Apple's App Store Will Hit 5 Million Apps by 2020, More Than Doubling Its Current Size

Summary

According to new Sensor Tower research, the Apple App Store is projected to host more than five million active apps by the end of 2020, a 73% increase from the projected 2.93 million at the end of 2016. This growth effectively doubles the store's current size. In May 2016 alone, 48,231 new apps were added, with Games accounting for 43% (nearly 21,000).

The top five categories also included Education, Entertainment, Business, and Lifestyle. The report highlights discoverability as a persistent hurdle for developers, noting that with over two million apps already, significant changes in navigation, curation, and presentation—possibly leveraging machine learning—are necessary. Apple's initial steps include new categories and Search Ads, but further innovations, such as an intelligent App Store assistant, may be required to support the ecosystem's expansion.