Mobile users spent 5.3 trillion hours in apps in 2025, up 3.8% year over year, according to Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2026 report. That is roughly 3.6 hours a day for every phone owner on Earth, spread across about 34 apps per month (Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026). Global in-app purchase revenue climbed 10.6% to $167 billion, and for the first time on record people spent more inside non-gaming apps than in games. Downloads tell a split story: Sensor Tower logged nearly 150 billion installs while Appfigures counted 106.9 billion, a fifth straight annual decline (Appfigures, via TechCrunch 2026). This analysis consolidates data from Sensor Tower, Appfigures, DataReportal, Apple, eMarketer, and 8 other primary sources to map how, where, and for how long the world uses mobile apps.
TL;DR
- Consumers spent 5.3 trillion hours in mobile apps in 2025, about 3.6 hours per day per user (Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026).
- Global in-app purchase revenue reached $167 billion, up 10.6% year over year (Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026).
- Appfigures counted 106.9 billion downloads (down 2.7%) and $155.8 billion in consumer spend (up 21.6%) (Appfigures, via TechCrunch 2026).
- Non-game apps out-earned mobile games in in-app spending for the first time on record (Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026).
- Apple’s App Store ecosystem facilitated $1.4 trillion in billings and sales in 2025 (Apple, 2026).
- Generative AI apps drew 48 billion hours of use, roughly 3.6x the 2024 total (Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026).
- Social media still added 108 billion hours of app time in 2025, far ahead of every other category (eMarketer, 2026).
- Average day-one app retention is about 25%, falling to roughly 4% by day 30 (Business of Apps, 2026).
- India led downloads at 25.5 billion, more than double the US total of 12.6 billion (Sensor Tower, via TechCrunch 2026).
- Global mobile ad spend is projected at $447 billion in 2025, about 56% of all digital ad spending (Statista, 2026).
1. The 2025 Mobile App Market in Totals
The headline numbers depend on who is counting, and the gap is instructive. Sensor Tower and Appfigures both track iOS and Google Play, yet their download totals differ by more than 40 billion because they model store data and re-downloads differently. What both agree on is the direction: spending is rising even as raw download growth stalls, because publishers now monetize existing users through subscriptions rather than chasing new installs. Apple’s own ecosystem figure, which folds in physical commerce and advertising, dwarfs the pure app-store IAP numbers.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total app downloads, 2025 | ~150 billion (+0.8% YoY) | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Total app downloads, 2025 (alt. estimate) | 106.9 billion (-2.7% YoY) | Appfigures, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| Global in-app purchase revenue | $167 billion (+10.6% YoY) | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Global consumer spend (alt. estimate) | $155.8 billion (+21.6% YoY) | Appfigures, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| Total time spent in apps | 5.3 trillion hours (+3.8% YoY) | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| App Store ecosystem billings and sales | $1.4 trillion | Apple Newsroom, 2026 |
| Prior download peak | 135 billion (2020) | Appfigures, via TechCrunch 2026 |
Divergence note: Sensor Tower reports “nearly 150 billion” installs while Appfigures reports 106.9 billion. Treat these as directional estimates from different models, not a single agreed count. See Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2026 and TechCrunch’s Appfigures write-up.
2. Time Spent and How Often People Open Apps
Attention is concentrating in a handful of apps. The average user touches about 34 apps a month but spends the overwhelming majority of that time in social, communication, and entertainment. A single TikTok user averages 1 hour 37 minutes a day on the Android app alone, more than YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook, per DataReportal’s Digital 2026 report. Total daily app time of 3.6 hours (Sensor Tower) sits below DataReportal’s broader smartphone screen-time reading because the two count different things: apps only versus all smartphone activity including the mobile browser.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average daily time in apps per user | ~3.6 hours | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Apps used per month (average user) | ~34 | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| App opens per day (average) | ~38 | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| TikTok daily time (Android) | 1 hr 37 min | DataReportal, Digital 2026 |
| YouTube daily time (Android) | ~1 hr 25 min | DataReportal, Digital 2026 |
| Instagram daily time (Android) | 1 hr 13 min | DataReportal, Digital 2026 |
| Facebook daily time (Android) | 67 min | DataReportal, Digital 2026 |
| Daily time on social media (all platforms) | 2 hr 21 min | DataReportal / GWI, 2026 |
Context: DataReportal’s per-app figures cover Android usage only; iOS-inclusive averages differ. Full report at DataReportal Digital 2026. For platform-level detail see our social media statistics 2026.
