According to monitoring firm App Annie, people are spending an average of 4.8 hours a day using mobile apps on their phones. In 2020, UK regulator Ofcom found similar amounts of time spent, although its research included watching television.
App Annie’s report indicates that iOS and Android apps were downloaded 230 billion times in 2021, while $170 billion was spent.
TikTok snagged the spot for the most downloaded app worldwide, with users spending 90 percent more time on it compared to 2020.
"The big screen is slowly dying as mobile continues to break records in virtually every category- time spent, downloads, and revenue," said chief executive of App Annie, Theodore Krantz.
The monitoring firm predicted that by the second half of 2022, TikTok would surpass 1.5 billion monthly active users.
App Annie’s State of Mobile report indicated that the average time spent on mobile apps was four hours and 48 minutes, up 30 percent from 2019.
This was calculated across ten different markets, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, India, Turkey, and Singapore.
Users in Brazil, South Korea, and Indonesia surpassed five hours per day.
Of that time, seven out of every 10 minutes was spent on social, photo, video, and productivity apps, with TikTok leading the way.
Ad Spending is Strong
The mobile app ecosystem remains very strong, with two million new apps and games launched in 2021. According to the report, the number of apps earning more than $100 million is up by 20 percent.
YouTube was the most popular video streaming app worldwide, clocking in over a million downloads in 60 different countries. Netflix came next in several regions.
Mobile gaming also grew exponentially, with people spending $116 billion on gaming apps.
Apps are one of the most effective channels for advertisers to capture consumers’ attention, therefore users will usually see several advertisements pop up while using these apps. Global spend for in-app advertising topped $295 billion just last year.
Lifestyle Changes & Trends
Some of the trends highlighted in the study reflect how the pandemic has changed how people live.
For instance, people were found to be spending a lot more time using shopping apps—more than 100 billion hours worldwide—with Singapore, Brazil, and Indonesia growing the fastest.
There was also a huge increase in food and drink app downloads, such as Grubhub and UberEats. The number of sessions on such apps grew to 194 billion in 2021, up 50 percent compared to the previous year.
Not only has the pandemic made food delivery apps become even more prevalent, but apps that make in-person food and drink experiences easier and safer have been created. The App Bros helped create Barmade, which allows you to order drinks and food without the hassle at a variety of venues, including bars, restaurants, night clubs, stadiums, and even movie theaters.
Health and fitness apps also saw major growth due to the pandemic restricting individuals from attending gyms or conducting group exercise classes.
When focusing on mental health and well-being, meditation apps such as Calm and Headspace proved popular among young people, seeing a 27 percent growth in 2021.
Dating apps saw a surge in spending past four billion dollars, a 95 percent increase since 2018.
In addition, countries with apps to help handle the COVID-19 crisis saw a huge take-up. Malaysia’s MySejahtera app saw 80 percent of their fully vaccinated population add it to their phones, while the NHS app used in England—where it acts as a vaccination record keeper—was downloaded by 71 percent of the same demographic.
The App Bros
From productivity to food, drink, and educational apps, the App Bros has helped bring several mobile apps to life. Looking ahead for 2022, mobile apps are key for businesses who are looking to acquire more customers.
Leverage the power of mobile marketing with the help of The App Bros and get started today for free.