In 2019, global user spending on Apple's App Store and Google Play reached an estimated $83.5 billion, a 17% increase from $71.3 billion in 2018. The App Store generated a record $54.2 billion (up 16.3%), while Google Play contributed $29.3 billion (up 18.1%). Games accounted for $61.7 billion, or 74% of total in-app spending, down from 77% in 2018, reflecting growth in non-game app monetization.
First-time app installs hit 114.9 billion, up 9.1% from 2018, with Google Play accounting for 84.3 billion installs (up 11.4%) and the App Store 30.6 billion (up 3.4%). Mobile game installs reached 42.1 billion, with Google Play leading at 32.9 billion. Top games included Honor of Kings on iOS and Lineage M on Google Play.
The data indicates continued market health and innovation.
TikTok had its best month in February 2020 with nearly 113 million downloads, 96% Y/Y growth. India led with 46.6M installs, followed by Brazil and US. Revenue hit $50.4M, up 784% Y/Y, mostly from China.
Fate/Grand Order surpassed $4 billion in lifetime player spending, with 81.5% from Japan. It generated $1 billion annually in 2018 and 2019, and became Japan's top-grossing mobile game in 2020.
TikTok surpasses 1.5 billion downloads, ranking 3rd most downloaded non-gaming app in 2019. India leads with 31% of installs, China 11.5%, US 8.2%. Revenue hits $175M, mainly from China (48.3%) and US (35.7%).
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang reached $502.5 million lifetime gross revenue, driven by $214.1 million in 2019 (up 36% YoY). Asia contributed 61% of revenue, with Malaysia ($87.5M) and Indonesia ($69.2M) as top markets. Google Play accounted for 68% of revenue and 89% of 281.3 million downloads. First-mover advantage helped it surpass Honor of Kings outside China.
TikTok hit 738M downloads and $177M revenue in 2019, growing 5x from 2018. India led downloads (44%). China topped revenue (69%). Q4 was best quarter. App faces privacy challenges but growth persists.
European finance app installs hit 960M in 2025 but grew only 0.4%. BNPL apps grew 40% while crypto fell 35%, signaling a shift to utility. Neobanks win acquisition; traditional banks win retention (1.5-2x Day 30 rates). Web-to-app drives 41.8% of conversions but most brands can't measure the handoff. Nearly 1 in 2 investment app installs in Western Europe is fraudulent, distorting CPI and ROAS. Winning brands prioritize engagement, fraud detection, and cross-platform measurement.
Short drama apps are reshaping mobile entertainment, surpassing 850M downloads in Q1 2026 (up 140% YoY) with IAP revenue reaching $750M. Growth is concentrated in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and India, where these apps outpace traditional OTT in user acquisition. Engagement is surging: daily time spent grew 85% to 25 minutes globally, nearing OTT levels in Southeast Asia. For ad ops, the shift toward ad monetization in addition to IAP opens new inventory opportunities. Key players like FreeReels, NetShort, and Melolo are scaling via localized content and paid acquisition, creating competitive ad markets.
TikTok surpasses 2 billion downloads globally, with India leading at 30.3%. Q1 2020 saw record 315 million installs amid COVID-19. User spending hits $456.7 million, 72.3% from China.
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