Statistics on Mobile App Usage and Growth till 2023 and Beyond

As we approach the end of 2022, businesses are still recovering from the losses they suffered in 2020. Thanks to digital-first technology, businesses have the opportunity to operate remotely and use cross-platform, mobile-first, cloud-based digital solutions.

The fast-rising acceptance rate of digital-first enterprise mobility solutions is driving tech industry leaders to introduce improvements in mobile technologies, creating opportunities for companies to stand out in the market.

Switching to mobile-first software solutions is especially important in today’s world where users prefer mobile devices to the traditional system. Let’s wait and watch what innovations the rapidly expanding IT mobility trends will bring in the remaining months of 2022, the next year 2023, and beyond.

Why Is Mobile App Development Required?

The market for mobile app development has seen significant growth due to the rising demand for mobility solutions and people’s desire for instant access to everything.

Mobile Device User Base

According to one study, the number of smartphone users has increased by 0.3–0.6 billion every year since the invention of the device. The number of smartphone subscribers has increased from the initial 3.6 billion users in 2016 to the most recent 6.6 billion subscribers estimated in 2022, and is predicted to reach 7.7 billion subscribers by 2027. From 2016 to 2022, there will undoubtedly be an increase in smartphone users of 10.4% annually.

Users of Mobile Devices: Android vs. iOS

Global Market: Without a doubt, Android users lead the market with 72.2% of the global market share when there is rivalry between Android and iOS mobile phones.

US Market: With 57% of the iOS mobile user base, the iOS mobile market dominates the US market when comparing users of Android and iOS mobile devices.

UK Mobile Market: The iOS and Android markets are in intense competition with one another in the UK. In the Q3 2020 survey, Android users held a 53% market share, whereas in the Q3 2021 survey, iOS users held a 51.6% market share and Android users had a 47.8% market share.

It makes sense for firms to construct a mobile application in light of such forecasts in order to reach their largest possible client base. Additionally, the number of tablets in use worldwide has increased by 36% over the previous six years, approaching 1.14 billion, underscoring the need for cross-platform app development.

Use of Smartphones

According to one estimate, a typical individual will check their smartphone on average for 4 hours and 23 minutes every day in 2021. By 2023, however, it is anticipated that the amount of time spent using mobile applications will increase by 4 hours 35 minutes. Additionally, the average smartphone junkie looks at their screen 262-250 times per day, or less than 5 minutes.

The digitalization of administration, retail, and financial services, as well as the simple accessibility of entertainment content, are some of the factors contributing to this rise in intense smartphone usage.

Businesses have the possibility to make $935 billion in revenue by giving services with the cutting-edge mobile app solution thanks to the intense users’ attention to their smartphone usage.

Development and Download Statistics for Mobile Apps

It is important to bring up the notions of Android and iOS apps, as well as Google Play Store and App Store, while talking about mobile app development and download statistics.

Google Play Store

Google is the most dependable and often utilized platform by a large worldwide audience for even the simplest search queries. Over 2.65 million Android apps with 494K+ publishers were identified by the community in the first quarter of 2022.

The number of applications on Google Play Marketplace is growing daily even as spammy and low-quality apps are being removed from the store. Every day, about 3,739 new mobile apps are added to the Google Play Store! The Google Play Store is now the largest mobile app store in the world because of the rising number of apps.

As a result of the growing number of apps available on the Google Play Store, the app download rate was most recently reported at 111.3 billion, a 50% increase over the app download rate in 2016.

By 2023, consumers of the Google Play Store are expected to spend $60 billion on apps, up from $53 billion in 2022, according to the Sensor Tower.

App Store

With a regionally diverse user base, Apple App Store is the second-largest app store behind Google App Store. This information is available in the section above titled “Android vs. iOS Mobile Device Users.”

There are currently 2.11 million iOS mobile apps accessible in the App Store, with 724K+ producers worldwide. Around 221,666 games make up the whole iOS app store, with the rest of the apps being non-games.

The most recent analysis by Statista indicates that 36,000 iOS mobile apps were made available worldwide in the App Store as of June 2022.

App Store anticipates revenue growth of approximately $96 billion by 2023 from $88 billion in 2022 Q1 due to the increasing popularity and user base globally.

Statistics on Mobile App Retention

The user retention rate should be the main consideration when creating a mobile app. We are aware that maintaining higher user retention rates is not always easy, but it is crucial to attempt various strategies.

Let’s first define what the mobile app retention rate means.

The calculation of the mobile app retention rate is dependent on how long customers keep using the app after installing it. The higher the rate of mobile app user retention, the longer the programme is used continuously by the most users. In essence, the 30-day period following an app user’s installation on a mobile device is used to assess the user retention rate for mobile apps.

