Mobile App Statistics in 2024 That Will Make Your Mind Blow

In the era when mobile apps are driving the market, being updated with the latest trends and statistics can help you gain a competitive edge.

Updated 26 February 2024

Ajay Kumar
Ajay Kumar

CEO at Appventurez

The mobile app industry has reached a whole new level with the total number of users reaching around 3 billion. Not only this, but the mobile app industry is still growing at a remarkable rate and showing significant growth for mobile apps future. There are so many mobile app statistics that will leave you amazed at how popular apps are.

The growth of mobile apps is not just about smartphones. Since tablet users have seen a remarkable growth of 1.35 billion in the past five years.

The fact is that it is not just the numbers that we are talking about. We are a part of the world where everyone’s eyes are always on mobile screens. It is for playing games chatting with someone, watching movies, or enjoying music.

We are talking about the present scenario where people need to check their phones every 10 minutes, at least the majority of them. Be it on the street, at home, work, we use our phones everywhere.

But what is it that has hooked the audience on their mobile phones?

The answer is simple we are reading for the last few seconds – mobile apps. 90% of the time spent on mobile phones is on the apps whereas 10% is on other works that are related to Mobile Apps Statistics only, ironically.

Smartphones are all about mobile apps. You want to make a call – app, drop a text – app, check social media – apps.

And we are not even talking about iOS or Android right now. We are talking about all the platforms of operating systems globally.

But these aspects work as the major two factors upon which planning and use of mobile apps work.

  • Users need to install the app
  • Users must use the app

These are the major factors or actions on which this whole article depends upon. After all, without installation or use, there is nothing to talk about.

So, in this article, we are going to talk about Apple and Google Play store statistics, how they are influencing the present world, app usage, and so on while scratching the surface.

So, if you are planning to develop an app, then this data is vital but it is not the only thing that you must be aware of. But first thing first, let us give you an insight into the Mobile Apps Statistics world and then move towards other aspects. 

mobile devices usage

The mobile app stats mentioned below will give you a better insight into the world of mobile application development solutions and how you can thrive in the future. For every multi-billion dollar mobile app idea, it is essential to have the right information and better understanding. 

Representation of Technological Growth With Mobile App Statistics

We have seen a drastic change in the mobile app industry over a couple of years. Several iPhone models, Android models, operating system versions, and so on. The companies are keeping themselves up to date with the latest developments and tech trends.

If anything, mobile apps have become a factor that is reshaping businesses and giving them a new platform to grow. They are no longer a choice but a necessity for the industries that every business owner is adopting.

With this said, let us go to some facts that will help in giving better Mobile app statistics on how the industry is growing. As we all know on average, we check our phones around 80 times a day which makes it more than 3 hours. 

average spent time on mobile devices

Amazing facts? This might give you an idea of how much time users are giving to mobile apps. The digital impact on users due to the increase in usage is amazingly great. Messaging, social media, gaming, video, audio, and whatnot that is coming as the favorites of the users.


So, hire the right mobile app development company with perfect Mobile app statistics that can help you to grow and identify the target audience. 

Revenue

The mobile app industry is growing with time and developers can generate revenue from them with inclusions of advertising, in-app purchases, and downloads. As per the expectation, the expected Mobile Apps Statistics revenue that will be noted by the end of 2021 is around $582 billion which is 48% more than the past few years.

In 2023, as per expectation, total revenue will reach 935.2 billion as per Statista, which is a great visual representation of the app user growth rate.

revenue generated by apps

Many revenue-generating apps in the market are a major game-changer when it comes to earning money. However, it is mainly done with advertisements and in-app purchases as mentioned earlier that are the easiest way to generate revenue to give you an idea about mobile app growth strategy.


On top of that, the revenue of Google and Apple platforms is almost the same with 95% of Android apps and 90% of iOS apps free to use. The applications also depend upon some top mobile app monetization models that help the developers generate a good amount.

However, the users must download and use the application to earn money from the app. As long as users are coming to the application, there will be scope to earn an amount. 

Market Rate/Audience

We have seen a drastic change in mobile apps, especially due to the pandemic that we all are going through. Some of the major influences of COVID-19 can be seen in fitness and healthcare apps.

If we talk in general then the market reach has grown over the past few years and the mobile app market is evolving at a drastic speed, and so is the competition. In 2019, it was estimated that the Apple App Store had 1.8 million apps and Google Play had 2.47 million apps.

In addition to this, we are talking about the global audience that is hooked to the app. This reach also includes the availability of the apps on the Play Store. Let us give you a better understanding of it with Google Play Store Availability for the growth of mobile apps.

If we go in history then there was a bit decline in the availability of Android apps but it is again rising with the pandemic. It is expected to go a bit higher in 2021 and beyond. The other is not true for Apple stores since there is a rise in several apps but the downloads number is not that apt.

