30 Mobile App Statistics for the Informed Smartphone User 

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Remember life before smartphones? Your iPod was full of R Kelly and 50 Cent. You chatted with friends via SMS. You were thinking about opening an account on a new social network called MySpace.

Smartphones have changed all that. They’re not only telephones, but powerful computers that give us wireless access to the entire internet. And unlike the phones and media players it has largely replaced, the smartphone runs apps – programs that allow it to perform tasks just like any other computer.

Mobile phones are great, but it is the apps that have transformed daily life. App statistics reveal how far we have come and give us a taste of where we are going.

Key App statistics

  • 98% of global app revenue comes from free apps.
  • 39% of users say the apps they use most are for social media.
  • 64% of smartphone owners worry that apps could somehow lead to identity theft.
  • The three most popular mobile applications are owned by Facebook.
  • 51% of the gaming industry’s revenue comes from mobile games.

App Industry Statistics

Mobile apps statistics show that mobile apps account for 52% of global internet traffic.

(Kleiner Perkins)

Internet users continue migrating to smaller devices like phones and tablets to access the internet, leaving bulky PCs and laptops behind. The average time we spend on the internet is increasing each year, mostly thanks to the widespread use of smartphones across the globe.

App download statistics show that users downloaded 178 billion apps in 2017.

(App Annie)

As mobile phones have gradually become omnipresent, new apps have flooded the market. Analysts expect 258 billion app downloads in 2022, a rise of 45% in five years.

Smartphone shipments grew only 3% year-over-year in 2016, compared to 10% growth in 2015.

(Business Insider)

Despite app usage statistics suggesting that mobile phones are taking over the world, the hardware market seems to be reaching a saturation point. While there are still plenty of smartphones being sold, this data suggests that future growth in the mobile market will come from apps – new ways to use existing hardware.

Mobile app download statistics show that as much as 98% of global app revenue comes from free apps.

(BuildFire)

More than 90% of the apps in Apple’s App Store and 95% of the apps in the Google Play store can be downloaded for free.

App revenue statistics show that Apple generated $12 billion on mobile apps during the third quarter of 2018.

(Sensor Tower)

According to app statistics, Google’s apps revenue was about $6.2 billion – a 21.5% year-over-year increase.

Mobile games account for 45% of global gaming revenues.

(Newzoo)

The remainder is split between consoles (32%) and PC games (23%). Some of today’s most popular mobile games include versions of PC franchises like Call of Duty, PUBG, Fortnite, and Minecraft.

With 97.6% market penetration, web browsers are the most popular mobile apps in the US.

(Statcounter)

App usage statistics identify browsers as the most essential apps for smartphone users. Without access to the web, how smart can a phone really be? According to data published in October 2019, Apple’s Safari is the top mobile browser, with 52% market share. Google Chrome is second, with 40%.

Smartphone apps statistics reveal that 50% of mobile users spend their time on a single app, with 97% spending most of their time using 10 apps.

(Comscore)

The time people spend on their phones is increasing, and with it the time they spend on mobile apps. Surveys show that half of us spend most of our time using a single app, using others only occasionally.

The top three most popular mobile applications are owned by Facebook.

(Comscore)

Facebook is the company behind some of the mobile world’s most popular apps, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. In 2017, more than 80% of mobile phones ran the Facebook app.

Google apps are also among the most used apps on the mobile web.

(Comscore)

For many people, Google Search is synonymous with browsing the web. Google Maps is the leader in mobile navigation, and Gmail is the leading email app. Except for the state-controlled Chinese app market, the mobile app marketplace is thoroughly dominated by Facebook and Google.

General App User Statistics

42% of consumers continue to use a shopping app, after shopping online once.

(Statista)

When it comes to shopping statistics, app users tend to quickly adopt retail apps instead of browsing the web. Once they’ve made a purchase, users are more likely to download a vendor’s shopping app. Mobile app statistics like this one suggest that users keep on shopping with stores they trust.

About 64% of smartphone users worry that using apps could make them vulnerable to identity theft.

(Anagog)

A survey of 200 users of mobile apps found widespread awareness of privacy concerns. Researchers found that 83% of consumers are aware that major internet companies like Google collect personal data that they use for their own benefit or sell to third parties.

Mobile app statistics in 2019 show that more than half of smartphone users would immediately uninstall an app upon learning it collects unrelated data.

(Anagog)

By now everyone has heard at least something about data breaches and their consequences. Mobile app user statistics show that 54% of consumers are ready to delete an app if the personal data it collects is not related to the app’s function.

Although more than half of the users retain this attitude, they are also ready to revise their decision, if there’s a fair exchange in value. If the unrelated data collection somehow improves the overall user experience, surveyed consumers said, they might just keep it.

39% of smartphone owners say the apps they use most are for social media.

(The Manifest)

A Manifest survey reveals that social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the most frequently used tools on smartphones – used most by 39% of phone owners. Other popular categories include communication (10%), games (10%), and shopping (7%).

Mobile app usage statistics from 2019 report one billion people use Instagram every month.