The average 30-day retention rate for mobile apps is shared by the community of mobile developers:

Industry Average 30-Day Retention Rate
Finance 16%
Gaming 11%
Health and Fitness 9%
Media and Entertainment 10%
Retail and eCommerce 13%
Social Networking 7%
Travel and Hospitality 10%

As a result, in order to consistently assure higher mobile app user retention rates, you should check the elements contributing to better mobile app growth as detailed in the topic supplied below.

2023 Mobile App Growth Influencing Factors

You now know that mobile apps account for almost 90% of the time spent by smartphone users. You might also be interested in learning what drives smartphone users to stick with their preferred mobile app. You might use the information from this study to improve the productivity of your mobile app solution.

Features and functionalities of mobile apps

1. Eye-catching UI/UX designs for mobile apps

The UI/UX design trends for mobile devices are the most dynamic. The success of your mobile apps is increasingly dependent on the UI/UX designs for mobile devices, which have made significant advancements in recent years. As a result, there is a growing market competition for the finest mobile app UI/UX to guarantee the highest user retention rate.

According to the top mobile app UI/UX statistics:

  • Good UI and UX design can raise application conversion rates by 200% and 400%, respectively. Forrester Research
  • The UX ROI ratio is 9,900%. (Forrester Report)

You can attempt the newest mobile app UI/UX design trends with your solution:

  • Use of mobile OS-inspired in-app gestures (such as double tapping, dragging, flickering, flicking, swiping, touch & hold, bottom swiping, swiping to switch screens, etc.) (iOS & Android Gestures)
  • Use of Motion Elements – According to Wyzowl’s survey, 96% of users give motion elements more attention (video and animation)
  • AR in user interfaces: Since 2019, there has been a growth in the use of augmented reality in user interfaces. The number of AR users was 0.44 billion in that year (2019), but it is now predicted that number will increase to 1.73 billion by 2024.
  • In UI, use illustrations
  • Use Bitmozies and other animated characters to create a fun app experience.

2. Best Outcome

Any mobile application must operate as quickly and error-free as possible in order to be successful. Mobile app users want applications that regularly provide new updates, offer a positive app user experience, and cater to all of their demands in today’s fast-paced environment.

Your mobile app’s performance is the sole factor to consider when there is such fierce competition in the mobile app market.

  • 30% of mobile app users prefer that their favorite apps load quickly.
  • 49% of mobile app users say they’ll wait up to five seconds or less for an app to load.

If your mobile app doesn’t load quickly enough, you risk losing potential, devoted consumers. According to Forrester Research, the average mobile user utilizes 25 apps intensively per month, whereas 80% of users only use 5.

Platform-Specific Clientele

You already know that the user bases for the Android and iOS platforms are counted most recently by region due to their high rates of user base retention. Therefore, it’s crucial to make a sensible choice when developing your app. You are also aware of the differences in mobile app development costs between iOS and Android, with iOS app development rates being slightly higher.

On the plus side, cross-platform or hybrid mobile app development is a possibility if you want to generate fantastic revenue. This choice enables you make income from all app hosting platforms and is more affordable than developing native apps.

Follow the Success Trends of Mobile App Development Solutions

You could be inspired to create your own mobile application after learning about mobile app development and business revenue creation. Do you know what kind of app development is involved? What kind of mobile application do you want to create, in plain English? Please allow us to simplify your research.

The most popular categories in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, according to the report, are listed below:

1. Apps for social media

Social media programmers gained popularity right away, starting with Facebook. Social media platforms have become an essential aspect of our lives for networking, entertainment, and marketing. Did you know that 90% of individuals read through social media for 4-5 hours every day?

Without a doubt, the time spent on social media platforms by the worldwide digital userbase has been doubled as a result of the short social media movies, shorts, reels, etc. What types of social media sites are included in that?

We can get that information about ourselves and the people around us without conducting a thorough survey. The majority of social media users utilize apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and other services wherever we go.

The social media statistics supplied by e-marketers below show that every social media platform is acquiring subscribers in large numbers every single day and has a rising graph every single year.

2. Apps for messaging, chatting, and video calling

The globe is now connected thanks to video calling and online chat applications. Through such online chat programmers, they have made it possible for people who reside in remote places to communicate in real time while connected over the internet. The use of online chat apps has increased significantly across the globe now that they all offer HD video calling capabilities.

We are all aware that the first thing that comes to mind when discussing an online real-time messaging program is WhatsApp. The following statistics on the world’s users of popular real-time online chat services will help you learn more about them:

3. Apps for streaming video

Everyone needs entertainment occasionally. And why wouldn’t we want to utilize it when we can access international entertainment shows, series, films, and documentaries in one app? Speaking of Over The Top (OTT) Services or online video streaming apps, the ones we use the most frequently are platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, AppleTV+, etc.

