SensorTowerHere’s What Happened Last Quarter: Q1 2026 Mobile, Web, and Ad Trends
The Q1 2026 Digital Index report signals a pivotal shift for ad ops professionals. The US mobile market faces headwinds: IAP revenue declined for two consecutive quarters, a trend not seen since the COVID pandemic. In contrast, Western Europe emerged as a bright spot, while Google Play doubled iOS App Store's IAP growth, challenging the narrative of lower-spending users on Android.
Gen AI leader ChatGPT saw revenue growth slow to 4% YoY, while rivals Claude (+235%), Gemini (+119%), and Grok (+103%) surged. Ad spend overall rose 15% YoY to $48B, with Gen AI brands tripling investment to $430M. Reddit was the fastest-growing ad channel, followed by Mobile Apps and Instagram.
Notably, Uber Eats' retail media network capitalized on live sports partnerships, highlighting the growing role of delivery platforms in reaching audiences during major events. In the web market, mobile visits surpassed desktop for the first time, but desktop remains dominant for engagement, accounting for over 70% of time spent. This disparity suggests users browse on mobile but switch to desktop for deeper interactions, a gap AI assistants are starting to bridge.
For ad ops decision-makers, actionable takeaways include: 1) Invest in Western European and Google Play channels to offset US mobile IAP declines; 2) Leverage high-growth Gen AI ad platforms like Reddit and TikTok; 3) Optimize for mobile-to-desktop cross-device engagement, especially during live sports and tax season; 4) Monitor the competitive Gen AI landscape as challengers gain ground.
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AdjustFIFA World Cup 2026 mobile app trends for marketers | Adjust
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