With app downloads skyrocketing to a staggering 257 billion globally in 2023, the mobile application landscape has transformed into a colossal force of engagement and revenue that is reshaping how we live, work, and play.
Key Takeaways
- Global mobile app downloads reached 257 billion in 2023, marking a 11% increase from 2022
- In 2023, Google Play Store accounted for 118 billion app downloads worldwide
- Apple App Store saw 30.5 billion downloads in 2023 across all regions
- Global app store revenue hit $171 billion in 2023, up 10% from 2022
- Consumer spend on iOS apps reached $88.4 billion in 2023
- Google Play generated $36.2 billion in revenue in 2023
- Global active mobile app users numbered 5.2 billion in 2023
- 92% of smartphone users have at least one app installed beyond preloaded ones in 2023
- Average number of apps installed per smartphone was 80 in 2023
- iOS commanded 60% market share of app users in US in 2023
- Android held 71% global smartphone OS market share driving app dominance in 2023
- Gaming apps occupied 13% of total app market share by revenue in 2023
- Average app session length was 10.5 minutes globally in 2023
- Users opened apps 15 times per day on average in 2023
- Day 30 retention rate for apps averaged 3.5% in 2023
Global mobile app downloads and revenue grew significantly across all major categories in 2023.
Downloads
- Global mobile app downloads reached 257 billion in 2023, marking a 11% increase from 2022
- In 2023, Google Play Store accounted for 118 billion app downloads worldwide
- Apple App Store saw 30.5 billion downloads in 2023 across all regions
- India led global app downloads with 26.4 billion in 2023
- Gaming apps generated 31 billion downloads globally in 2023
- Social networking apps had 15.8 billion downloads in 2023
- In Q4 2023, downloads on iOS grew by 7% year-over-year to 8.5 billion
- Android downloads in the US reached 4.2 billion in 2023
- China recorded 20.1 billion app downloads in 2023
- Photo & Video apps saw 12.3 billion downloads worldwide in 2023
- In 2023, entertainment apps amassed 18.7 billion downloads globally
- US app downloads totaled 24.8 billion in 2023
- Productivity apps downloaded 9.6 billion times in 2023
- Brazil had 7.9 billion app downloads in 2023
- Finance apps reached 4.1 billion downloads in 2023
- Europe app downloads hit 42 billion in 2023
- Travel apps downloaded 3.2 billion times globally in 2023
- Japan saw 6.5 billion app downloads in 2023
- Health & Fitness apps had 2.8 billion downloads in 2023
- Indonesia recorded 9.2 billion app downloads in 2023
- Education apps amassed 5.4 billion downloads worldwide in 2023
- Russia had 4.7 billion app downloads in 2023
- Music apps downloaded 4.9 billion times in 2023
- Mexico saw 5.1 billion app downloads in 2023
- Shopping apps reached 6.7 billion downloads globally in 2023
- South Korea had 3.8 billion app downloads in 2023
- Lifestyle apps downloaded 3.5 billion times in 2023
- Germany recorded 3.2 billion app downloads in 2023
- News apps had 2.9 billion downloads worldwide in 2023
- Turkey saw 4.3 billion app downloads in 2023
Downloads Interpretation
Despite humanity's occasional claims of being bored, our collective 257 billion app downloads in 2023 suggest we are, in fact, a species that will tap, swipe, and scroll on absolutely anything to avoid a moment of genuine reflection.
Engagement
- Average app session length was 10.5 minutes globally in 2023
- Users opened apps 15 times per day on average in 2023
- Day 30 retention rate for apps averaged 3.5% in 2023
- Gaming apps average daily time spent 1.5 hours per user in 2023
- Social apps session count averaged 12 per day in 2023
- 52% of app time spent on iOS devices in US in 2023
- Video apps engagement grew 18% year-over-year in 2023
- Average app crash rate was 2.1% per session in 2023
- Music apps daily active usage 45 minutes per user in 2023
- Shopping apps conversion rate averaged 2.8% in 2023
- Top 200 apps captured 85% of total engagement time in 2023
- Finance apps session length 8.2 minutes average in 2023
- Gen Z engagement 25% higher than average in 2023
- Push notification open rate 4.6% for apps in 2023
- Health apps weekly active users grew 22% in 2023
- Daily app switches averaged 120 per user in 2023
- Entertainment apps time spent 55 minutes daily in 2023
- Retention for subscription apps 12% at day 30 in 2023
- News apps engagement down 5% year-over-year in 2023
- Travel apps bookings via app up 30% engagement in 2023
- Productivity apps daily opens 6 times average in 2023
- Dark pattern usage correlated with 15% higher engagement in 2023
- Education apps session time 20 minutes average in 2023
- Lifestyle apps weekly engagement 3 hours per user in 2023
Engagement Interpretation
Users are glued to their apps in a frenetic, low-commitment dance of fleeting sessions—often lured by questionable design—where they spend most of their time in a handful of favorites, all while being spectacularly bad at remembering to open them again after a month.
