Ever wonder what drives someone to use (or not use) a mobile app?
Gravity Road launches esports and gaming marketing practice Team Liquid collaborates with Naruto, LA Thieves partners with Dollar Shave Esports viewership break down with Esports Charts: January 2021. In-app purchases is an extremely popular strategy used by thousands of apps in both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. In-app purchases allow users to buy something right in the app. There are three major types of in-app purchases: Consumable. Consumables are products that a user can use only once: for example, virtual money.
Or what type of mobile app they’re likely to use the most?
Or how much time they’re spending in the mobile apps they download?
Good news…
In this post, we’ve gathered 28 of the most up-to-date mobile app usage and download stats, facts and projections you can use to make sure your own app aligns with what your target audience is actually doing in 2021 and beyond.
We’ve pulled research from the likes of App Annie, Statista, Sensor Tower, Mary Meeker and more to bring you the numbers and insights that matter most.
Let’s get right to it (or skip to a section below).
Mobile App Usage & Download Statistics
We kick things off with stats about usage trends and download habits. These numbers highlight what’s going on in the mobile app market today and even speak to the psychology of mobile users.
1. Mobile internet usage is rising while desktop internet usage continues to fall. (Mary Meeker)
According to the 2019 Mary Meeker report, the number of hours spent on the internet continues to increase every year, but the split between desktop and mobile is becoming more and more pronounced. In 2018, Americans were spending 3.6 hours per day on mobile (12 times more than a decade prior) and just 2 hours per day on a desktop or laptop (which has stayed pretty consistent since 2008).
2. Nearly 90% of mobile internet time is spent in apps. (eMarketer)
The gap between mobile app usage and mobile browser usage is also widening. In 2020, eMarketer predicts that adult smartphone users will spend about 4 hours per day using mobile internet, and 88% of that time will be spent in mobile apps, rather than a browser. This speaks to the importance of companies not only optimizing their websites for mobile, but creating custom, responsive apps too.
3. There are currently more than 2.9 million apps available in the Google Play Store. (Statista)
As of June 2020, there were 2.96 million apps published in the Google Play Store. While the Android operating system leads the pack for market share globally, it’s interesting to learn that competition is much lighter here than in the Apple App Store (see next statistic).
4. There are nearly 4.4 million apps available in the Apple App Store. (Statista)
As of July 2020, there were 4.37 million apps published in the Apple App Store. According to Statista, there is one gaming app available on iOS for every four non-gaming apps.
5. On average, more than 100,000 new Android apps are released in the Google Play Store every month. (Statista)
While there are fewer Android apps live on the market today, new Android apps are being published at a rate three times greater than iOS apps (see next stat), with more than 100,000 new apps being released each month. Keybank cd rates now.
6. On average, more than 30,000 new iOS apps are released in the Apple App Store every month. (42Matters)
New iOS apps are launched at a slower rate than Android apps; this may be due to the Google Play Store reportedly being cheaper and easier to enter—and, as mentioned above, there are far more Android users than iOS users in the world. Sometimes it makes more sense to cater to the numbers, but not always. We often see businesses choosing to build for both platforms.
7. Consumers downloaded 204 billion apps in 2019—and that number continues to climb. (App Annie)
The number of mobile app downloads each year has been steadily increasing. In 2019, there were 204 billion app downloads worldwide (excluding re-installs and app updates). As App Annie reports, this is a 45% increase from 2016.
8. The average number of apps being downloaded in the U.S. is decreasing. (Comscore)
Though global download growth and the amount of time spent in mobile apps are both steadily rising, download growth in the United States is levelling off (as shown by App Annie data above). A report by Comscore further supports this trend: In one quarter of 2109, two-thirds of smartphone users in the U.S. said they downloaded an average of 0 new apps per month. The takeaway here is that unless you’re Google, you shouldn’t make an app just to make an app. Getting a user to adopt a new app or switch from a competitor is not easy—you’ve got to give them a reason to go to the app store and make that download.
