Mobile Market: Q1 2026

Mobile in‑quarter revenue remains largely flat, with in‑app purchase (IAP) sales expanding 9.3 % year over year to $43.5 billion in Q1 2026, driven almost entirely by non‑gaming apps that grew 17.9 % to $23.1 billion; games added only 0.5 % to reach $20.4 billion. Google Play outpaces iOS in overall growth (+14 % vs +6.9 %), yet game revenue on iOS fell YoY while Google Play games edged up slightly. Total mobile downloads dipped 0.8 % to 37.5 billion, with app installs rising 4.9 % (25.6 billion) but game installs falling 11.9 % to 11.9 billion, a trend that threatens future revenue as download volume shrinks.

Geographically, the United States remains the largest market; its gaming segment grew 3 % YoY but marks the second consecutive quarter of declining revenue, a first since Q3‑Q4 2020. European markets show robust growth, notably the UK (+20 % YoY), though the US’s sheer size still dominates absolute revenue. China data reflects iOS only, and India, Indonesia, Brazil, and African nations lead download growth, with India and Indonesia showing modest gains.

Genre‑level analysis highlights board games (+23 % YoY), puzzles (+21 %), and shooters (+12 %) as top revenue drivers, while action, RPG, and casino titles decline. Non‑gaming categories such as generative AI apps experience explosive growth (174 % YoY) and lead in downloads, though the pace is slowing as saturation increases.

Digital marketing spend in the U.S. reached $48 billion, up 15.4 % YoY; games account for 6th‑place spend and grew 45.5 % YoY, with Japan and Turkey showing the strongest growth in game marketing. These data suggest that while overall mobile revenue remains stable, declining game downloads and shifting genre performance will shape the market’s trajectory in the coming quarters.