Market Share
- iOS commanded 60% market share of app users in US in 2023
- Android held 71% global smartphone OS market share driving app dominance in 2023
- Gaming apps occupied 13% of total app market share by revenue in 2023
- Google Play had 72% of global app downloads market share in 2023
- Apple App Store captured 70% of global app revenue market share in 2023
- Social apps held 15% market share of total downloads in 2023
- US represented 28% of global app revenue market share in 2023
- China dominated 50% of global app revenue excluding iOS in 2023
- Entertainment apps had 8% market share of downloads in 2023
- iOS apps market share in downloads was 24% globally in 2023
- Finance apps captured 4% of revenue market share in 2023
- Android market share in Europe apps was 65% in 2023
- Shopping apps held 5% download market share worldwide in 2023
- TikTok alone had 15% social app market share by users in 2023
- Gaming revenue market share of mobile was 49% in 2023
- Music apps 3% revenue market share globally in 2023
- India apps 10% global download market share in 2023
- Health apps 2% market share of revenue in 2023
- Brazil 4% global app download market share in 2023
- Productivity apps 4% download market share in 2023
- Subscriptions 27% of total app revenue market share in 2023
- Photo & Video 4% revenue market share in 2023
- APAC 45% global app revenue market share excluding China in 2023
- Education apps 2% download market share in 2023
Market Share Interpretation
While Android may rule the download kingdom globally, Apple's App Store reigns as the undisputed, profit-siphoning monarch, proving that in the app world, quality (or at least spending power) trumps quantity.
Revenue
- Global app store revenue hit $171 billion in 2023, up 10% from 2022
- Consumer spend on iOS apps reached $88.4 billion in 2023
- Google Play generated $36.2 billion in revenue in 2023
- Gaming apps accounted for 52% of total app revenue at $89 billion in 2023
- In-app purchases made up 74% of iOS revenue in 2023 totaling $65 billion
- Subscriptions generated $46.2 billion in app revenue worldwide in 2023
- US app revenue reached $47.5 billion in 2023
- China app stores revenue was $88.1 billion in 2023
- Social media apps earned $22.7 billion in 2023
- Entertainment apps revenue hit $12.4 billion globally in 2023
- Dating apps generated $4.2 billion revenue in 2023
- Finance apps earned $7.8 billion worldwide in 2023
- Music streaming apps revenue was $9.1 billion in 2023
- Shopping apps generated $5.6 billion in 2023
- Health & Fitness apps revenue reached $3.9 billion in 2023
- Education apps earned $2.7 billion globally in 2023
- Travel apps revenue was $4.1 billion in 2023
- Photo & Video apps generated $6.3 billion in 2023
- Productivity apps revenue hit $4.8 billion worldwide in 2023
- News apps earned $2.1 billion in 2023
- Lifestyle apps revenue was $1.9 billion globally in 2023
- Gaming subscriptions alone generated $22.5 billion in 2023
- Ad revenue from apps totaled $362 billion in 2023
- iOS US revenue grew 12% to $15.2 billion in Q4 2023
- Android global IAP revenue was $28.4 billion in 2023
- EMEA region app revenue reached $22.3 billion in 2023
- LATAM app revenue hit $7.9 billion in 2023
- APAC excluding China revenue was $28.7 billion in 2023
Revenue Interpretation
In 2023, humanity collectively spent $171 billion proving that our true love language is not words but in-app purchases, while our most earnest prayers were whispered as credit card numbers into the glowing altars of our smartphones.
Users
- Global active mobile app users numbered 5.2 billion in 2023
- 92% of smartphone users have at least one app installed beyond preloaded ones in 2023
- Average number of apps installed per smartphone was 80 in 2023
- US had 194 million monthly active iOS users in 2023
- India smartphone users reached 780 million in 2023, all potential app users
- 4.8 billion people used mobile internet via apps in 2023
- Gaming app monthly active users hit 2.2 billion in 2023
- Social media apps had 4.9 billion MAUs across top platforms in 2023
- Average daily app usage per user was 4.2 hours in 2023
- 65% of global population aged 18+ uses mobile apps daily in 2023
- China had 1.05 billion mobile app users in 2023
- Women represented 52% of app users globally in 2023
- Gen Z (18-24) spent 5.1 hours daily on apps in 2023
- 78% of US adults use mobile apps for banking in 2023
- Europe had 650 million mobile app users in 2023
- 45% of app users are aged 25-34 years old in 2023
- Brazil smartphone penetration led to 150 million app users in 2023
- 88% retention rate drop-off for apps after day 1 in 2023
- Japan had 95 million active app users in 2023
- Millennials (25-40) comprise 38% of app users in 2023
- Indonesia app users reached 180 million in 2023
- 62% of users open 9 apps daily on average in 2023
- South Korea had 48 million app users in 2023
- Boomers (55+) app usage grew 25% to 20% of total users in 2023
- Mexico had 85 million mobile app users in 2023
- Daily active users for top 10 apps averaged 500 million each in 2023
Users Interpretation
While humanity has nearly perfected the art of holding a rectangle that connects us to the world, entertains us, and manages our lives for over four hours a day, our collective attention span remains so fickle that most apps are ghosted after a single date.
Sources & References
- Reference 1STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 2BUSINESSOFAPPSbusinessofapps.comVisit source
- Reference 3SENSORTOWERsensortower.comVisit source
- Reference 4NEWZOOnewzoo.comVisit source
- Reference 542MATTERS42matters.comVisit source
- Reference 6DATAREPORTALdatareportal.comVisit source
- Reference 7FEDERALRESERVEfederalreserve.govVisit source