Mobile apps are everything. They’re here to keep people occupied, share their thoughts, have fun, and help with shopping. There’s no smartphone without apps, and some might have over 80 of them installed, mobile app statistics show.
Overall, the mobile application industry is growing. More and more young people use various mobile apps, but gaming apps remain the top-used ones overall. Still, over 70% of users churn in the first 90 days of downloading an app, and it ends up being deleted.
This is important info to know if you plan on creating one. Keep reading to find more data and learn how to make your app successful.
Mobile App Stats (Editor’s Choice)
- Mobile applications are projected to generate more than $613 billion by 2025.
- An average smartphone has over 80 apps.
- People aged 18 to 24 spend the most time on mobile apps.
- iOS had 34.4 billion game and app downloads in 2020.
- In 2020, Google Play saw a total of 108.5 billion app downloads.
- About 71% of users churn after 90 days of downloading the app.
- The average cost of building an app starts at $100,000.
Mobile App Industry Statistics
The latest mobile app industry information shows that gaming is still highly prevalent among mobile app users. Regionally, North America remains strong. Overall, users spend more on mobile apps, and the market continues its growth.
1. The Apple store segment led the market in 2019 and accounted for 60% of the global revenue share.
(Grandviewresearch)
According to the latest data and mobile apps market analysis, the Apple store led the market in 2019. However, when it comes to the number of downloads, the Google Play segment accounted for the highest share.
2. The gaming application segment held the largest market share in 2019—a total of 40%.
(Grandviewresearch)
Then, there were music and entertainment, health and fitness, social networking, retail and ecommerce, and other types of apps that held a lower percentage of mobile apps market share.
3. North America dominated the market with a 30% of revenue share in 2019.
(Grandviewresearch)
Such a high market share is attributed to several key companies, such as Apple, Google, Netflix, and similar. High smartphone penetration, a relatively large number of mobile application downloads, and strong in-app consumer spending have ensured a high market share.
4. In 2021, mobile users downloaded 230 billion apps.
(Statista)
Furthermore, the latest app market trends show there were 218 billion mobile app downloads in 2020. For comparison, users downloaded 204 billion apps in 2019, and back in 2016, this number was somewhere around 140 billion.
5. Users spent about $170 billion globally on mobile apps between 2016 and 2021.
(Statista)
With more downloaded apps comes increased screen time and more app spending. In 2020, mobile app users spent about $143 billion globally, regardless of so many free apps.
6. Mobile applications are projected to generate more than $613 billion by 2025.
(Statista)
Mobile app market statistics show that mobile apps are expected to generate over $613 billion by 2025. So far, mobile gaming apps were the strongest segment, with a revenue of about $200 billion. Social networking apps followed, generating about $31 billion in revenue.
7. Only 0.5% of consumer apps succeed.
(Fyersite)
The mobile app industry is competitive, and most mobile apps don’t become successful. Overall, only 99.5% of apps fail. Such a high number of apps that fail is closely related to the lack of market analyses.
Mobile App Usage Statistics
People spend hours on their mobile devices, switching between various apps. Unfortunately, some do so even in dangerous situations such as driving. In general, app users love gaming, chatting, and browsing social media.
8. Globally, the average smartphone user spent about four hours on their devices.
(data.ai)
Moreover, 7 out of 10 minutes on mobile is spent on social media and photo and video apps, mobile app statistics show.
9. 175 billion apps are downloaded yearly.
(Buildfire)
An average smartphone owner uses about 9 mobile apps daily and about 30 per month. On the other hand, an average smartphone has about 80 apps installed, meaning more than 62% of those apps aren’t even used. Furthermore, a total of 25% of apps are downloaded and never used.
10. People aged 18 to 24 spend the most time on mobile apps.
(Businessofapps)
Mobile app stats show that this age group spends a total of 112.6 hours on apps each month. In addition, people aged 25 to 34 are the second on the list, with 102.4 hours, and those aged 35 to 44 spend about 93.6 hours on apps each month.
11. When it comes to teens, 90% of them use smartphones for social media and gaming.
(Newportacademy)
Unfortunately, these two are the most addictive activities they can do on their phones. Moreover, 50% of teens think they are addicted to their smartphones.