9. Most users have more than 10 apps installed on their phones. (Statista)
In a survey conducted toward the end of 2019, nearly three-fourths of respondents said that they have at least 11 apps downloaded on their phones (not including pre-installed apps). So while new apps are not downloaded very often, the average user still has a decent number of apps already vying for their attention. Downloads, however, are a pretty weak metric for success. If a user is not consistently opening and using your app, it’s essentially just there collecting dust and is at high risk of being deleted (see next stat).
10. The number 1 reason people uninstall apps is because they aren’t in use. (CleverTap)
How often do you purge your phone of previously installed mobile apps? Many users do, primarily because those apps are not being used. The reason they aren’t being used, though, is what businesses need to focus on. Among the other top reasons for uninstalling: not enough space on their phone, excessive advertising, and excessive notifications. As CleverTap points out, all of these responses speak to one thing: a poor user experience. Functionality is everything, and poor UX can guarantee the failure of your app.
11. Google owns the majority of the mobile apps on the market today. (Sensor Tower)
With apps like Maps, Hangouts and YouTube, Google LLC owns the majority of apps published in both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Google is creating apps to improve the experience of users and strengthen their connection to the brand. It’s a great business move, and you don’t have to be Alphabet to do it.
12. Facebook Messenger is the top mobile app worldwide by download, and WhatsApp is the top mobile app worldwide by monthly active users. (App Annie)
Google may own the most apps on the market, but Facebook ultimately wins with 4 out of the 5 most downloaded and most used apps. Also interesting to note is that all the apps in the top 5 are social or communication apps. This aligns with findings about the most popular app categories (more on that below).
13. More than 20% of all mobile apps in the Apple App Store are game apps—2X the number of business apps. (Statista)
Of all the mobile apps in the Apple App Store, the most popular category for developers is gaming apps. Nearly 25% of all mobile apps fall into the games category. That’s two times more than the second highest category, business. If you’re looking to launch a new gaming app, be prepared for some tough competition—but also be prepared to ride the wave of a massively booming industry!
14. Only 66% of smartphone users have game apps on their phones. (Statista)
Although gaming apps are the most commonly created, only 66% of smartphone users have at least one gaming app on their device. In contrast, more than 95% of all smartphone users have a communication or social app, web browser, utility or tool app, and entertainment app. Statista does not specify whether or not pre-installed apps are included in their data.
15. Smartphone users spend 50% of their mobile app time in social and communications apps. (App Annie)
Not only are social apps the most frequently downloaded, but they are also where smartphone users are spending the biggest chunk of their time (50% of total usage time, to be exact). In second place are video and entertainment apps, like Netflix and TikTok, coming in at 21% of total usage time. As App Annie reports, the lines are beginning to blur between social apps and entertainment apps as new generations turn to them for similar purposes.
16. Music apps are launched more daily than any other category of app. (Statista)
While users spend most of their time in social and communications apps, they frequent their music apps more than any other app type—launching them nearly 3 times per day, on average. This is a little hard to believe, considering how often users seem to log into Facebook, Instagram, their texting apps, and even email, on a daily basis. We’d expect to see the social and communications app category somewhere on this chart, and since it’s not, it’s hard to fully understand this data.
Millennials & Gen Z App Usage Statistics
Millennials and gen Z are the two most tech-savvy generations with rapidly growing purchasing power. If your app targets these groups, understanding what makes them tick will help you persuade them to adopt your app.
17. Nearly 70% of millennials say social networking apps are among their most commonly used. (MindSea)
Among millennials in particular, the number who list social media apps as their most frequently used category is at 69%. In second place, at 55%, is messaging apps—because again, the most popular use of apps is connecting and communicating with others. If you’re targeting this generation, consider incorporating features in your app that allow users to connect with their peers and be part of a community.
18. Roughly 37% of millennials list data usage as a key factor when deciding if they like a mobile app. (MindSea)
When asked about the top factors when deciding if they’ll keep a mobile app, 37% of millennials said excessive data usage was a dealbreaker for them. A perfect example of this is Pokémon Go—when it first launched, the app quickly became a viral hit, but users were constantly frustrated with how much data it ate up, and many deleted it. As you’re building your own mobile app, keep in mind that high data usage may result in users hitting the delete button fast.