According to Statista, the OTT marketplace’s revenue was last estimated at $121.61 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.60% to $275 billion by 2022 and $476 billion by 2027. (2022-2027). In 2022, the user penetration ratio will be approximately 35.7%, and by 2027, it is anticipated to increase to 44.1%.

There are countless online video streaming services on the market, but in this article, we’ll focus on the top-rated OTT services globally, which we covered above.

In 2021, YouTube reported $28.8 billion in global income, with 50 million premium users worldwide. This amount represents a 46% rise over the 2020 figures, which were approximately $19.7 billion in value.

Netflix’s net profit in 2021 was $5.1 billion, an 8.7% rise from the $2.7 billion recorded in 2022. Netflix streaming customers will increase to 201 million by 2023, with an 82% growth rate and projected revenues of $28.8 billion.

According to a poll conducted in the second quarter of 2022, the Disney Plus platform had about 137.7 million subscribers and brought in over $1796 million worldwide. This Q2 2022 survey data shows a 32% rise from the previous year ($1459 million in revenue, 118 million subscribers). Disney Plus plans to have 230–260 million customers by 2024.

Since its inception, Amazon Prime Video has grown consistently. However, by introducing fresh partnerships with international entertainment sectors, it may generate $100 billion worth of OTT platform revenue by 2026–2027 and may reach a market worth $1 trillion in a few years or by the following decade. Without a doubt, it has been Netflix’s top rival over the years (see the graph below for the projection through 2021), and it will remain so going forward.

Building OTT mobile app solutions offer the potential to improve company opportunities given the rising expectations for entertainment services.

4. Financial Apps (E-wallets, Net-banking, Stock Market)

Financial apps are popular among mobile users worldwide, with 6 out of 10 people preferring to manage their accounts using online finance apps. 90% of smartphone users prefer to use online banking apps to monitor account balances and make payments. Mobile banking apps are heavily used by 89% of smartphone users and 97% of millennials. Banks offering online banking services typically keep their account customers with an 89% success rate. With mobile banking app personalization, a 15% revenue gain is expected. The online personal financial app market is predicted to reach a value of $1,576.86 million by 2027 with a CAGR of 5.7%. The market for e-trading mobile apps is projected to reach $12.16 billion by 2028, with bitcoin mobile applications experiencing a 400% increase in app adoption in 2021.

5. Apps for on-demand (booking, delivery, and m-commerce)

The number of users of on-demand service apps has significantly expanded since the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in those that facilitate online booking, online shopping, food and grocery delivery, and other services. The on-demand apps income is projected to reach $335 million by 2025. US smartphone users spend $57.6 billion annually on the on-demand service app market. By 2025, expenditure on on-demand app marketplaces in Europe is expected to total $1.8 trillion. The market for on-demand apps presents new business options for entrepreneurs and supports their growth on a global scale.

6. Videogame apps

We all like to play mobile games to lift our spirits during downtime, whether it’s the widely known Candy Crush, card games, war games (PUBG, Fortnight, etc.), or any other games. In relation to that, there is a sizable, devoted user base for the gaming industry worldwide.

The income generated by the mobile gaming sector in 2021 was estimated to be $180.3 billion, an increase of 1.4% or more over the previous year. Every year, more people enter the gaming market.

3 billion new players joined the mobile gaming app user base in 2021, representing an increase of 5.3%+ over the previous years. Additionally, 55% of those users of mobile gaming apps came from the Asia-Pacific region.

Only games accounted for 21% of downloaded Android applications and 25% of downloaded iOS apps globally.

43% of mobile app users exclusively use their smartphones for gaming.

Android users make up 78% of game players.

58% of users of game apps (57.9%) said they like to play puzzle games.

PUBG quickly rose to the top of the global app market for all mobile games.

7. Gamers’ Age & Gender

  • Most female gamers spend more money on in-game purchases.
  • 45 to 55 year olds make up 53% of gamers.
  • Men make up 37% of mobile gamers.
  • Young people make about 8% of mobile gamers.
  • According to the Ad Colony poll, 50% of gamers are young people in their twenties and thirties. They later referred to them as devoted players.

The gaming industry is evolving and has grown to be a significant source of income. By introducing numerous brand-new thrilling gaming features and experiences, web 3.0 technology is redefining the gaming industry’s paradigm.

Final Statement

The desire for mobility is growing, and as a result, the development and usage of mobile apps will soar in the next years. The combination of traditional mobile apps and web 3.0 technologies will fundamentally alter how users interact with mobile apps in terms of performance, security, and user experience. That concludes our discussion of mobile app growth figures and trends for 2023 and beyond.

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