(Instagram)

With more than 500 million daily active users, Instagram is a huge social network, second only to Facebook. If we take a look at some other Instagram statistics, the app has a pretty equal gender mix: 52% male, 48% female.

Facebook app download stats reveal that 85% of all smartphone owners worldwide have the FB app installed.

(Business of Apps)

With roughly 2 billion smartphones in use across the globe, 85% translates into more than 1.7 billion unique devices.

Facebook user statistics reveal that 47% of Facebook users rely on their mobile phones to access the social network.

(VentureBeat)

The percentage is even higher in the United States. With 68% of American users accessing the network via an app, it’s safe to say that social media is steadily migrating from desktop to mobile.

Worldwide, mobile app downloads statistics place WhatsUp, Facebook Messenger, and TikTok in the top three.

(Sensor Tower)

Mobile app user statistics based on data provided by Apple’s App Store and Google Play illustrate an ongoing trend: the growing popularity of encrypted communication tools. WhatsApp saw 223 million new installs in the first quarter of 2019 alone.

Apple App Store download statistics rank TikTok and YouTube the most popular apps.

(Sensor Tower)

TikTok is by far the most downloaded social media application for Apple mobile device, according to Apple app store statistics, with more than 33 million unique installs in the first quarter of 2019. YouTube saw 28.5 million installs in the second quarter of 2019, with iPhone users launching Google’s streaming application sky high. Instagram and WhatsApp come next. App store statistics identify TikTok as the year’s most popular new app.

Facebook’s WhatsApp and Messenger are the most downloaded apps at Google Play.

(Sensor Tower)

According to the Google Play Store App, install statistics show a combined figure of more than 150 million in Q1 2019 if we count the first four apps on the list alone. The most popular Android apps, apart from WhatApp and Messenger are TikTok and Facebook.

Dating app statistics from 2018 report 1.6 billion swipes made every day by more than 50 million Tinder users.

(Business of Apps)

Tinder numbers have grown a lot since 2014, when the site first hit 1 billion swipes per day. Primarily developed as a web service, it has evolved into a mobile application.

72% of mobile dating app users believe Tinder is the most racially diverse dating app.

(Business of Apps)

As many as 77% of Tinder users report being “very open-minded” about race, with 74% saying they have gone on a date with someone of a different racial background. The number is just 66% for smartphone users who aren’t on Tinder.

Mobile apps vs. mobile websites statistics aren’t even close. Users spend 90% of their time using apps, and only 10% browsing the internet.

(eMarketer)

Mobile devices are responsible for roughly 70% of US internet traffic. Although websites tend to be optimized for mobile use, internet services are increasingly relying on apps to maintain and acquire new customers. This is especially true in eCommerce, with users spending an average of 201.8 minutes per month shopping via retail apps compared to only 10.9 minutes per month on shopping websites. App statistics suggest that websites are going to continue to diminish in importance in an increasingly mobile world.

Millennial App Statistics

For 63% of Gen Z and millennial smartphone users, loyalty is an essential asset.

(Alliance Data)

A brand that cares is a brand that scores. That’s the bottom line from an Alliance Data study of smartphone users. In order to demonstrate loyalty to customers and receive loyalty in return, brands must reward loyal shoppers on an ongoing basis. Mobile app statistics show that shopping preferences and loyalty are being shaped by the expectations of younger users.

As many as 76% of millennials consider apps a vital part of their smartphone experience.

(Comscore)

Mobile app usage demographics report that 74% of millennials open an app when bored. Millennials are no strangers to spending hours on their phones. Whether in public transport, in class, at work, or at home, most say they open apps to keep themselves occupied. How bored are they? 63% say they open new notifications the moment they arrive.

48% of millennials report unique features and functionality as factors they value the most in mobile apps.

(Mindsea)

App market analysis shows that millennial users are the toughest to please. Well-versed in all things tech, members of this age group dominate app sales statistics, encouraging vendors to monitor their opinions about what makes a good mobile application.

To satisfy millennials, consider the important issue of thumb reach – 61% find it an essential consideration.

(Mindsea)

Mobile app usage by age suggests that millennials may really be as fussy as years of memes suggest they are. According to Mindsea, 61% say the idea mobile app would be usable with just one hand. If your app requires two hands, you may be alienating members of this very influential audience.

37% of millennials say the ideal app would minimize mobile data usage.

(Mindsea)

Given an opportunity to describe the ideal mobile app, millennials noted that staying with their mobile data plans is an important concern. App popularity will rise with this group for apps that have low data appetites.

Half of millennials say the best apps are those that preserve battery power.

(Mindsea)

The trouble with many of the most used mobile apps is that they drain your battery too quickly. That’s what millennial smartphone users told Mindsea researchers. This influential group of consumers is particularly critical of Pokemon Go, the most popular mobile app of all time, because of its notoriously high power-use stats.

App statistics show that 41% of millennials think apps should be less pushy with notifications.

(Mindsea)

It’s not that millennials dislike existing apps, exactly. It’s just that the apps could be better. And one way they could improve, according to 41% of consumers surveyed by Mindsea, is by offering more control over notifications. Most apps send too many notifications by default, and millennials don’t like that.

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