Mobile App Usage - Statistics & Facts
Mobile apps are software applications designed to run on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. They are typically available through app stores which are operated by the owners of the mobile operating system. By 2020, mobile apps are forecast to generate around 189 billion U.S. dollars in revenues via app stores and in-app advertising. Some of the most popular operating system-native stores are Apple's App Store, Google Play, as well as Windows Phone Store and BlackBerry App World. As of March 2017, there were 2.8 million available apps at Google Play Store and 2.2 billion apps available in the Apple’s App Store, the two leading app stores in the world.
Whereas mobile apps were originally offered as productivity and information retrieval tools such as calendars, e-mail and weather information, the market has rapidly expanded due to users’ demand and availability of developer tools. The most popular app category among Apple iOS users is utilities, followed by social networking, photo and video and games. Tools, communication, video players and edit, travel and local are the leading Android app categories in the world. In the United States, mobile users spent the majority of their digital time – which varies greatly according to their age group – with mobile music apps. Instant messaging apps are the second most popular mobile app category in the U.S. Indeed, mobile messenger and social appshave experienced a surge in popularity not only in the United States, but also worldwide. WhatsApp, the leading mobile messaging app in the world, has 1.2 billion monthly active users as of 2017.
Many of the most popular mobile properties are mainly accessed via mobile apps instead of mobile browsers. Popular examples are mobile social networking apps, led by Facebook with over 1.1 billion monthly active mobile-only users. Facebook is the smartphone app with the highest audience reach in the United States, as the social networking app was accessed by nearly 80 percent of the mobile audience in the country. Facebook Messenger has the second highest reach in the country, while YouTube ranked third. Some of the everyday activities Americans use Facebook for include discovering new interests, expressing their creativity and relaxing.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Whereas mobile apps were originally offered as productivity and information retrieval tools such as calendars, e-mail and weather information, the market has rapidly expanded due to users’ demand and availability of developer tools. The most popular app category among Apple iOS users is utilities, followed by social networking, photo and video and games. Tools, communication, video players and edit, travel and local are the leading Android app categories in the world. In the United States, mobile users spent the majority of their digital time – which varies greatly according to their age group – with mobile music apps. Instant messaging apps are the second most popular mobile app category in the U.S. Indeed, mobile messenger and social appshave experienced a surge in popularity not only in the United States, but also worldwide. WhatsApp, the leading mobile messaging app in the world, has 1.2 billion monthly active users as of 2017.
Many of the most popular mobile properties are mainly accessed via mobile apps instead of mobile browsers. Popular examples are mobile social networking apps, led by Facebook with over 1.1 billion monthly active mobile-only users. Facebook is the smartphone app with the highest audience reach in the United States, as the social networking app was accessed by nearly 80 percent of the mobile audience in the country. Facebook Messenger has the second highest reach in the country, while YouTube ranked third. Some of the everyday activities Americans use Facebook for include discovering new interests, expressing their creativity and relaxing.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Benefits Of Apps Include Search And Branding
Having an app won’t necessarily help your ranking in search engines directly. Rather, it will increase your traffic in other ways. The main way in which having an app increases traffic is by giving you a whole new avenue for search. Mobile users often don’t search the web. They often search the Apple App Store or Android Market to find the information they want. Having an app allows you to appear in market searches.
You don’t care about Android Market or the App Store? Ok, ok. Remember how Google added that +1 button to the entire internet? They also allow you to add it to your apps. Since your app is connected to your webpage, that +1 button can be in your app, positioned prominently, and gaining you +1s – assuming, of course, that your app provides users with value they’re eager to endorse.
Beyond visibility in search, it’s worth noting that recent research has found that consumers interacting with apps show more brand favorability and purchase intent. The study also found that apps that were more informational — providing product reviews, deals information or cooking tips — were more effective in engaging users, as compared to experiential game- or entertainment-oriented applications.
What About Increasing Visibility In Local Avenues?
There’s a lot of debate about the value of QR codes, and I’m not going to go into it here, but it’s clear that well-placed QR codes do get attention. People often scan them just out of curiosity. While a QR code can lead to anything, a QR code that leads to an app is more effective than one that leads to a mobile website.
This is true because a mobile website is browsed momentarily for anything interesting and then the browser is closed. An app is installed, used, and remains on the device until the owner chooses to remove it. As such, an app is likely to be opened again and used again. If the content is valuable, the user keeps the app. This means more repeat traffic. This is a great way for local businesses to drive engagement with customers.