Here are the popular categories of Google Play Store that are thriving at present. 

market reach of android app

These are just a glimpse into the world of app development that is thriving in the market. Be it Tinder, Spotify, Netflix, or whatnot, users are actively using them. 

Downloads

If users won’t download the app then who is going to use it? Hence, you can say precisely that app download is a major aspect of the industry. It is easier said than done. Saying that users will download is not as easy as one might feel.

Imagine having an app like Netflix with amazing UI/UX, and great functioning but zero downloads. It will be a waste to the developers since it won’t earn a dime. Hence, downloading an app is directly proportional to the amount that is earned by the developers. Let us give you an insight into different aspects of downloading an app.

downloading of mobile apps

Global Download – As mentioned earlier, mobile apps are used across the globe on tablets and smartphones. It is even predicted by Statista that by 2022, there will be 258.2 billion downloads of mobile apps. 

Free Vs. Paid Download – The monetization strategy is another aspect that has a direct effect on the download. We have been in the middle of the debate of “how free apps make money” for years but how can it affect the download? The developers earn a hefty amount using mobile apps that can be free to download or paid. Either user pays for the download or can do it for free while developers earn via in-app purchases or advertisements. However, remember that users usually download the app that is free of cost instead of paying for the app before using it. 

Google Play Vs. App Store Download – The app stores are always overwhelmed due to users’ demand at present. Be it Android or iOS, users depend upon the Play Store at a drastic level The download number in both platforms has increased over time and is expected to gain a trajectory of 3% in the coming years. 

Design

The UI and UX are the major aspects of the applications that define how famous the app will be in the app. In addition to this, there are UX techniques to follow along with artificial intelligence that can define mobile apps’ future.

The fact is that the user-friendliness of apps will make users return again and again. This enhances user experience and hooks them to it. In addition to this, the app user growth rate depends upon the App store more than the website to extract information and find accurate products.

The app is designed in a manner that can decrease the total number of steps users need to take between the homepage and checkout. Designers use the top mobile app UI design trends to ensure that there is a 100% retention rate with minimum to zero UX flaws, bugs, and glitches. The design automatically increases 70% of user retention of the mobile app. 

Social Media

One of the major apps that are topping the chart is social media. Everyone on social media that falls under the list of more than 220 million downloads including the name as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Then there is TikTok which is growing at an impressive rate and is not an app downloaded by 70% of users. Social media use is boosted with time and is now representing the market share of 57% as in whole representing the growth of mobile apps.

Mobile Commerce

The shopping world is another major industry that has gained a hike in the latest trends. It is like a trend in the present world where customers are connecting with online shops via the internet. 90% of the global population depends upon online shopping whereas 83% of them use smartphones to access the online store.

Especially amid the pandemic, it has become a major source of ordering and getting delivered to the doorstep for customers. As a result, the impact of COVID-19 on startups in the eCommerce industry has taken a new turn.

Amid the pandemic, more than 50% of customers feel that smartphones are a great platform to order products. Then there is a payment gateway in the eCommerce apps that are a major necessity in the present world. 

Performance

As mentioned earlier, UX/UI determines the performance of mobile apps. The only reason that any user will continue to use the app will be if it is efficient, functional, and performs amazingly. There are different reasons why users uninstall the app.

59% of users for slow speed, 76% of users due to screen freeze, and 71% of users due to app crash. Lastly, there is a bad experience that makes 52% of users find some good alternatives.

These are just a few major reasons that make users uninstall the application. 

App Usage

App usage is another factor that is included in the growth of mobile app statistics that depends upon technology, gender, age, and whatnot. Here are a few facts that can give you an understanding of how app usage statistics are influencing mobile apps. 

average usage of mobile apps

These mobile app stats will give you a better understanding of how younger generations are more inclined to use the apps than older generations. However, some apps are usage statistics oriented. This means that there are applications that are thriving in the market with a specific age range.


For instance, there are apps on which users around 40 years old spend 3-4 hours a day whereas on some they only spend 30 minutes at maximum.

Then comes the usage based on a device that depends upon the operating systems of the phone. As mentioned earlier, the usage of iOS and Android apps is done in different ways. Then there are smart home devices, watches, smart TVs, and vehicles.

Each application has a different category that works on smartphones. Smartphones are the major source of usage of weather content around 86% of it, and even for maps around 96%. This data makes sense since people have a phone on them 24/7.

Even the retail consumption is done via a mobile app that goes around 45% or more. Then comes the tablets that hold a lot of difference in the smartphone world. The fact is that smartphones and tablets are giving tough competition to each other as the mobile app industry grows.

Tablet apps work similarly to smartphones. The gaming industry is one of the major ones that is thriving in the present time in both worlds. The user experience is the major factor that pushes owners to go for subscriptions and downloads.

