In 2019, global user spending on Apple's App Store and Google Play reached an estimated $83.5 billion, a 17% increase from $71.3 billion in 2018. The App Store generated a record $54.2 billion (up 16.3%), while Google Play contributed $29.3 billion (up 18.1%). Games accounted for $61.7 billion, or 74% of total in-app spending, down from 77% in 2018, reflecting growth in non-game app monetization.
First-time app installs hit 114.9 billion, up 9.1% from 2018, with Google Play accounting for 84.3 billion installs (up 11.4%) and the App Store 30.6 billion (up 3.4%). Mobile game installs reached 42.1 billion, with Google Play leading at 32.9 billion. Top games included Honor of Kings on iOS and Lineage M on Google Play.
The data indicates continued market health and innovation.
India's mobile app market hit record revenue of $345M in Q2 2026, with non-gaming up 50% YoY. For ad ops, key opportunities lie in short drama apps (Story TV tripled ad spend), AI subscriptions, and ad-supported games like arrow puzzles, which generate over 11% of global ad revenue from India. Gaming revenue grew 10% YoY, outperforming global decline. Hypercasual game ad revenue rose 180% QoQ. India is transitioning from an acquisition market to a monetization powerhouse, offering scalable ad inventory across entertainment, local commerce, and casual gaming.
TikTok had its best month in February 2020 with nearly 113 million downloads, 96% Y/Y growth. India led with 46.6M installs, followed by Brazil and US. Revenue hit $50.4M, up 784% Y/Y, mostly from China.
Fate/Grand Order surpassed $4 billion in lifetime player spending, with 81.5% from Japan. It generated $1 billion annually in 2018 and 2019, and became Japan's top-grossing mobile game in 2020.
TikTok surpasses 1.5 billion downloads, ranking 3rd most downloaded non-gaming app in 2019. India leads with 31% of installs, China 11.5%, US 8.2%. Revenue hits $175M, mainly from China (48.3%) and US (35.7%).
TikTok hit 738M downloads and $177M revenue in 2019, growing 5x from 2018. India led downloads (44%). China topped revenue (69%). Q4 was best quarter. App faces privacy challenges but growth persists.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang reached $502.5 million lifetime gross revenue, driven by $214.1 million in 2019 (up 36% YoY). Asia contributed 61% of revenue, with Malaysia ($87.5M) and Indonesia ($69.2M) as top markets. Google Play accounted for 68% of revenue and 89% of 281.3 million downloads. First-mover advantage helped it surpass Honor of Kings outside China.
Japan's mobile gaming market remains a revenue powerhouse, generating over $10B in IAPs in the past year despite a slight decline. Downloads are down, but engagement is stable, indicating a mature, high-value audience. Gaming ranks third in Japan's digital ad spend, with the ad market at record highs. Ad ops teams should align with major events and new releases for monetization spikes, balance casual puzzle UAC for volume with strategy/RPG for LTV, and consider cross-platform campaigns.
TikTok surpasses 2 billion downloads globally, with India leading at 30.3%. Q1 2020 saw record 315 million installs amid COVID-19. User spending hits $456.7 million, 72.3% from China.
August mobile gaming saw stable revenue at $6.57B and downloads at 3.76B. Honor of Kings led revenue through major event...
Japan's mobile gaming market remains a revenue powerhouse, generating over $10B in IAPs in the past year despite a sligh...
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