Marketing analytics platform Adjust has released a new report that finds mobile app growth is up by 31% in 2021.
The report, Mobile App Trends Report 2021, shows significant gains in app installs and sessions in gaming, eCommerce, and fintech.
It finds mobile app growth continues 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%.
Adjust based the report on its top 2,000 apps and its dataset of apps, and analyses long-term trends in installs, sessions, time spent in-app, retention, and re-attribution rates across the globe. These findings 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 realised the benefits of mobile in many aspects of their daily lives," says Adjust co-founder and CEO, Paul H. Müller.
"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.
Key findings from the report include:
- Fintech apps posted the best YoY growth in installs of all verticals, 51% in 2020.
- Installs are up again in 2021, by 12%, compared to the 2020 average. This is possibly fuelled by large adoption rates for trading apps such as Robinhood, Acorns, and Gatsby.
- Fintech app sessions also grew in 2020, representing a significant move toward digital banking and payments. Sessions increased 85% YoY, and are already up 35% in 2021.
- Gaming reached new heights in 2020, particularly in hyper-casual, where installs increased 43%, compared to 26% for non-hyper-casual.
- eCommerce's install growth was relatively small at 6% in 2020 but performed consistently throughout the year. Sessions, however, grew 44% showing just how engaged shoppers on mobile have become.
- The vertical's highest weeks ever for sessions were at the end of February and beginning of March 2021, up 23% YoY.
Adjust says that 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. It says by using the report's insights into how users behave in-app, and when they return and why, mobile marketers can create a comprehensive strategy, incorporating personalised campaigns and communication that build brand trust.
