Sensor Tower's State of Mobile 2026 report reveals record highs across key metrics in 2025, fueled by Generative AI and expanding monetization.
Global IAP revenue surged 10.6% YoY to $167B, with non-game categories driving growth and surpassing games for the first time.
Downloads reached nearly 150B, time spent hit 5.3 trillion hours, and AI apps saw explosive growth: downloads doubled to 3.8B, IAP revenue nearly tripled to $5B, and time spent reached 48B hours.
The market is shifting from user acquisition to lifetime value, especially in gaming.
Regional divergence persists, with US revenue leading at $60B.
Finance, sports betting, and food delivery apps also showed strong trends.
The report emphasizes deep market knowledge amid tariffs, regulations, and local competition.
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