Decoding the Breakout AI Across Finance, Social, and Health Apps, the 2026 Global Mobile App Marketing Trends White Paper Uncovers the Drivers of Sustainable Growth In 2025, the global mobile app market experienced a fundamental shift. Traffic-driven growth approaches reached their limits, and broad, volume-oriented strategies began to lose traction. Instead, value-led operations, technology-enabled optimization, and deep localization emerged as the primary drivers of sustainable growth. SocialPeta has partnered with industry leader AdChampagne to publish the 2026 Global Mobile App Marketing Trends White Paper. The report is enriched with exclusive insights from industry leaders, including PlayableMaker, AppNava, YouAppi, App Masters, Alison.ai, MAF, TMUG Club, web2wave and Spiral. The white paper offers an in-depth view of the latest global mobile app marketing trends, uncovering several critical shifts: ● A More Concentrated and Competitive Market: top players increase creative output despite a shrinking advertiser base. ● AI as a core capability: leading AI apps scale through volume and quality, while weaker products exit. ● Sector divergence: finance prioritizes trust and lifetime value; other verticals favor established, patient players. ● North America as a touchstone: rational users and strict standards test scalable models. ● From traffic to capabilities: success now depends on content quality, production systems, AI integration, and long-term growth.

ust and lifetime value; other verticals favor established, patient players. ● North America as a touchstone: rational users and strict standards test scalable models. ● From traffic to capabilities: success now depends on content quality, production systems, AI integration, and long-term growth. The report decodes the growth dynamics shaping AI-powered app categories and delivers a comprehensive analysis of marketing trends and regional strategies across key verticals, including finance, social, and health. Serving as an end-to-end guide to global expansion, it offers actionable insights spanning strategic planning through execution.

Mobile Apps in 2025: Fewer Advertisers, but Marketing Is Becoming “Heavier” From an overall market perspective, mobile app marketing in 2025 shows a typical “scissor gap” phenomenon: ● The average monthly number of active advertisers decreased by approximately 16.7% year-over-year. ● Meanwhile, the average monthly volume of ad creatives per advertiser increased by 73.3% year-over-year. SocialPeta Advertising Trends in Global Mobile Apps in 2025 2025 saw a greater decline in mobile app advertisers. The monthly advertisers decreased by about 16.7% compared with 2024. There was a significant YoY increase in monthly creatives, mainly for drama apps and Al apps. Monthly creatives per advertiser increased by about 73.3% YoY to reach 306 in 2025. AdvertisersMonthly creatives 160.0 K Monthly active 140.0 K 364370 advertisers in 2025 346 351 105K YoY 16.7%↓ 120.0 K 289311 325291 100.0 K 273 X 280 Monthly creatives per 80.0 K 203219225229²⁴⁵ advertiser in 2025 60.0 K 162175167191193191 4 306 YoY 73.3%↑ 40.0 K 144¤ 20.0 K 121128 K 0.0 K Jan 2024 Apr Jul Oct Jan 2025 Apr Jul Oct 29 Source: SocialPeta, based on data that were captured and analyzed. What does this mean? The market is shifting from a phase where “everyone could participate” to one where “only those who sustain continuous investment can remain.” A decline in the number of advertisers does not indicate market contraction; rather, it reflects a significantly higher competitive threshold. Leading and mid-tier advertisers are competing for user attention through higher-frequency and more sophisticated creative testing.

investment can remain.” A decline in the number of advertisers does not indicate market contraction; rather, it reflects a significantly higher competitive threshold. Leading and mid-tier advertisers are competing for user attention through higher-frequency and more sophisticated creative testing. From a category perspective, business & productivity, utilities, entertainment, and finance continue to account for the largest shares of advertisers. From a creative volume standpoint, entertainment (short dramas), reading, and AI-related apps hold a dominant position.

Proportions of Mobile App Advertising by Category in 2025 Category Share of advertisers In comparison to 2024 Category Share of creatives In comparison to 2023 Business & Office 14.25% 0.85% Entertainment 33.86% 15.06% Tool 12.48% 1.70% Reading 25.15% 10.76% Entertainment 8.03% 0.95% Tool 6.44% -2.16% Finance 7.83% 0.18% Finance 4.40% -1.49% Lifestyle 7.62% -1.50% Business & Office 4.16% -2.93% Health & Fitness 7.04% 0.69% Shopping 4.10% -7.13% Productivity 6.97% 0.78% Lifestyle 3.18% -4.95% Education 6.90% 0.92% Health & Fitness 3.12% -0.98% Shopping 4.60% -2.81% Social 2.77% -0.35% Food & Drink 3.88% -0.70% Productivity 3% -1.28% 32 Source: SocialPeta, based on data that were captured and analyzed. Date Range: Jan 2024 - Dec 2025 Another notable shift is at the system level: the advertising distribution ratio between iOS and Android has stabilized at 4:6. However, the average number of creatives per advertiser on iOS is significantly higher than on Android. This reflects the higher demand for refined content and high-quality creatives in high-paying markets. SocialPeta Advertising of Mobile Apps on iOS & Android in 2025 Ad creatives started to increase on iOS, resulting in a higher number of monthly creatives per advertiser than on Android.

Android. This reflects the higher demand for refined content and high-quality creatives in high-paying markets. SocialPeta Advertising of Mobile Apps on iOS & Android in 2025 Ad creatives started to increase on iOS, resulting in a higher number of monthly creatives per advertiser than on Android. Ad creatives on iOs & H2 2025 40.42%,54.3M 59.58%.80.0M Android in 2025 H1 2025 40.85%,44.2M 59.15%,64.1M The ratio of creatives on iOs to H2 2024 41.57%,34.7M 58.43%,48.7M creatives on Android stabilized at 4:6. H1 2024 The total number of creatives on both 40.90%.29.2M LA0 59.10%.42.2M CrnICT iOSand Android was higher than last H2 2023 34.90%,22.6M 65.10%.42.1M year. But iOS had more creatives per advertiser. H1 2023 27.49%15.1M 72.51%,39.9M 648 H2 2022 30.38%.17.3M 69.62%,39.6M Creatives per advertiser on iOS in H1 2022 28.53%.1 H2 2025 .9M 71.47%,29.8M 602 H2 2021 31.43%,13.9M 68.57%.30.3M Creatives per advertiser on H1 2021 42.44%,23.2M 57.56%,31.5M Android in H2 2025 0.0M 20.0M 40.0M 60.0M 80.0M 100.0M 120.0M 140.0M 160.0M