United Kingdom: internet and everyday apps

TL;DR

United Kingdom has roughly 68 million internet users (68,000,000 people) — about 98.6% of the population and rank #18 globally.
The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Signal, Discord, Element. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Food, News, Music, Travel, Tools, Classifieds, Mobility, Banking, Cloud storage, Security, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading, Public services and more.
The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

United Kingdom in numbers

2025–2026

Internet users: 68 million68,000,000 · #18
Penetration: 98.6%#5
Population: 69 million69,000,000 · #21
GDP: $3.70T#6
GDP growth: +1.1%#175
GDP per person: $53,558#31
Land area: 242.9k km²#79
Capital: London
Region: Europe
Official languages: English

How United Kingdom goes online

Britain is about as connected as it gets: nearly 98% of adults are online. The BBC still anchors news habits, fintech apps like Monzo replaced branch visits for a generation, and classifieds plus property portals remain part of the weekly routine.

Around 98.6%. With a population of about 69 million and 68 million online, roughly 1 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 227 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

227 Most-used apps

Websites people in United Kingdom actually use

The 32 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

Shopping8 Food4 Government3 Jobs3 News2 Classifieds2 Transport2 Search1 Property1 Telecom1 Banking1 Mail1 Education1 Health1 Sport1

Amazon UKShoppingamazon.co.ukWhere a remarkable share of household shopping now happens. ArgosShoppingargos.co.ukOrder online, collect from a counter in a shop the same afternoon. TescoShoppingtesco.comGroceries, the Clubcard prices, and the delivery slot. Sainsbury’sShoppingsainsburys.co.ukThe other big grocer, and the Nectar prices. BootsShoppingboots.comPharmacy, and the Advantage Card points. ASOSShoppingasos.comFast fashion online, and the returns policy. CurrysShoppingcurrys.co.ukAppliances and laptops, and the repair desk. Marks & SpencerShoppingmarksandspencer.comFood hall, and the clothes people keep for years. Just EatFoodjust-eat.co.ukTakeaways by postcode, from fish and chips to biryani. DeliverooFooddeliveroo.co.ukRiders on bikes, and the restaurants that pay for them. OcadoFoodocado.comThe online-only grocer, and the robot warehouse behind it. BBC Good FoodFoodbbcgoodfood.comTested recipes, and the Christmas planner. GOV.UKGovernmentgov.ukTax, passports, benefits and everything else official, in plain English. Met OfficeGovernmentmetoffice.gov.ukThe forecast, and the yellow warnings. Companies HouseGovernmentfind-and-update.company-information.service.gov.ukEvery company’s filings, free to search. ReedJobsreed.co.ukThe big job board, and the salary checker. TotaljobsJobstotaljobs.comRecruitment agencies, and the alerts by email. CV-LibraryJobscv-library.co.ukCVs uploaded, and recruiters searching them. BBCNewsbbc.co.ukThe default for news, weather and iPlayer — still the site most people name first. The GuardianNewstheguardian.comNews, comment and long reads, free to read and funded by readers. eBay UKClassifiedsebay.co.ukSecond-hand everything, from car parts to wedding dresses. YellClassifiedsyell.comTradesmen by postcode, and the reviews left for them. National RailTransportnationalrail.co.ukLive train times and platform changes, checked before every commute. British AirwaysTransportbritishairways.comThe flag carrier at Heathrow, and the Avios scheme. Google UKSearchgoogle.co.ukSearch, maps and the school-run traffic check. RightmovePropertyrightmove.co.ukThe first tab for anyone renting or buying — and for nosy neighbours. BTTelecombt.comThe old monopoly: landlines, fibre and the Openreach network rivals rent. Bank of EnglandBankingbankofengland.co.ukRate decisions and the inflation report, published eight times a year. Royal MailMailroyalmail.comTrack a parcel or find the last collection time on your street. University College LondonEducationucl.ac.ukOne of the big London universities, and its open lecture archive. NHSHealthnhs.ukSymptom checkers, waiting times and how to book a GP. Premier LeagueSportpremierleague.comFixtures, the table and every goal clip.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A

How many people in United Kingdom are online?

About 68 million (68,000,000 people). That works out to roughly 98.6% of the population, which puts United Kingdom at #18 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in United Kingdom use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Signal, Discord, Element — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Food, News, Music, Travel, Tools, Classifieds, Mobility, Banking, Cloud storage, Security, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading, Public services. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in United Kingdom?

WhatsApp, Signal, Discord, Element, Session dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in United Kingdom?

Around 98.6%. With a population of about 69 million and 68 million online, roughly 1 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in United Kingdom?

The everyday ones are BBC, Google UK, GOV.UK, plus the other 32 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12

Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “United Kingdom: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/gb.html

United Kingdom: internet and everyday apps

United Kingdom in numbers

How United Kingdom goes online

What people actually use

Messaging

Social

Video

Shopping

Payments

Food

News

Music

Travel

Tools

Classifieds

Mobility

Banking

Cloud storage

Security

AI assistants

Learning

Health

Parcels

Maps

Gaming

Reading

Public services

Websites people in United Kingdom actually use

Nearby and similar markets

Frequently asked questions

Sources