Global mobile app spending hits $150 billion in 2024

The latest edition of Sensor Tower's annual "State of Mobile" report has highlighted a significant boost in consumer spending on mobile applications, reaching $150 billion globally in 2024, marking a 13% increase from the previous year. This surge in spending underscores the growing importance of mobile apps in contemporary digital life, despite a slight decrease in total app downloads.

The report reveals a particularly noteworthy trend in the realm of non-gaming applications, where consumer expenditure has grown at a pace exceeding that of gaming apps. An additional $14 billion was spent in this category, representing a 25% increase year on year. Among non-gaming subgenres, Film & Television Streaming and Social Media were preeminent, accounting for $11.9 billion and $11.7 billion in consumer spending respectively.

A significant highlight of the report is the burgeoning interest in artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Generative AI apps such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Doubao collectively amassed nearly $1.1 billion - a 200% rise compared to the prior year. Usage trends also confirm this interest, with users spending approximately 7.7 billion hours on AI applications, and AI-relevant apps being downloaded 17 billion times.

"Apps continue to capture consumer attention, particularly in non-games. And as consumers spend more time on mobile, they are becoming far more comfortable making purchases on their devices," said Oliver Yeh, Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder of Sensor Tower. "Apps have shifted their monetisation strategies to capitalise on this increased attention, finding innovative ways to streamline and improve consumers' digital experience. As we look ahead, we expect to see more apps experiment with AI, finding novel and creative ways of incorporating the technology."

The 2025 report also draws attention to a nascent trend indicative of consumer "digital fatigue," notably in top app categories such as streaming, where a slight reduction in engagement has been observed. Despite this, apps that enhance real-world customer experiences are thriving. Downloads and session counts in Food & Drink apps, for instance, experienced an increase of 8.5% and 9.2% year on year, respectively, as businesses more frequently integrate mobile technology into their service models.

Additional findings from the report include the emergence of new members of the "Billion Dollar Club," with four new games and one app crossing the $1 billion threshold in consumer spending within a single calendar year. The AI application ChatGPT achieved a remarkable milestone, rapidly growing to 50 million Monthly Active Users, which is an increase of 500% from the previous year, outpacing competitors like Temu, Disney+, and YouTube Music.

The report further notes that financial service apps are capitalising on the convenience provided by digital wallets and mobile banking platforms. Such apps have maintained double-digit growth in terms of time spent and amassed nearly 7.5 billion downloads, an 8% year-over-year growth. Among the top performers, Binance and Tonkeeper were among the top finance apps globally, ranking sixth and ninth by downloads respectively in 2024.

Moreover, Chinese e-commerce platforms like Temu and SHEIN continue to expand internationally. Both companies have led growth in app downloads across multiple regions, including Europe, Latin America, and Asia, consolidating their position in the retail subgenre.