Mobile App Users and Monetization 2022

Which Apps Are Winning, and What Does It Mean for Marketers?

Report by Yoram Wurmser  | Jun 2, 2022
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Key Points
How Big Is the App Market?
App Monetization
Trends Driving App Usage and Monetization
What Does This Forecast Mean for Brands and Retailers?
Insider Intelligence Interviews
Read Next
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
App usage is strong, but advertisers need to rethink their strategies, thanks to ad tracking and measurement changes.
Topics
Mobile Apps
United States
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Key Points
How Big Is the App Market?
App Monetization
Trends Driving App Usage and Monetization
What Does This Forecast Mean for Brands and Retailers?
Insider Intelligence Interviews
Read Next
Sources
Media Gallery

Executive Summary

Smartphone users in the US are installing and using fewer apps than they did during the height of the pandemic, but in a greater variety of categories. Grocery, shopping, and navigation apps are all seeing increases in users, who are spending more in-app on subscriptions and virtual goods.

4 KEY QUESTIONS THIS REPORT WILL ANSWER

  1. Which apps are people using?
  2. How are apps monetizing?
  3. What’s driving these monetization strategies?
  4. What does this mean for advertisers and marketers?

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? A breakdown of our forecast on consumer app usage and spending on in-app purchases (IAPs), and what it means for marketers.

US Smartphone In-App Purchase Spending, 2020-2026 (billions and % change)
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KEY STAT: IAP spending has nearly doubled since 2019.

Here’s what’s in the full report

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18charts

Reliable data in simple displays for presentations and quick decision making.

3expert perspectives

Insights from industry and company leaders.

    Table of Contents

    1. Executive Summary
    2. Key Points
    3. How Big Is the App Market?
    4. App Monetization
    1. Trends Driving App Usage and Monetization
    2. What Does This Forecast Mean for Brands and Retailers?
    3. Insider Intelligence Interviews
    4. Read Next
    1. Sources
    2. Media Gallery

    Charts in This Report

    US Smartphone In-App Purchase Spending, 2020-2026 (billions and % change)US Smartphone Apps Used per Month, 2019-2026 (units and % change)
    US Smartphone Apps Installed per Year, 2019-2026 (units and % change)US Tablet App Users per Month, 2019-2026 (millions, % change, and % of tablet users)
    US Smartphone App Users, by Category, 2022 (millions, % change, and % of smartphone users)US Mobile Ad Spending, 2019-2026 (billions, % change, and % of total media ad spending)
    US Smartphone In-App Spending on Virtual Goods, 2020-2026 (billions, % change, and % of total in-app spending)US Smartphone In-App Spending on Subscriptions, 2020-2026 (billions, % change, and % of total in-app spending)
    US Total Gaming In-App Spending, Virtual Goods* vs. Subscriptions**, 2020-2026 (billions)US Total Nongaming In-App Spending, by Virtual Goods* and Subscriptions**, 2020-2026 (billions)
    US Gaming and Nongaming In-App Spending, 2020-2026 (% of total in-app spending)US Mcommerce Sales, 2020-2026 (billions, % change, and % of total US retail ecommerce sales)
    US Digital Grocery Sales, by Device, Q4 2019-Q4 2021 (billions)Monetization Methods that Mobile App Publishers Worldwide Use for Their Apps, Gaming vs. Nongaming, Oct 2021 (% of respondents)
    Number of Apps Surpassing $100 Million in Annual Consumer Spending Worldwide, Gaming vs. Nongaming, 2012-2021US Retail Social Commerce Sales, 2019-2025 (billions and % change)
    US Meta Mobile Ad Spending, by OS, April-Dec 2021 (% change vs. same period of prior year)US Mobile Gamers' Preferred Mobile App Monetization Method, April 2017 & Feb 2022 (% of respondents)

    Interviewed for This Report

    Simon “Bobby” Dussart
    Adjust
    CEO
    Interviewed April 21, 2022
    Lashanne Phang
    PubMatic
    Senior Director, Mobile
    Interviewed April 20, 2022
    Lexi Sydow
    data.ai (formerly App Annie)
    Head of Insights
    Interviewed April 7, 2022

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    authors

    Yoram Wurmser

    Contributors

    Nina Goetzen
    Analyst
    Chris Keating
    Director, Research
    Jessica Lis
    Analyst, Technology
    Peter Newman
    Senior Forecasting Analyst
    Yaffa Wagschal
    Forecasting Analyst