT’s versatility in drafting emails, refining ideas, learning new skills, and tackling code.
Conclusion: A Powerful, Polarizing Mobile Tool
The analysis clearly ranks education as the foremost application driving ChatGPT’s mobile use, where it receives high praise. However, the significant volume of users attempting, yet often struggling with, image generation reveals a key area of friction. While proving itself as a valuable tool for learning and productivity on the go, ChatGPT’s journey into mobile creative tasks appears far more turbulent, reflecting the complex challenge of matching advanced AI capabilities with user expectations on smaller screens.