The Must-Know Mobile App Usage & Revenue Statistics For 2021

Ushering in 2021, every mobile app developer is aiming to come up with the next breakthrough for smartphone users. However, most mobile app development projects fail to consider the key statistics from historical data before building their product. Here’s a round-up of the important statistics on mobile app usage and revenue that every developer must know in 2021.

1. 1. A Number Of App Installs vs Actual Mobile App Usage :

      To begin with, the total mobile apps downloaded in the past year have surpassed 200 billion. An average person downloads and installs around 40 new apps on a mobile device. Out of these installed apps, nearly 90% of the usage is consumed by not more than 18 apps. More than 50% of the installed apps remain unused. This indicates that in 2021, millennials and generation Z users will not use half of the apps they install. If a user installs 70 new apps in 2021, then the user will stay concentrated at just 25 of those apps.

   2. Mobile App Usage By Gender and Age:

      As the age group increases, the number of apps installs falls. It is estimated that younger adults are proactive mobile app users. They spend more time on apps, compared to older adults. A steady decrease in-app usage occurs when the demographics move from younger to older. At the age of 65 or older, the app installations and usage get reduced to less than 10 a year. Similarly, male users spend more time on mobile apps, compared to female users. An average male user spends at least 29 hours a week on mobile apps. An average woman spends somewhere over 18 hours a week on mobile apps.

   3. Most-Used Types Of Mobile Apps:

      In 2021, new app categories are expected to be introduced to the users. The app usage statistics of the total apps installed against the actually-used apps are set to differ in this year. To decode the popular app categories, here are some key pointers:

      1. Nearly 60% of users engage in apps from categories namely – Social Media, Communication, and Gaming. These are the three most-used app categories of all-time.
      2. App categories under 4% usage include eCommerce, Navigation, Travel, and Finance. These app categories reflect a need-basis usage.
      3. Almost 75% of the users engage in the above app categories at least once on a daily basis.

       

   4. App Usage Time:

      Based on user observations, the majority of users are likely to spend more time on social media apps in 2021. Gaming apps and communication apps are also expected to find high engagement. The popularity of e-commerce apps is set to rise in the coming months. Comparatively, the app usage statistics also suggest that this year, the popularity of interactive apps and video streaming apps will increase significantly. Media and entertainment apps such as Netflix are expected to register some striking user engagement. The need-based popularity of Amazon is set to exceed 5.6%.

   5. App Usage Locations:

      Most smartphone users are on the go while using their mobile apps. Their locations play a pivotal role in app usage. Be at home or at the office, users change their app users based on their locations throughout the day.  Some find more time for using apps at work while others don’t mind using them while watching TV. Some use apps such as Spotify during commutes and in recreational areas. Users also shift the way they hold their phones or touch their device screens, depending on the location or the situation they’re in. The app usage also changes relatively, particularly while doing common actions such as :

      • Walking down the street
      • Opening door
      • Calling a taxi
      • Carrying stuff
      • Shopping
      • Passively surfing during free time
      • Waiting for online based on locations, here’s a quick break-up of the app:
      • 90% at home
      • 75% in the washroom
      • 62% at dinner
      • 70% at work
      • 66% with family or friends
      • 80% while waiting for appointments
      • 45% during the shopping
      • 72% during TV shows
      • 61% while commuting
      • 55% during random downtimes of the day

In 2021, more than 40% of users will be interacting with mobile apps without inputting any data physically. The use of a keyboard and touch screen will be replaced by voice commands. Nearly 19% of the users will stay engaged in passively using mobile apps for activities like listening to music or viewing long-form videos. These statistics can surely help a mobile app developer in building the app more precisely for the targeted audience, based on age, gender, time, location activity.