3. Consumer Spending and Monetization
The money story is a mix shift, not just growth. Non-game app spending reached $82.6 billion in 2025, up 33.9% and outpacing games for the first time (Appfigures). Subscriptions and AI tools drove the swing while game spending grew in single digits. Platform economics stayed lopsided: despite Android’s larger install base, Apple’s iOS captured about 70% of consumer spend, and Apple’s ecosystem figure shows most value flows through commission-free physical commerce, not the 30% cut people associate with the App Store.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile games consumer spend | $72.2 billion (~46% of total, +10% YoY) | Appfigures, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| Non-game app consumer spend | $82.6 billion (+33.9% YoY) | Appfigures, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| First year non-game IAP out-earned games | 2025 | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| iOS share of consumer spend | ~70% (App Store $117B vs Google Play $49B) | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| Google Play consumer spend, 2025 | ~$49 billion | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| App Store digital goods and services billings | $149 billion | Apple Newsroom, 2026 |
| App Store in-app advertising billings | $151 billion | Apple Newsroom, 2026 |
Context: over 90% of App Store ecosystem billings carried no Apple commission, per Apple’s newsroom release. Game-specific spending is detailed in our mobile gaming statistics 2026.
4. What’s Winning: Top Apps and Category Shifts
The 2025 charts confirm a category realignment. AI moved from novelty to top-of-store, with rankings that flip depending on the tracker. Sensor Tower crowned TikTok its number-one app across downloads, revenue, and time; AppTweak and Business of Apps put ChatGPT first by installs. Short-form video kept its grip, but the breakout was microdrama: vertical soap-opera apps that overtook traditional streamers in mobile engagement in several markets.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT global downloads, 2025 | 845.3 million | AppTweak, 2026 |
| Instagram global downloads, 2025 | 762.3 million | AppTweak, 2026 |
| TikTok global downloads, 2025 | 545.8 million | AppTweak, 2026 |
| Top app by Sensor Tower ranking | TikTok (No. 1), ChatGPT (No. 2) | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Short drama app downloads | 2.3 billion (+100%+ YoY) | Sensor Tower, State of Short Drama Apps 2025 |
| ReelShort daily time per user (Q4 2025) | 35.7 min (vs Netflix 24.8 min) | Sensor Tower, via eMarketer 2026 |
| Fast-growing download categories | Sports betting +24%, food delivery +14%, credit/lending +18% | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
Divergence note: AppTweak ranks ChatGPT first by installs (845.3M), while Sensor Tower ranks TikTok first overall; the two use different install-counting methods. See AppTweak’s 2025 rankings.
5. The Generative AI App Surge
Generative AI was the fastest-rising category of 2025, but framing matters. GenAI apps drew 48 billion hours of use, about 3.6x their 2024 total (Sensor Tower), yet social media still added 108 billion hours of app time in the same year, more than three times genAI’s 30.3 billion-hour gain (eMarketer). The signal underneath the hype: session growth is outrunning download growth, meaning AI apps are deepening engagement among existing users rather than only acquiring new ones. A majority of US genAI users now reach AI through apps they already had, not standalone assistants.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GenAI app time spent, 2025 | 48 billion hours (~3.6x 2024) | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Social media app time added, 2025 | 108.0 billion hours | eMarketer, 2026 |
| GenAI / AI-assistant time added, 2025 | 30.3 billion hours | eMarketer, 2026 |
| AI-assistant time-spent growth | +425% YoY | eMarketer, 2026 |
| GenAI in-app purchase revenue | $4.33 billion (+254% YoY) | eMarketer, 2026 |
| ChatGPT time-spent growth | +426% YoY | Sensor Tower, via 9to5Mac 2026 |
| US genAI users accessing AI via existing apps | 69% | eMarketer, 2026 |
Context: social media’s lead over genAI in absolute time-added is documented in eMarketer’s category analysis.
6. Retention and Abandonment
Acquisition is easy; keeping users is brutal. Only about 25% of new users return the day after install, and roughly 4% remain by day 30 across categories (Business of Apps). Games win the first impression but bleed users fastest afterward, while finance and fintech apps hold the strongest day-30 numbers because they solve recurring, high-stakes tasks. Roughly a quarter of users abandon an app after a single session, and nearly half of Android installs are uninstalled within a month.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average day-1 retention | ~25% | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| Average day-7 retention | ~8% | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| Average day-30 retention | ~4% | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| Games day-1 retention | 28.7%-32.2% | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| Social apps day-1 / day-30 retention | 26.3% / 3.9% | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| Users who abandon after one use | ~25% | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| Installs uninstalled within 30 days (Android) | ~46.1% | AppsFlyer, App Uninstall Report 2025 |
| Education apps day-30 retention | ~2% | Business of Apps, 2026 |
Context: retention benchmarks vary widely by measurement window and region; see Business of Apps retention data and the AppsFlyer uninstall report.
