Adjust released its annual Mobile App Trends Report, which shows mobile app growth continuing to accelerate globally in 2021. After climbing 50% across all verticals year-over-year (YoY) in 2020, app installs are up 31% YoY in the first quarter of 2021, while sessions, which increased by 30% in 2020, are up by another 4.5%.
The report — based on Adjust's top 2,000 apps and its dataset of apps tracked across gaming, e-commerce, and fintech — analyzes long-term trends in installs, sessions, time spent in-app, retention and re-attribution rates across the globe. These insights enable developers and marketers to better understand their audience and the state of the app economy.
"The app economy experienced immense growth in 2020, as people all over the world realized the benefits of mobile in many aspects of their daily lives," said Paul H. Müller, Co-Founder and CEO, Adjust. "For mobile marketers, the potential to reach new users is at an all-time high, but so is competition. As we move through 2021, and begin a new era with iOS 14, the importance of enhancing marketing through automation and understanding how users behave in-app throughout their entire journey is more pivotal than ever."
Additional key takeaways from the report include:
Fintech apps posted the best YoY growth in installs of all verticals — 51% — in 2020.
Gaming reached new heights in 2020, particularly in hyper casual, where installs increased 43% — compared to 26% for non-hyper casual.
E-commerce's install growth was relatively small at 6% in 2020, but performed consistently throughout the year.
As the mobile ecosystem becomes ever more competitive with iOS 14, apps that build data-driven and UX-focused strategies will be well-positioned to come out on top. With insights into how users behave in-app, and when they return and why, mobile marketers can create a comprehensive strategy, incorporating highly personalized campaigns and communication that build brand trust.