Generation Z

There are approximately 6.95 billion users that use mobile apps around the globe at present. This number is increasing with time and users of age between 16-24 have increased with time showing the growth of mobile apps.

The generation is socially savvy and is always on their phone reaching the level of 96% of users that own it. In addition to this, the users engage and interact with the users. In addition to this, there are 40% of total consumers that lie under Generation Z.

Generation Z is the major reason for the success of the majority of applications like TikTok and Instagram. Hence, it is easy to predict that 50% of Gen Z depends upon video content and hence can be considered as a major strategy. 

Most Essential Apps

The popularity of mobile apps is pretty much clear now with so many Mobile App Statistics as shown earlier. This makes it an essential aspect that includes the penetration rate. However, the fact is that app availability and usage are two different aspects.

There might be a few apps that users just love more than anything. Who can live without Amazon or Netflix?

Some applications suffice the purpose of users in terms of social media, communication, navigation, video content, and even purchases. As mentioned above, there is nothing wrong with going for eCommerce applications like Amazon.

But will it surpass the giant? Probably not! But this shouldn’t stop you since it can do better in the market than Amazon. So, plan to develop the app and know “How to submit your app to the Google Play Store”. 

Total Spending Of Apple & Google

The usage and download can give you a clear understanding of the difference between Android and Apple devices. This is more than enough to showcase the actual difference between Apple and Android users.

The user behaves differently for both the platforms and similar to this will be the total money spent. If we go by mobile app stats then in 2017, Android devices were sold 85% of the global market whereas 14% of those sales were just for Apple.

If your app is appealing then it will be best to include in-app purchases and other premium upgrades as a plus point. 

Mobile Apps Future

Why would anyone develop an app? For the customers? To cater to their needs?

These are just a few reasons why the owners hire a mobile app development company. However, there are a few things to Ask From a Mobile App Development Agency to finalize them. But before that let’s understand mobile apps’ future with other Mobile App Statistics.

The fact is that mobile apps are going to be all about voice search. Even in the present time, 34% of marketers understand the value of search features in the apps.

In addition to this, with the advancement of IoT in the market, cloud-driven apps are in demand. They are going to grow in the coming time. The fact is that with cloud apps, 83% of enterprise workload will witness the effect since digital technology will manage it all.

Even as per Cisco, the mobile app traffic will be over the cloud – at least 90% of them. The users can retrieve the data and even save it in the cloud which will save a lot of internal space.

This is one of the biggest transformations in the mobile industry. It depends upon the technologies as well such as blockchain, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and 5G. In addition to this, mobile apps include Wearable technology trends that can enhance overall performance.

Mobile apps are adopting new technologies and trends that are helping businesses grow with intelligence aggregation. This is a great way to promote app innovation with the right technology.

The mobile app alteration along with the consumption of less power, friendliness, and seamless data transmission as well.

mobile app growth statics

Additional Factors Enhancing Growth Of Mobile Apps

The app market is not a cakewalk to be successful. Several things are a part of it including user retention, which is the difficult part apart from the Mobile App Statistics that one must be aware of.

How are you going to hook the audience?

You can’t force users to return, if anything they will uninstall it if they didn’t like it. More than 90% of users uninstall the app within 15 days of download.

In such a case, it is essential to know mobile app development trends that will help the companies reach the road to success.

The cost of mobile app development depends upon the features and complexity of the app along to develop one. The fact is that to develop a responsive and faster app with better UX, the developers go for native apps.

However, the cost of iOS app development is higher than the cost of Android app development. It is mainly around 10 to 15% but it can depend upon the functionalities. Then this is a part of expenses and a quicker release.

However, with iOS apps being more expensive than Android, they are also better with retention rates and generate 80% more revenue. But still, there is more target audience on the Android platform than on iOS. So, it is a win-win situation for the mobile app industry growth.

Hence, business owners can decide on what platform to go for when it comes to revenue growth. 

Big Picture

The mobile app has come up as a major platform for the business world. It is trending upwards at a drastic rate with penetration rate and mobile usage that is shown in Mobile App Statistics.

With this data, you can see how much influence mobile apps have on the industry with its latest trends. As a result, every business owner is planning to develop an app.

If you are one of them then use this as your guide and understand the user perspective on it. Let’s start with your advanced idea and amazing apps to influence the market. 

Mike rohit

Consult our experts

Elevate your journey and empower your choices with our insightful guidance.

    8 x 2

    Ajay Kumar
    Ajay Kumar

    CEO at Appventurez

    Ajay Kumar has 15+ years of experience in entrepreneurship, project management, and team handling. He has technical expertise in software development and database management. He currently directs the company’s day-to-day functioning and administration.