12. Approximately 55% of US drivers say they check their social media apps while driving.
(Therealtimereport)
Moreover, mobile app trends show that 68% of Americans have caught their driver checking social media, and 35% have caught their driver watching a video.
13. About 35% of internet addicts use chat applications all the time.
(Comparecamp)
In addition, only 35.4% of high school students show signs of internet addiction. Another 34% check social media apps and status updates before getting out of bed, mobile app users statistics show.
14. Users find about 44% of in-app defects.
(Ready 4s)
Furthermore, 24% of issues come through direct feedback, while another 20% are from user reviews published in app stores.
15. A total of 52% of users are annoyed with the overall app performance.
(Marketing Strategies)
48% of users say they feel frustrated when visiting a site that’s not mobile-friendly, while 36% claim they feel like they’ve wasted their time by visiting those sites.
iPhone App Usage Stats
iPhone users have access to about 3.6 million apps and 984,000 games. Most of these are free, and the average price of an app in the Apple Store is around $4.9.
16. Overall, Apple’s App Store has 3.6 million apps.
(Businessofapps)
For comparison, it had 3.4 million in 2020, while 10 years ago, the number of apps in this app store was around 0.45 million.
17. The Apple Store has about 984,000 mobile games.
(Businessofapps)
Moreover, these apps account for 21.8% of all available apps. In addition, business and education are the second and third most popular categories.
18. A total of 92.3% of apps in the Apple Store are free.
(Businessofapps)
On the other hand, the latest mobile app store statistics show that 7.70% of apps are paid. In addition, the average price of an app in the Apple Store is $4.9.
19. iOS had 34.4 billion game and app downloads in 2020.
(Businessofapps)
This number includes both regular apps and games. Moreover, app and game downloads declined for the first time in 2021, to 32.3 billion.
Android App Usage Statistics
Android users have access to a slightly smaller number of mobile apps and games in their Google Play Store. Still, that doesn’t stop them from downloading over 100 billion mobile apps.
20. Google Play had 2.8 million apps in 2021, including games.
(Businessofapps)
For comparison, this number was around 0.25 million 10 years ago, according to the data on the number of apps in the Google Play Store.
21. Games make up 15.6% of apps in Google Play.
(Businessofapps)
When it comes to Google Play Store, it has about 442,000 games. In fact, games are the most popular category in the store. Like in the Apple Store, education and business are the second and third top categories.
22. About 96.2% of apps on Google Play are free.
(Businessofapps)
In addition, mobile app purchase statistics show that 3.8% of apps are paid. Furthermore, the average price of an app in Google Play is $6.
23. In 2021, Google Play saw a total of 111.3 billion app downloads.
(Businessofapps)
When it comes to the number of annual app downloads, Google Play had 108.5 billion downloaded apps in 2020 and 84.5 apps downloaded in 2019. The numbers show the upward trend in Google Play app downloads.
Interesting Facts About Mobile Apps
If you want to build an app, you might spend a fortune and still miss the revenue. One of the reasons is that 71% of users are likely to churn after about 90 days of having the app on their phones.
24. About 76% of Americans use banking services via mobile apps.
(Forbes)
Even though most people use mobile apps for social media and/or gaming, approximately three in four Americans use them to manage their bank accounts. Mobile check deposit is the most valuable part of a mobile banking app.
25. Mobile ad spending topped $290 billion in 2021.
(Clearbridgemobile)
On the other hand, mobile app advertising statistics show that the total ad spending was around $240 billion in 2020.
26. About 71% of users churn after 90 days of downloading the app.
(Buildfire)
One of the ways to measure an app’s success is via retention and churn. Additionally, there can never be a 100% retention, and users will need new reasons to come back to the app, mobile app retention rate statistics show.
27. Maps are the top category when it comes to app usage, in 96% of cases.
(Buildfire)
Certain categories dominate smartphone app usage. For example, maps are the highest-used category. Messengers and music apps are also used 96% of the time, while apps related to politics are the least used—only 5%.