19. 21% of millennials say they open their apps more than 50 times per day. (The Manifest)
On a daily basis, millennials open their mobile apps more than any generation prior. Are you one of them? It’s nearly noon and I’ve already opened four social apps, three communication apps, a weather app, my email app and the calculator app—and many of them have been opened more than once. It’s not that hard to get to 50! Younger generations today are tech savvy and always on their phones. Build a great app, build their trust and loyalty, and they will come back time and again.
20. Gen Z spends 71% of their digital media time using smartphone apps. (ComScore)
As ComScore points out, smartphone users between the ages of 13 and 24 are the heaviest mobile app users. This is supported by App Annie data, which shows that gen Z holds the crown for total number of sessions and total time spent per month in top, non-gaming mobile apps. As App Annie also points out, gen Z is set to soon surpass millennials as the largest generation, so if your target audience falls in this age group, this is good news for you.
Mobile App Revenue Statistics
Lastly, we round out this piece with some insights on mobile app revenue. If you’re looking to monetize your app, here’s what you need to know…
21. 92% of apps in the Apple App Store are free. (Statista)
Free apps dominate the market. Among app pricing strategies, the free and freemium models appear to be the ones that have consistently worked the best across app categories, given their increasing popularity. Many of these apps still making money thanks to ads, add-ons and upgrades.
22. 96% of apps in the Google Play Store are free. (Statista)
The majority of apps in the Google Play store are also free, and a higher percentage than those in the App Store.
23. Mobile apps are projected to hit $581.9 billion in revenue in 2020. (Statista)
In case you had any doubts, the mobile app market is hot. App revenue has risen tremendously over the past decade; this growth is forecasted to continue, with revenue projected to hit nearly $1 trillion in 2023. It’s not too late to get in on the action!
24. Apps in the Apple App Store bring in nearly double the revenue of those in the Google Play Store. (Sensor Tower)
If maximizing revenue is a priority for your mobile app, you may want to launch in the Apple App Store. Sensor Tower reports that iOS apps consistently bring in more money than Android apps. Remember, there are nearly two times the amount of apps in the App Stores and one fifth of those are gaming apps. These figures are likely contributing to Apple’s leg up in the revenue department.
25. Apps with subscriptions account for the majority of consumer spend in top non-gaming apps. (App Annie)
In the U.S., subscriptions contribute the most to growing mobile revenue numbers. App Annie reports that in 2019, 97% of consumer spend in the top 250 non-gaming apps in the Apple App Store was driven by subscriptions. In the Google Play Store, subscription-based revenue came in at 91%.
26. Consumers spend the most on video apps. (App Annie)
Four out of the top five non-gaming apps for 2019 based on worldwide consumer spend were video apps. Video has been a growing content format for years now, and it’s not going away. It is also a popular type of content for subscriptions, so video apps drive a big chunk of mobile revenue. The fact is, in and outside of apps, video content is rising in use and popularity across industries; including some elements of audio, video and or animations in your app wouldn’t be a bad idea.
27. Mobile gaming is projected to surpass $100 billion in consumer spend in 2020. (App Annie)
The year that mobile gaming took off… According to App Annie data, in 2019 consumers spent 25% more on mobile games than all other gaming combined. Spend was projected to surpass $100 billion in 2020, but that number may end up even higher now with the additional boost mobile gaming has received from stay-at-home orders. You can read more about the impact of COVID-19 on gaming in App Annie’s 2020 gaming spotlight review.
28. Consumers spent 130% more in health and fitness apps in 2019 than they did in 2017. (App Annie)
Exercising is another at-home activity that more consumers have been exploring since the pandemic forced the closure of gyms, sporting fields and rec centres. According to Sensor Tower, health and fitness app downloads are up 47% year-over-year, and per App Annie, consumer spend last year was already up 130% from 2017. That’s right: In 2019, consumers worldwide spent a total of $1.5 billion in this category, so if health and wellness is the market you’re in, now is the time to build your app!
