Highlights
- Global app downloads rose 10% in 2025; sessions were up 7% YoY.
- Casual games led growth with a 19% rise in installs and a 37% surge in sessions.
- ATT opt-ins reached 38% as AI and cross-platform analytics expanded.
Worldwide app downloads increased 10% year-over-year (YoY) in 2025, with total sessions rising 7%, according to Adjust’s Mobile App Trends 2026 report. The study points to sustained mobile expansion across sectors, with gaming maintaining a leading role in user activity.
Casual titles drove the strongest gains, delivering 19% install growth and a 37% jump in sessions. Hypercasual games followed, with installs up 4% and sessions climbing 31%.
User engagement also deepened, as average casual session length expanded 15% to 26 minutes.
At the broader category level, gaming installs and sessions were largely steady, though sessions still edged up 1% annually. Strategy games recorded the sharpest activity spike, with sessions rising 57%. Hypercasual games represented 29% of all installs, while action titles generated 17% of total play sessions.
App Tracking Transparency (ATT) adoption continued to improve. iOS opt-in rates reached 38% in the first-quarter (Q1) of 2026 versus 35% a year earlier.
Meanwhile, gaming posted the highest acceptance level at 39%, while publications saw consent rates climb from 18% to 26%.
Mobile App Trends 2026 Signals Shift to AI and Cross-Platform Measurement
Adjust stated audiences are increasingly operating across multiple platforms, raising demand for unified analytics systems. The report also identified AI’s evolution into core marketing infrastructure supporting segmentation, analysis, and generative workflows.
Adjust marketing director, Tiahn Wetzler, said, “Sustainable app growth will depend on capturing user journeys across web, app, and other connected environments.”
The data reinforces casual gaming’s role in driving mobile momentum. It also highlights measurement, privacy alignment, and AI integration as the sector’s next growth levers.
