In January 2021, Telegram was the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide with over 63 million installs, 3.8 times its downloads in January 2020. India contributed 24% and Indonesia 10% of Telegram's installs. TikTok ranked second with nearly 62 million installs, driven by China (17%) and the US (10%).
Signal, Facebook, and WhatsApp completed the top five. Data from Sensor Tower excludes Apple and Google pre-installed apps, counting unique installs on App Store and Google Play. The report provides insights for app marketers on trends and geographic distribution.
Attribution identifies user sources via third-party SDKs. Deep linking uses that data to route users to specific app content. Deterministic matching offers 100% accuracy; probabilistic uses statistics. Key mechanisms include URI schemes, Universal Links, and App Links.
Mobile ad fraud wastes billions yearly. Categories: attribution hijacking (real users, fake clicks) and fake installs (bots, device farms). Fraudsters evolve, exploiting industry complexities. Key to combat: education, secure SDKs, post-attribution detection.
In 2020, mobile app consumer spending hit $111B globally, up 30.2% YoY. Games drove 71.7% of revenue. First-time installs reached 143B, up 23.7%. TikTok and Zoom saw huge growth among non-game apps.
Global consumer app spending to reach $270B by 2025, driven by 19.5% CAGR. App Store leads with 21% CAGR, non-game apps to surpass games by 2024. Europe shows strong growth.
Only 2% of App Store games revenue comes from publishers earning under $1M. Apple's new 85/15 split for small developers benefits few, while top earners (2.7% of publishers) account for 97.4% of revenue.
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.
In February 2021, PUBG Mobile led global mobile game revenue at $250M, up 16.2% YoY, with 66.5% from China. Honor of Kings followed with $218.5M, up 57.2% YoY, 95.6% from China. Genshin Impact, Pokémon GO ($124.2M, +95% YoY), and Roblox ($101.6M, +84.8% YoY) rounded out the top five. Data from Sensor Tower.
Honor of Kings earned $258M, up 58% YoY. PUBG Mobile $177M, Genshin Impact $163.5M, Pokémon GO $159.3M, Roblox $138.7M in December 2020.
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