Now It’s Your Turn
Hopefully this post has helped you think a bit more critically about the direction you’re taking your own mobile app. Understanding what your audience is actually doing can unlock the difference between a mobile app that completely misses the mark and one that’s wildly successful.
Looking for a partner to help you drive business value with a strong mobile strategy? We’d love to chat. Take a minute to schedule a free call with one of our mobile product strategists today!
Now we want to hear your take:
Which mobile app usage stat was the most surprising to you?
Is it that smartphone users spend 90% of their mobile time in apps?
Or maybe that the App Store brings in double the revenue of Google Play.
Hit us up on Twitter and let us know.
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Do you have an idea for a free mobile application but you doubt whether it's worth investing? How do free apps make money?
Your doubts are quite clear: the development of a top-notch mobile app requires a lot of time (typically, several months) and, more importantly, money. Before kicking off the development process, you should clearly understand how you’ll recoup your investments and how to make money with apps in 2020.
We’ve decided to help you get your idea off the ground and show how exactly you can make money on free apps.
Free Apps Grossing Big Bucks
According to Sensotower, the App Store and Google Play users spent a total of $39.7 billion on mobile apps and games during the first half of 2019. This is a huge market you don’t want to miss out on
![Microsoft Microsoft](/uploads/1/3/6/7/136750162/936364182.jpg)
If you think that it’s the paid apps that bring the lion’s share of this huge revenue, you’re wrong. In fact, if you check the list of the top grossing mobile applications (including games) in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, you’ll notice they’re all free.
The vast majority of users on all continents prefer free mobile applications. In fact, the number of free app downloads is constantly rising. Statistics provided by Sensotower show that in the first half of 2019, free mobile apps downloads in Google Play increased by 16,4 percent and made up $41,9 billion. Whilst the App Store lost 1,4 percent in downloads. However, the overall tendency remains positive.
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Developing a free mobile app is definitely the right business strategy.
Before shedding light on how to make money with apps, we’d like to draw your attention to another matter: correct app presentation. Remember that users must be able to quickly find your app and understand what it’s designed for.
Incite User Interest Through Accurate App Packaging
As of the second quarter of 2019, there were 2.46 million apps (of all types) in the Google Play Store and 1.96 million in the Apple App Store. The competition is really strong!
How many users will find your free mobile app? How many of them will download it? No matter how good your app is and what monetization methods you use, you may still fail to attract customers without a clear app packaging.
Potential users of your app should be able to quickly find it through search in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. To make your mobile app visible and easy to find, you should provide it with an attention-grabbing name, an informative description, and screenshots
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Want to get the first ranks on mobile app stores? Check these effective pre-launch marketing strategies.
Here are tips that will help you create a top-class app description:
Choose a Clear and Catchy App Name
Your mobile app should have a snappy name that reflects its major functions. Though many applications have names that convey nothing about their functionality, your app is likely to attract a lot more users if it has a name that hints at what it does. It’s particularly useful to include keywords in the app name.
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For example, let’s look at LINE, one of the most popular non-gaming Android apps on the Google Play Store. As you can see, the full title contains an explanation of what this app does (i.e. it offers free calls and messages):
Here’s another example: Hulu for iOS. The full name of this app is “Hulu: Watch TV Shows & Stream the Latest Movies.” With this title, any user can easily see what Hulu is for, namely for watching TV shows and movies:
In general, the name of your app shouldn’t be too long – 100 characters at most. Coin master free cards gold. Think carefully about the name, as it’s the first thing people see and pay attention to when they’re considering whether your application is worth downloading.
Come up With an Informative App Description
The next step is to provide your app with a meaningful and informative description.
![New Gaming Earning App 2020 New Gaming Earning App 2020](/uploads/1/3/6/7/136750162/594686747.jpg)
The first several sentences (up to the “Read More” or “More” buttons) of an app description should give general information and illustrate the app’s main idea. This part mustn’t be long – up to 225 characters. Few people read further, so make sure to tailor this part of the app description to perfection.