7. Regional and Demographic Divides
Downloads and dollars live in different countries. India recorded 25.5 billion app downloads in 2025, more than double the United States’ 12.6 billion, yet monetized at roughly $0.03 per download versus more than $0.20 in Southeast Asia and Latin America (Sensor Tower, via TechCrunch). The US remained the revenue engine at nearly $60 billion in in-app spend. Age gaps are just as sharp: young women log the heaviest social and video app time, and mobile’s share of global web traffic now rivals or exceeds desktop depending on the tracker.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| India app downloads, 2025 (No. 1 market) | 25.5 billion | Sensor Tower, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| US app downloads, 2025 | 12.6 billion | Sensor Tower, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| India monetization per download | ~$0.03 (vs $0.20+ in SE Asia / LatAm) | Sensor Tower, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| US in-app revenue (top market) | ~$60 billion | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Women 16-24 weekly social + video time | 25 hr 45 min | DataReportal / GWI, 2026 |
| Mobile share of global web traffic | ~52% (DataReportal) to ~62% (Statcounter) | DataReportal / Statcounter, 2026 |
| Global mobile ad spend, 2025 | $447 billion (~56% of digital) | Statista, 2026 |
| In-app advertising spend, 2025 | $390 billion | Statista, 2026 |
Context: India’s download lead alongside a revenue gap is detailed in TechCrunch’s India report. Device shipment trends behind these usage numbers are covered in our smartphone market statistics 2026, and generational patterns in our Gen Z media statistics 2026.
Summary: Mobile App Usage by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total time spent in apps, 2025 | 5.3 trillion hours (+3.8% YoY) | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Average daily app time per user | ~3.6 hours | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Apps used per month | ~34 | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Global in-app purchase revenue | $167 billion (+10.6% YoY) | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Global consumer spend (alt. estimate) | $155.8 billion (+21.6% YoY) | Appfigures, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| Total downloads, 2025 | ~150B (Sensor Tower) / 106.9B (Appfigures) | Sensor Tower; Appfigures 2026 |
| App Store ecosystem billings and sales | $1.4 trillion | Apple Newsroom, 2026 |
| Non-game app spend | $82.6 billion (+33.9% YoY) | Appfigures, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| Mobile games consumer spend | $72.2 billion (~46% of total) | Appfigures, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| iOS share of consumer spend | ~70% | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| GenAI app time spent | 48 billion hours (~3.6x 2024) | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Social media app time added, 2025 | 108.0 billion hours | eMarketer, 2026 |
| ChatGPT global downloads | 845.3 million | AppTweak, 2026 |
| Short drama app downloads | 2.3 billion (+100%+ YoY) | Sensor Tower, State of Short Drama Apps 2025 |
| Average day-1 / day-30 retention | ~25% / ~4% | Business of Apps, 2026 |
| Installs uninstalled within 30 days (Android) | ~46.1% | AppsFlyer, 2025 |
| India app downloads (No. 1 market) | 25.5 billion | Sensor Tower, via TechCrunch 2026 |
| TikTok daily time (Android) | 1 hr 37 min | DataReportal, Digital 2026 |
| Global mobile ad spend, 2025 | $447 billion (~56% of digital) | Statista, 2026 |
Methodology and Sources
This roundup aggregates figures from annual industry reports, official company disclosures, and market-research datasets published or covering full-year 2025 data, cross-referencing download and spend totals across two or more independent trackers where they diverge.
Sources cited:
- Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 (2026)
- Sensor Tower, State of Short Drama Apps 2025 (2026)
- Appfigures, 2025 annual data, via TechCrunch (Jan 2026)
- TechCrunch, India app downloads report (Jan 2026)
- Apple Newsroom, App Store ecosystem $1.4 trillion (Jun 2026, Analysis Group study)
- DataReportal / We Are Social / Meltwater / GWI, Digital 2026 Global Overview (2026)
- eMarketer, GenAI and social media app time analysis (2026)
- Business of Apps, App Retention Rates and Most Popular Apps (2026)
- AppsFlyer, App Uninstall Benchmarks Report 2025
- AppTweak, Most Downloaded Apps Globally 2025 (2026)
- Statista, In-App Advertising Worldwide and Google Play app counts (2026)
- 9to5Mac, State of Mobile 2026 coverage (Jan 2026)
Data watch: Sensor Tower’s next State of Mobile edition is expected in January 2027, and DataReportal’s Digital global report refreshes each January with April and July quarterly updates. Apple’s App Store ecosystem study runs annually in mid-year, and Appfigures publishes fresh full-year totals each January. eMarketer and Statista update their app and ad-spend forecasts throughout the year.
Last updated: July 16, 2026. We review and update this page quarterly as new data is published.