Mobile App Statistics 2026: Canada and Global Data
Mobile app statistics get repeated so often that it's hard to know which numbers are current and which are years old. This page collects the latest figures that matter to anyone planning, building or marketing an app, with a Canadian lens: global downloads and spending, how much time people spend in apps, the rise of AI apps, how Canadians use their phones, and where the Canadian digital advertising market stands.
Every figure below names its source and period. Where respected sources disagree, we show both and explain why, rather than picking whichever number sounds best.
Key statistics at a glance
- Global in-app spending reached $167 billion in 2025, up about 10.6% year over year (Sensor Tower).
- Apps were downloaded nearly 150 billion times in 2025, up just 0.8% (Sensor Tower). Appfigures counts 106.9 billion, down 2.7%. Either way, download growth has stalled while spending keeps rising.
- People spent 5.3 trillion hours in apps in 2025, up 3.8% (Sensor Tower).
- 2025 was the first year consumers spent more in non-game apps than in games (Sensor Tower).
- Generative AI apps were downloaded 3.8 billion times in 2025, double 2024, and earned more than $5 billion in in-app purchases (Sensor Tower).
- In Canada, iOS accounts for 64.9% of mobile web traffic and Android 35.1% (StatCounter, September 2026); worldwide, Android leads with 69.2%.
- 95% of Canadian adults own a cellphone (CBC/Radio-Canada Media Technology Monitor, spring 2025).
- Canada's digital advertising market reached $21.1 billion in 2025, up 16% (IAB Canada).
Global App Downloads
| Measure | 2025 | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total app and game downloads (iOS + Google Play) | Nearly 150 billion | +0.8% | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Total app and game downloads (alternative estimate) | 106.9 billion | −2.7% | Appfigures, via TechCrunch (Jan 2026) |
| Game downloads | 39.4 billion | −8.6% | Appfigures |
| Non-game app downloads | 67.4 billion | +1.1% | Appfigures |
| Generative AI app downloads | 3.8 billion | About double 2024 | Sensor Tower |
| Country with most downloads | India: 25.5 billion | — | Sensor Tower, via TechCrunch |
| United States downloads | 12.6 billion | — | Sensor Tower, via TechCrunch |
Why do two respected firms report figures about 40 billion apart? They estimate from different panels, models and definitions, for example how re-downloads and certain regions are counted. Use one source consistently when tracking trends, and don't mix their numbers in the same comparison. On direction, though, they agree: growth in downloads has flattened. For context, Sensor Tower put 2024 downloads at about 136 billion, roughly flat on the year before.
Global Consumer Spending in Apps
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global in-app purchase revenue, 2025 | $167 billion (+10.6%) | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 |
| Global in-app purchase revenue, 2024 | $150 billion (+13%) | Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2025 |
| Consumer spending, 2025 (alternative estimate) | $155.8 billion (+21.6%) | Appfigures, via TechCrunch |
| Non-game app spending, 2025 | $82.6 billion (+33.9%) | Appfigures |
| Largest market by consumer spending, 2025 | United States, nearly $60 billion | Sensor Tower |
| Generative AI app in-app purchase revenue, 2025 | More than $5 billion | Sensor Tower |
The headline shift: in 2025, consumers spent more on non-game apps than on games for the first time, according to Sensor Tower. Subscriptions in productivity, entertainment, social and AI apps are driving that growth. Sensor Tower also ranked ChatGPT as the third-highest-grossing app of 2025, behind TikTok and Google One.
Time Spent in Apps
Sensor Tower estimates people spent 5.3 trillion hours in mobile apps in 2025, up 3.8% from the year before. Games still take a large share of that time, but they increasingly compete with social media, short-form video and drama apps, and AI assistants. The practical takeaway: attention is growing slowly, so most new apps win users by taking time from existing habits, not from an expanding pool.
How Canadians Use Their Phones
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian adults who own a cellphone | 95% | CBC/Radio-Canada Media Technology Monitor, spring 2025 |
| Canadian households with multiple cellphones | Nearly three-quarters | Media Technology Monitor, spring 2025 |
| Canadians who consume online news and audio on their phones | Roughly 60% | Media Technology Monitor, spring 2025 |
| Adult internet users who went online by smartphone | 81% in 2025 (70% in 2024) | CIRA, via Statista (July 2025) |
| Adult internet users who went online by desktop or laptop | 84% in 2025 | CIRA, via Statista |
Phone ownership in Canada is close to universal, but computers remain just as important for going online, which matters for business software. For B2B products, Canadians still expect a strong desktop experience alongside mobile; for consumer products, mobile is usually the first touchpoint.
iPhone vs Android: Canada Is an iOS Market
| Market | iOS share of mobile web traffic | Android share | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 64.9% | 35.1% | September 2026 |
| North America | 60.2% | 39.8% | August 2026 |
| Worldwide | 30.8% | 69.2% | September 2026 |
Source: StatCounter, based on web page views from mobile devices. Canada is almost the mirror image of the global market. For app planning, that usually means iOS-first or cross-platform for Canadian consumer apps, while workforce apps on company-issued devices may still lean Android. We cover the decision in detail in iOS vs Android vs cross-platform for Canadian businesses.