Let’s have a look at a great example of a brief yet informative description for Scrummer, a handy planning poker app for Scrum development teams that’s available in the Apple App Store:
Learn more about Scrummer’s endearing features and its lively interface.
In the main body of the description, you should mention what problems your mobile app helps to solve as well as go over its most important functions. Take a look at the description of Google Drive (in the Google Play Store). As you can see, it effectively explains to users what they can do with the help of Google Drive:
Make Eye-Catching App Screenshots
An app’s name and description are important, but users want to know how your app will look on their mobile devices. That’s why you should include several screenshots – and make sure you pick the best.
We recommend that you add some text to your screenshots, describing some functions of your application. Take a look at a screenshot for the LINE app on Google Play:
As you can see, this screenshot shows that the app can work on smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches.
Here are screenshots for the Uber app for iOS:
Note that Uber uses verbs in their screenshot descriptions, which is the correct approach. Verbs are the parts of speech used to describe actions.
People are more likely to act (i.e. to download your free mobile app) if they see verbs.
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How to make money with free apps?
Now that you know how to package a five-star app, we can move on to explaining the strategies you can leverage to make money on free apps.
Strategy #1: In-App Purchases
In-app purchases is an extremely popular strategy used by thousands of apps in both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. In-app purchases allow users to buy something right in the app.
There are three major types of in-app purchases:
- Consumable. Consumables are products that a user can use only once: for example, virtual money or health points. Such in-app purchases are usually used in mobile games.
- Non-consumable. Non-consumables are features that users buy for permanent use: for example, additional functions or ad blocking (this is how free apps make money without ads).
- Subscriptions. Your mobile application may offer subscriptions that unlock some content or functions for a certain period of time. Subscriptions can be either non-renewing or automatically renewing.
Are you considering to implement in-app purchases in your app? We have a great guide on how to build a mobile payment app like Starbucks.
Strategy #2: In-App Ads
Ads are a driving force of the global market. They’re literally everywhere, and mobile apps aren’t an exception. In-app ads are actually tools of affiliate marketing. With in-app ads, you advertise your affiliates’ products (apps, games, etc.) inside your app and get paid if your users interact with those ads.
There are several types of campaigns used in affiliate marketing, so let’s mention the most popular:
- Cost per click (CPC). This model means that you get paid for each click on ads displayed in your mobile application. Typically, a single click is nearly worthless, so revenue is calculated on a cost per mille basis (mille is Latin for thousand).
- Cost per view (CPV). These campaigns are usually applied to video ads. The more times users of your app watch video ads, the higher payout you get.
- Cost per install (CPI). With this model, you get paid whenever a user of your app installs an advertised application.
If you wish to monetize your application through ads, there are many networks to work with, such as AdMob and Flurry. Most ad networks support apps on iOS and Android, as well as on some other mobile platforms. Also, don’t forget to check what kinds of campaigns they offer, since you need to understand what exactly you’ll be paid for.
There are several ways to display ads in your mobile app:
- Banners. Banner ads usually appear at the top or at the bottom of a screen and have some text and graphics. Banners are considered to be relatively unobtrusive, as users are able to keep using your mobile app even if a banner is active. However, banners have low click-through rates (CTR) and heavily depend on brand recognition (users are far more likely to click if a banner advertises some well-known brand).
- Native. Most people don’t like ads and try to block them completely. How can you reach out to the users of your mobile application, then? Use native ads that don’t really look like ads. Native ads are seamlessly integrated into mobile applications, making them subtle but quite efficient.
- Videos. According to an article by Invesp, the CTR of video ads is 1.84%, so they’re quite effective. Typically, video ads appear automatically when users interact with apps.
- Interstitial. These ads take a whole screen and typically appear when users launch or close an application. However, interstitial ads may also look like pop-ups appearing from time to time.
