The mobile industry is at an inflection point characterized by fragmentation.
According to Moloco's MAU 2025 keynote, user attention has shifted from dominant social platforms to a diverse array of specialized and community-driven apps.
Only 32% of in-app time is now spent on Meta and Google, with the rest distributed across millions of independent apps like Duolingo, ESPN, and BeReal.
This independent app ecosystem reaches 2 billion daily active users globally, rivaling TikTok and Instagram's combined reach.
Advertisers who diversify their ad spend into this ecosystem see substantial returns: a 48% increase in Day 30 ROAS for all app advertisers, 116% for consumer apps, and 214% for shopping apps.
To succeed, marketers must leverage AI-driven technology to match the right advertiser with the right user in the right context, similar to how Google and Meta scaled.
The key is to educate organizations about this new mobile moment and update strategies accordingly.
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