The Canadian Digital Advertising Market
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian digital advertising revenue, 2025 | $21.1 billion (+16%) | IAB Canada Internet Ad Revenue Survey, June 2026 |
| Canadian digital advertising revenue, 2024 | $18.2 billion | IAB Canada, October 2025 |
| Largest channel | Search, followed by social media | IAB Canada, June 2026 |
| Digital video advertising, 2025 | $2.79 billion (+26%) | IAB Canada, June 2026 |
| French-language digital media, 2025 | About $3.7 billion (about 17% of the total) | IAB Canada, June 2026 |
For app publishers, that's a large and still-growing market for both acquiring users and earning ad revenue. The French-language share is a reminder that apps targeting Quebec need proper French experiences, not afterthought translations. For practical promotion tactics, see our guide on how to market your mobile app in Canada.
What These Numbers Mean If You're Building an App
- Monetization beats downloads. With download growth flat and spending rising, the winners earn more from each user: subscriptions, premium tiers and in-app purchases. Plan the business model before the build.
- Retention is the real battleground. Time in apps grows slowly, so every new app competes for existing attention. Onboarding, notifications that respect users, and genuine everyday value matter more than ever.
- AI is now a feature users pay for. AI app downloads doubled and their revenue nearly tripled in 2025. Useful, well-guarded AI features are becoming an expectation rather than a novelty.
- Canada needs an iOS-aware strategy. With iOS at about two-thirds of mobile traffic, Canadian consumer apps should rarely launch Android-only.
- Desktop still matters for business software. Canadians go online by computer about as often as by phone, so B2B products need both experiences.
If you're planning an app or SaaS product, our mobile app development team can help you turn these trends into a realistic plan, and our SaaS MVP development guide explains how to scope a first version.
A Note on Sources and Methodology
App market data comes from intelligence firms that estimate downloads and spending from panels and models; app stores don't publish complete figures. That's why Sensor Tower, Appfigures and others differ. StatCounter measures share of web traffic, not devices sold. Survey data such as the Media Technology Monitor and CIRA reflect what respondents report. We list the source and period for every figure, and we'll update this page as new annual reports are published.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many apps were downloaded in 2025?
Sensor Tower estimates nearly 150 billion app and game downloads across iOS and Google Play in 2025, up 0.8%. Appfigures estimates 106.9 billion, down 2.7%. The difference comes from different measurement methods.
How much do people spend on apps?
Sensor Tower estimates $167 billion in global in-app purchase revenue in 2025, up about 10.6%. Appfigures estimates $155.8 billion in consumer spending, up 21.6%.
Are app downloads declining?
Download growth has stalled. Sensor Tower shows a small increase in 2025, and Appfigures a fifth consecutive annual decline. Spending, however, keeps growing.
Do more Canadians use iPhone or Android?
iPhone. StatCounter puts iOS at about 65% of mobile web traffic in Canada in September 2026, versus about 35% for Android.
How many Canadians own a smartphone or cellphone?
The CBC/Radio-Canada Media Technology Monitor found that 95% of Canadian adults owned a cellphone in spring 2025.
What's the fastest-growing app category?
Generative AI apps: Sensor Tower reports 3.8 billion downloads in 2025, double 2024, and more than $5 billion in in-app purchase revenue.
How big is digital advertising in Canada?
IAB Canada reports that Canadian digital advertising revenue reached $21.1 billion in 2025, up 16%, with search the largest channel and social media second.
Which country spends the most on apps?
The United States, with nearly $60 billion in consumer spending in 2025, according to Sensor Tower. India leads in downloads.
How much time do people spend in apps?
Sensor Tower estimates 5.3 trillion hours worldwide in 2025, up 3.8% from 2024.
Why do app statistics differ between sources?
Firms use different panels, models and definitions, and app stores don't publish complete data. Compare trends within one source rather than mixing sources.
Sources
- Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2026 press release (January 21, 2026): sensortower.com/press
- Pocket Gamer.biz summary of State of Mobile 2026 (downloads, 10.6% IAP growth)
- TechCrunch, "App downloads declined again in 2025, but consumer spending soared to nearly $156B" (January 14, 2026), citing Appfigures
- Sensor Tower, State of Mobile 2025 (2024 data), summarized by RocketShip HQ
- StatCounter Global Stats: mobile OS market share, Canada, North America and worldwide (2026)
- Media in Canada, "Cellphone adoption in Canada at nearly 100%" (September 2, 2025), citing the CBC/Radio-Canada Media Technology Monitor, spring 2025
- Statista, devices used for internet access in Canada (July 2025), citing CIRA
- IAB Canada, 2025 Internet Ad Revenue Survey and 2026/27 Forecast (June 2026), and 2024 survey (October 2025)
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