TikTok, from ByteDance, has exceeded 1.5 billion downloads on App Store and Google Play, according to Sensor Tower. It was the 4th most downloaded non-gaming app in 2018 with 655.8 million installs, and in 2019 it's 3rd with 614 million downloads so far, behind WhatsApp and Messenger but ahead of Facebook and Instagram. India is the largest market, contributing 466.8 million downloads (31% of total), followed by China (173.2 million, 11.5%) and the US (123.8 million, 8.2%).
In 2019, India drove 45% of global installs. Lifetime user spending reached $175 million, with China accounting for $84.5 million (48.3%), the US $62.4 million (35.7%), and Great Britain $6.9 million (3.9%). So far in 2019, user spending totaled $115.3 million, peaking at $18.2 million in October.
Top 1% of publishers got 80% of global app downloads in Q3 2019. In games, they earned 95% of revenue. Discoverability and ASO are crucial for the remaining 99% to compete.
In 2019, users spent $83.5 billion globally on apps and mobile games, up 17% from 2018. App Store revenue hit $54.2 billion, while Google Play reached $29.3 billion. Games accounted for 74% of spending. First-time installs totaled 114.9 billion, with Google Play leading growth.
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.
Mario Kart Tour achieved 90 million downloads in its first week, six times more than Nintendo's second-best launch. It ranks third in player spending with $12.7 million. Android led downloads (59.5%), while iOS dominated revenue (75.5%).
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.
European finance app installs hit 960M in 2025 but grew only 0.4%. BNPL apps grew 40% while crypto fell 35%, signaling a shift to utility. Neobanks win acquisition; traditional banks win retention (1.5-2x Day 30 rates). Web-to-app drives 41.8% of conversions but most brands can't measure the handoff. Nearly 1 in 2 investment app installs in Western Europe is fraudulent, distorting CPI and ROAS. Winning brands prioritize engagement, fraud detection, and cross-platform measurement.
Short drama apps are reshaping mobile entertainment, surpassing 850M downloads in Q1 2026 (up 140% YoY) with IAP revenue reaching $750M. Growth is concentrated in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and India, where these apps outpace traditional OTT in user acquisition. Engagement is surging: daily time spent grew 85% to 25 minutes globally, nearing OTT levels in Southeast Asia. For ad ops, the shift toward ad monetization in addition to IAP opens new inventory opportunities. Key players like FreeReels, NetShort, and Melolo are scaling via localized content and paid acquisition, creating competitive ad markets.
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