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Mobile App Download Statistics Everyone Should Know In 2023

A mobile application is software created for smartphones and tablets but not desktop and laptop computers. The use of smartphones and mobile applications is still growing steadily without a sign of decelerating. The mobile app industry is flourishing, with over 6.3 billion smartphone users globally.

The number of tablet users worldwide has grown 36% to 1.14 billion in the last 6 years. Everyone's eye is focused on their mobile devices at each moment of the day. Research studies show that the average US resident checks their mobile phones ones in every 5.5 minutes, which is 262 times daily. 

People use their mobile devices at work, at home, on the street, in the car, while eating, in bed, and even in the restroom. While people spend time on their phones, 88% of their mobile time is spent on apps. To develop or improve mobile apps, developers must understand how people download and use mobile apps. Below are mobile app statistics, trends, growth, and prospects you should know today.

Key Mobile App Statistics for 2023

Mobile apps will produce over $935 billion in revenue in 2023.

The number of apps available for download on the Apple App Store is 1.96 million.

The number of apps available for download on the Google Play Store is 2.87 million.

21% of people born between the early 1980s open an app 50+ times per day.

49% of people open an app 11 + times every day.

Mobile apps are where 70% of all United States digital media time is gotten.

An average smartphone owner uses ten apps per day and 30 apps per month.

Mobile App Downloads

App developers and publishers make money from the app they create. They can only make money if people download the apps. Here are some critical mobile app statistics based on downloads:

Global Downloads

As the popularity of mobile apps spreads, the number of downloads increases worldwide since more people now use smartphones and tablets. According to research reports and statistics, the rate of app downloads is growing every year and will continue to do so in the coming year. In 2022, app downloads increased by 75 from the previous year to more than 218 billion app downloads. Between 2016 and 2020, there was a 55% rise in the number of apps downloaded.

Free vs. Paid Downloads

A monetization strategy is the first thing to consider when creating mobile apps. If an app developer charges people for downloading their app, will people be willing to pay for it? The majority of the apps downloaded globally are free. Research statistics show that mobile users do not expect to pay for app downloads since many apps available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store are free.

Only a few mobile users used to accessing free app downloads will be willing to download if charged. But even at that, free apps are responsible for 98% of app revenue. Offering apps for free can still bring in money. In-app purchases are a monetization strategy to be looked into by mobile app developers. As such, App developers can launch both paid and free apps. 

But not all the apps should be paid for. Business owners can improve the customer's experience by offering free downloads if they own an app as an extension of their business.

Comparing the Rate of Downloads on Google and Apple Store 

The vast majority of mobile apps come from two places. IPhone apps are available for iOS users on the Apple App Store, while Android apps are available on the Google Play Store. Research reports indicate that more global app downloads came from the Google Play Store. Both the Google Play Store and the Apple app store saw an escalation in the percentage of downloads from 2019 to 2020.

2.5% was the growth rate of app downloads in the Apple App Store, while 31% was the growth rate of 31% in the Google Play Store. Also, researchers found that the Google Play Store downloads are growing at a higher rate and will have more downloads, with app development continuing in 2023. BuildFire app development allows developers to launch new apps on both Apple and Google stores.

Apple App Store Download Statistics

Mobile app statistics of the Apple App Store are as follows:

Most Popular App Store Categories

The number of apps available for download on the Apple App Store is 1.96 million. In developing or building an app, understanding what the consumers want is vital for the app's success. No matter how innovative the app might be, in terms of concept or software, its download market is essential. Also, app developers have to categorize their apps according to purpose and functions.

According to research statistics, more gaming apps are on the app store. But it violates app store rules to choose a category just because it has more downloads on the app store. 

Apple App Store Availability

Due to the high competitiveness of the Apple App Store, the number of apps on it continues to rise every year. Statistics show that as more people acquire mobile devices and the rate of app download rises, more apps are being created, developed, and released into the app stores.

Google Play Store Download Statistics

Mobile app statistics of Android devices' Google Play Store downloads are as follows:

Google Play Store availability

The number of apps available for download on the Google Play Store is 2.87 million. Going by research results, the Google Play Store app availability dropped in the middle of 2017 due to the high competitiveness in the store, making most apps unable to survive. But, the number of apps has been rising since 2018 and is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. 

A comparison between the Apple App Store and Google Play Store shows that even though the former has more apps, the number of downloads is not as much as the number of downloads on the latter, even though the number of apps in the Google Play Store dropped. Notably, the number of apps available on each app store is not responsible for the number of downloads taking place on the app stores.

The Most Popular App Categories on Google Play Store

Most apps (such as communication apps) come preloaded on Android devices. Based on the statistical analysis, the highest app category with the highest penetration is Tools apps, with 99.81% penetration, seconded by the communication apps, with 99.93% penetration, followed by the business apps, with 99.33% penetration rate. 

