Global Mobile Apps in September: Shopping Apps Start a Shopping Spree in India

The September 2022 analysis of global non‑game mobile apps highlights a shift toward strong revenue and download growth in specific markets, notably Japan and India. Japanese app versions of TikTok and LINE saw month‑over‑month revenue increases of 65 % and 34.9 %, respectively, positioning Japan as a “new gold mine” for app monetization. In India, e‑commerce giants Flipkart and Amazon India Shop dominated downloads, with Flipkart achieving a 49.2 % MoM rise to 6.76 million downloads and Amazon India Shop growing 9.6 % to 1.22 million. Both platforms launched major sales campaigns in September, introducing features such as Flipkart’s interest‑free installment payment “Flipkart Pay Later EMI,” which drove a 120 % surge in app usage on launch day.

Revenue leaders on the App Store remained stable, while Google Play saw DAZN’s sports‑streaming revenue climb 34.7 % MoM, driven by Serie A broadcasting rights and a price increase to €29.99. Advertising activity surged across social apps; We Heart It, Bored Panda, and Pinterest each posted double‑digit percentage increases in deduplicated creatives on iOS and Android. Pinterest’s lightweight version, Pinterest Lite, posted a 245 % MoM rise in creatives, targeting entertainment and educational media. Passion and Helo also expanded creative output, with Passion focusing on Indian video content and Helo shifting its advertising focus to Latin America and Southeast Asia after a ban in India.

The report draws on App Intelligence data, covering revenue, downloads, and advertising creatives across the Apple App Store and Google Play for September 2022. It underscores a growing emphasis on localized monetization strategies, aggressive advertising in social platforms, and the continued dominance of e‑commerce apps in high‑growth markets.