28. Facebook has the top four out of the five most downloaded and used apps.
(BBC)
Facebook currently holds a large messaging app market share. The apps include Facebook Messenger as the top mobile app by download globally, WhatsApp as the top mobile app based on the number of active users, Facebook app, and Instagram.
29. 69% of millennials say they mostly use social networking apps.
(Mindsea)
The second most popular category is messaging apps with 55%, followed by games with 42%, productivity with 34%, and travel with 32%.
30. About 22% of smartphone owners used a retail mobile app at least once a day in 2020.
(Statista)
Furthermore, retail mobile app statistics show that about 21% of smartphone users had a retail mobile app and used it multiple times a day. The largest percentage of smartphone owners, 35% of them, used retail mobile apps multiple times per week.
31. There are 26.6 million users of dating apps in the US.
(Statista)
Additionally, this number is expected to be around 25 million by 2023. Mobile dating app statistics show that the top dating app is Tinder, followed by POF and Bumble.
32. The average cost of building an app starts at $100,000.
(Formotus)
If you want to build a feature-rich mobile app that will provide a good user experience, the expense may vary from $267,000 to $360,000, while a high-quality one can cost up to $500,000. However, the average price of apps depends on their complexity and whether you hire a freelancer or a local company.
33. TikTok was the most popular mobile app in 2021, with over 656 million downloads.
(Busiessofapps)
In second place is Instagram, with 545 million downloads, followed by Facebook, with 416 million of them. WhatsApp and Telegram are right behind, with 395 and 329 billion, respectively.
Conclusion
Based on the latest mobile app statistics, gaming, social media, and chatting apps are among the most downloaded apps globally. Facebook (Meta) holds the top four apps, and TikTok has had 656 million downloads.
On the other hand, over two-thirds of app users will get bored after 90 days of having an app. This means you’ll have to give your users new reasons to come back. However, if you don’t analyze your market, chances are your app will fail to produce revenue, but it’s up to you to risk it.
People Also Ask
How many apps exist today?
The latest data shows there are 2.39 million apps on Google Play. This makes Google Play the second-largest based on the number of apps. The Apple Store is first, with 3.6 million available apps. However, the exact number of apps is continuously changing, since platforms remove bad apps.
Furthermore, there are some other app stores in the industry with fewer offers and less success. Amazon Appstore is one of them, and it hosts various gaming, education, and utility apps.
What mobile app has the most users in 2021?
TikTok was the most popular mobile app in 2021, with over 656 million downloads globally. On the other hand, Facebook (Meta) had 4 out of the top 10 most downloaded mobile apps—Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger.
Other most downloaded apps on the list were Telegram, Snapchat, Zoom, CapCut, and Spotify. TikTok was also the top app among Americans, with 94 million downloads in 2021.
What percentage of mobile apps are successful?
Based on the latest data, only 0.5% of consumer mobile apps are successful. Most new apps don’t answer the market’s needs, and they require a lot of money and time to be successful in the long term.
On the other hand, about 13% of B2B apps are successful. However, their success lies in the available budget, marketing knowledge, and ready resources.
Why do most apps fail?
There are a few reasons mobile apps fail to become popular on the market. The primary reason is that app owners haven’t learned more about market needs. Then, they’ve failed to make a business model and decide on the right marketing strategy.
A weak product core and incorrect launch time are also responsible for the app’s failure. Furthermore, the app complexity and user interface are important so that users will keep using the app.
Can you get rich making apps?
Some people have been highly successful in making mobile apps that bring them millions in revenue. However, it takes a certain amount of luck to generate that much money. Overall, both iOS and Android developers earn about $5,000 per mobile app.
With the right monetization method that can include in-app purchases, ads, or affiliates, you can still get some revenue from one mobile app. However, if you’re looking to get rich, you might want to launch a few additional apps.
How do free apps make money?
There are several ways free apps can make money. Free apps mostly earn through app monetization, meaning they show ads to their users. These apps also offer in-app purchases where people can buy items they need to use inside the app.
Free apps also come with a freemium model. With it, users get the basic features for free and then have to pay for premium features by in-app purchases or subscription, mobile app statistics show.