The video players and edit apps category had 96.635 penetration, the Travel and Local app categories had 95.7% penetration, and the Social Media app category had 95.02% penetration. App categories like the games apps, shopping app categories, and weather app categories hold the lowest penetration rates.

Mobile App Usage

Just because you installed an app on a mobile device does not mean you use the app. According to research analysis, 3 hours and 10 minutes is what the average smartphone user spends on their device every day. The amount of time spent on apps by 90% of smartphone users is about 2 hours and 51 minutes.

The average smartphone has 80+ apps installed on them, though not all installed apps are in use. The number of mobile apps an average person uses daily is 9 apps, and 30 each month. 62% of the 80 apps installed are not being used in one month, meaning that people are downloading the apps and not using them, or some apps are automatically pre-installed on smartphone devices that people buy. Researchers also found that the number of apps that users used only once after downloading is 25% of apps.

Mobile App Retention and Churn

Some common problems with app owners, despite the high rate of app downloads, include:

The rate at which customers stop doing business with an organization in a given time,

The number of subscribers who terminate or don't renew their subscriptions,

And the number of people not using the mobile app after downloading. 

According to statistics, 71% of app users churn in the first 90 days of downloading an app. As such, app developers need to give users a reason to keep returning to using the apps over time. 

Developers must improve the app's performance by developing new versions and updates. Researchers found that users are more likely to churn if the app has hitches, viruses, or UX errors and doesn't perform well.

Most Essential Apps

The most essential app are the ones that users find extremely useful. Users use these apps daily for different purposes and can't live without them. According to statistics, people in the US use Facebook apps are 17%, those that use Instagram 13%, Gmail app is 9%, YouTube 8%, Twitter is 7%, Chrome is 6%, Maps 6%, WhatsApp is 5%, Amazon 5%, Messenger is 5%.

Apple and Android Global Spending

Research results showed that the Gross App Revenue that Google Play Store generates is $12.1 billion, while Apple App Store produces $21.5 billion. This revenue is derived from in-app purchases, paid app downloads, sales of premium upgrades, and subscriptions. Apple users' app spending is double from Android users.

Mobile App Usage by Age

21% of people born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s open an app 50+ times a day, and 49% open an app 11+ times daily. Following figures from research work, users of the 18-24 age group spent 112.6 hours per mobile monthly, age 25-34 paid 102.4, age 35-44 spent 93.6, age 45-54 spent 75.6, age 55-54 spent 69.3, and 65 and above spent 51.4 hours per mobile monthly.

Time spent using mobile apps is more among younger than older people. People over the age of 65 spend 1 hour on mobile apps each day. People aged 45-54 spend 1 hour and 15 minutes daily on mobile apps.

Mobile App Usage by Device

The usage of mobile apps differs in the type of devices used. People can access content with smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, laptops, smart TVs, Smart wristwatches, smart home devices, and even smart vehicles.

Smartphone App Usage

Smartphones are adequate and best for access to GPS services on the go. Report research indicated that maps viewed from smartphones in the United States used 96% of digital time, and the weather was 86% of digital time on smartphones.

Smartphone apps deliver 47% of retail consumption. More people use their phones to do shopping online. 40% of usage on smartphones is the News and Information app.

Smartphones Vs. Tablets

There are 2.7 billion smartphones worldwide and 1.35 billion tablets. More apps are being downloaded on smartphones and used monthly by individuals. But paid apps or subscription purchases through apps are more in use on tablets.

Tablet Usage

Users can use tablets for particular purposes, despite the popularity of smartphones. With the larger tablet screens, which enhance user experience, research has found that more people prefer to pay for gaming apps installed on a tablet. As such, the gaming app takes the first position on the usage list.

Mobile App Usage by Country

Mobile app statistics for downloads and usage varies with location:

App Downloads by Country

Statistical reports indicate that China has experienced an 80% growth in the download rate, India has a high 190% download rate, and the United States has just a 5% rate of app download.

Monthly App Usage (In Hours)

According to research findings, the number of times an individual spends on an app for each country in the globe is growing every year. India and Italy saw a 30% growth in their app market from 2019-2020.

Apple vs. Google Play (iOS vs. Android) Downloads Worldwide

There are more Android devices in the world than iPhone devices. That makes most app downloads worldwide on the Google Play Store. Researchers found that in the United States, the number of app downloads on the Apple App Store is the same as that of the Google Play Store. In Japan, the Apple App Store has more app downloads than the Google Play Store, but everywhere else in the world, the Google Play Store has more app downloads.

Conclusion 

The growth of smartphone and mobile app usage continues steadily and shows no signs of slowing down. With more than 6.3 billion smartphone users worldwide, the market for mobile applications is booming. Every day, people all over the world utilise smartphone apps. As a result, the mobile app market will keep growing until 2023 and beyond. Apps like BuildFire allow users to sign up and create Android or iOS apps without writing any code. Perhaps that's why more and more apps keep emerging, too.

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