- Rich media. If you’re wondering what type of in-app ads is the most efficient, here’s the answer: rich media ads that, according to the previously mentioned eMarketer article, show a CTR of 0.44%. Rich media ads use multiple methods to reach out to users, including audio, video, text, and more.
In-app ads allow you to make money off free apps, but this monetization strategy works well only for applications with big audiences. If your app is a startup, don’t expect it to bring big bucks this way.
Strategy #3: Freemium
To benefit from the freemium monetization strategy, you need a second, paid version of your application. If users like a free version, they’re likely to opt for a paid one that has some extra functions.
With a freemium model, users are typically offered to upgrade an app to a paid version, and if they agree, they’re directed to an app store.
For example, have a look at MX Player, a popular video player available on Google Play. This mobile app has a free version, but it contains ads:
Users are offered a paid version of this app, called MX Player Pro. It’s the same in terms of functionality, but comes without advertising:
This monetization option is quite efficient, but you shouldn’t provide too many functions in your free app; otherwise, few users will shell out for the paid one.
Strategy #4: Sponsorship
Finding a sponsor is a really lucrative monetization model. Usually, it works this way: you create a mobile app that gains quite a lot of users, after which you contact a sponsor company and offer to update the design of your app to match the sponsor’s brand.
There are two types of sponsorship deals: you can either split the revenue with your sponsor or receive a monthly sponsorship fee.
Fair go casino no deposit bonus codes. The main difficulty of sponsorship is finding a sponsor. Needless to say, your mobile app should be good enough to be interesting to potential funders.
Strategy #5: Email Marketing
Email marketing has always been and still is a powerful money-making strategy. You can leverage this method and ask the users of your mobile app to provide their emails and, later, send them messages.
Adding a Facebook login option to your free app is a great way to subtly collect user emails. However, give users a chance to cancel email notifications, as this will make your app more credible and people will know they won’t be receiving loads of spam.
Tips for Choosing the Best App Monetization Methods
As you can see, there are many ways you can make money from free apps. You can pick one or opt for several strategies at once. However, there are several handy tips that will help you monetize your free app in the most effective way possible.
Consider the Business Goals of Your Free App
Any application has a business goal, which means it helps its users solve their problems. Therefore, you should select a monetization strategy based on your app’s business purpose.
For example, let’s say you wish to create a cool audio player with lots of sound adjustments. Can in-app purchases be an effective profit generating method? Probably not. Instead, you can opt for ads or offer an ad-free version with a subscription.
Or imagine that you launch an educational app. It can offer in-app purchases, such as access to additional functions or paid tips. Needless to say, such apps can contain ads as well.
Define Your Target Audience
You should clearly realize who you’re creating a mobile app for. Draw a user portrait and decide what functionality users need, how much time they’re likely to spend using your app, and so on. A clear picture of your target users allows you to create an app tailored to their needs.
Though your free app may boast large download numbers, the truth is that only a small part of your users (you may call them the money-spending core) will actually bring you profit by clicking on ads or making in-app purchases. The majority of users won’t spend a cent in your app. You may not like it, but that’s how it is in reality. Therefore, set a goal of attracting as many users as possible and do your best to succeed.
Research Your Competitors
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If you’re thinking of launching a mobile application, you should carry out a competitor analysis. Explore the app stores you’re going to offer your free app in and search for similar apps. Next, find out what your competitors offer, what kind of designs they have and, more importantly, what monetization methods they use.
This information will help you learn from your competitors’ experiences and see what mistakes they’ve made so you can make your free app better and more helpful to customers. In the end, a better app means higher profits for you as its creator.
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Don't Overuse App Monetization Methods
You shouldn’t make your free app inconvenient for users. If it’s full of ads or in-app purchases, your audience may stop using your app and install a similar one. App creators should always remember that their apps bring profits only as long as people use them.
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Your users should feel comfortable when using your app, so be prudent and make all ads and offers in your app as subtle as possible.
Now that you know how free apps make money, you can give your idea a go and turn it into a real-life application.
Can’t handle the development process? Reach RubyGarage and our experts will help you build a successful and competitive mobile application.