The global mobile application market experienced a contraction in the third quarter of 2022, characterized by a year-over-year decline in both consumer spending and new app adoption. Total global revenue across the Apple App Store and Google Play fell 4.8 percent to $31.6 billion, while total app installs decreased by 1 percent to 35.3 billion. This downturn reflects broader economic headwinds and evolving privacy policies that have begun to dampen the rapid growth observed in previous years.
The decline in revenue was more pronounced within the mobile gaming sector, which saw a 12.7 percent year-over-year drop to $19.3 billion. Google Play experienced a steeper revenue decline of 16.9 percent compared to the App Store’s 9.8 percent decrease in the gaming category. Despite the overall market cooling, specific titles maintained strong performance; TikTok remained the highest-grossing non-game app globally, while Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, and Genshin Impact continued to lead in mobile game revenue.
Methodologically, these findings are derived from Store Intelligence data, which tracks consumer spending on in-app purchases, premium apps, and subscriptions. The figures exclude revenue from local taxes, in-app advertising, and mobile commerce transactions such as food delivery or ride-sharing services. While Apple’s marketplace generated more than double the revenue of Google Play, both platforms faced downward pressure. As the industry moves toward the end of the year, these trends suggest a sustained period of adjustment for mobile publishers and developers navigating a more challenging macroeconomic environment.
