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.
August mobile gaming saw stable revenue at $6.57B and downloads at 3.76B. Honor of Kings led revenue through major events, while Tencent titles accounted for 5 of top revenue growth spots, driven by China. Download trends highlighted open-world crime games (Gangstar Mirage City), ASMR unboxing (Mystery Dumpling), and casual vehicle titles, with high growth in India, Brazil, and Turkey. For ad ops, seasonal events, limited-time cosmetics, and localized partnerships are key to engagement; emerging genres and fast-growth markets present new user acquisition opportunities. Live-ops pacing is critical for monetization.
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.
Global app installs rose 13% YoY and sessions 5% in H1 2026, signaling sustained growth despite market saturation concerns. Casual gaming saw a 55% surge in sessions, while e-commerce install day engagement improved across all regions, with North America reaching 1.34 and LATAM 1.4. Finance apps saw installs up 5% but sessions up 29%, underscoring the importance of retention. Ad ops teams should prioritize casual gaming, optimize install day experiences, and prepare for a strong H2 holiday peak, leveraging accurate measurement to allocate budgets effectively.
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