Global smartphone users spent a total of 5.3 trillion hours on iOS and Android devices in 2025, marking a 3.8% year-on-year increase.
This is according to the State of Mobile 2026 report by Sensor Tower, a leading mobile analytics firm.
On average, each person on earth spends more than 600 hours online during the year, equivalent to about 3.6 hours per day, or more than 13 minutes of every waking hour.
What the report said
According to the report, mobile users spent nearly 2.5 trillion hours on social media apps across iOS and Android in 2025, averaging more than 90 minutes per day per person. This represents a 5% increase year-on-year.
The figures reflect steady engagement as overall mobile usage begins to stabilize after years of rapid smartphone adoption and pandemic-driven demand.
The report also highlighted mobile engagement habits, noting that the average user accessed 34 apps per month, up 5.4% from 2024. Overall time spent on mobile continues to grow modestly, with a 1.1% increase in daily usage across 80 markets outside China.
The rise of artificial intelligence is also reshaping how people interact with mobile devices. The report states that AI Assistants, a relatively new category, surged in popularity, entering the top 10 subgenres by time spent with a staggering 426% year-on-year growth.
This surge reflects the growing appetite for tools that streamline daily tasks, offer personalized assistance, and create more interactive experiences for users.
Top 10 mobile markets by time spent
Nigeria’s mobile users spent 129 billion hours on their devices in 2025, placing the country among the global top 10 for mobile engagement.
- India: 1.23 trillion hours in 2025, up from 1.13 trillion in 2024, maintaining its position as the global leader in mobile engagement.
- Indonesia: 414 billion hours in 2025, a modest increase from 400 billion in 2024.
- United States: 385 billion hours in 2025, up from 370 billion, showing steady growth.
- Brazil: 301 billion hours in 2025, down from 311 billion, reflecting a slight decline.
- Russia: 200 billion hours in 2025, falling from 214 billion in 2024.
- Mexico: 175 billion hours in 2025, up from 170 billion, showing consistent growth.
- Pakistan: 169 billion hours in 2025, rising from 152 billion, marking strong, sustained growth.
- Philippines: 153 billion hours in 2025, up from 147 billion.
- China Mainland: 148 billion hours in 2025, down from 164 billion, the only top-10 market showing a steady decline.
- Nigeria: 129 billion hours in 2025, up from 110 billion.
Mobile app revenue in 2025 was driven by several apps that emerged as major contributors to in-app purchases. ChatGPT led the surge with a remarkable 254% year-on-year increase, followed by ReelShort, which grew 115%, and CapCut at 71%, reflecting strong demand for creative and AI-powered tools.
Google One recorded a 31% increase, while other significant contributors included TikTok at 17%, Duolingo 21%, Canva 26%, Telegram 24%, NordVPN 23%, Strava 15%, LinkedIn 15%, and Meitu 15%.
Top 10 apps by time spent
Smartphone users downloaded 149 billion new apps across iOS and Google Play, a 0.8% growth year-on-year. On average, each user engaged with 34 different apps per month, up 5.4% from 2024, based on data from iOS and Android across 80 markets excluding China.
Here are the top apps by year-on-year growth in time spent by mobile users:
- ChatGPT: 426% growth
- WhatsApp Business: 14% growth
- Google Pay: 13% growth
- POCO Launcher 2.0: 11% growth
- Clock: 9% growth
- Google Photos: 8% growth
- Google Maps: 6% growth
- TikTok: 5% growth
- Spotify: 5% growth
- Santander: 5% growth
Top 10 markets for in-app purchase revenue
According to the report, while mobile usage is plateauing in terms of time spent, monetization is accelerating. Mobile publishers are capitalizing on loyal user bases by generating revenue from subscriptions, paid apps, and in-app purchases and games.
Global in-app purchase (IAP) revenue reached $167 billion in 2025, marking a 10.6% year-on-year increase across iOS and Google Play. The figure represents gross revenue, inclusive of any fees or percentages retained by the app stores.
The top 10 markets for IAP revenue in 2025 are as follows:
- United States: $59 billion, up from $54.8 billion in 2024
- China Mainland (iOS only): $22.1 billion, up from $21.1 billion
- Japan: $16.8 billion, unchanged from 2024
- South Korea: $7.19 billion, up from $6.75 billion
- United Kingdom: $6.38 billion, up from $5.31 billion
- Germany: $6.02 billion, up from $5.02 billion
- France: Approximately $3.9 billion, up from $3.0 billion
- Canada: $3.98 billion, up from $3.11 billion
- Taiwan: $3.44 billion, up from $3.07 billion
- Australia: $3.26 billion, up from $2.91 billion
