Market (Mobile)·Updated Mar 17, 2026 by data.ai
Report · January 1, 2022
Published by data.ai
Indonesia emerged as one of the world’s most mobile-centric markets in 2021, with users averaging 5.4 hours daily on mobile devices, representing a 38% increase since 2019. This engagement translates to roughly one-third of total waking hours, fueling 7.31 billion new app downloads and $532 million in consumer spending. While social, communication, and video applications captured 70% of total time spent, the gaming sector remained the primary economic driver, accounting for 42% of all downloads and 61% of total consumer expenditure. Titles such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Free Fire led the market in both engagement and monetization, while Hypercasual games dominated the download charts. Beyond entertainment, the Indonesian mobile landscape experienced transformative growth in utility and commerce sectors. Finance app downloads surged by 82% year-over-year, and time spent in shopping applications reached 5.5 billion hours, a 52% increase. The Food and Drink category saw the most explosive growth, with sessions increasing by over 480% due to the rise of quick-service restaurant brands and delivery services. Additionally, the video streaming market nearly doubled its engagement levels since 2019, driven by a shift toward mobile-first content and the continued dominance of platforms like YouTube and TikTok, the latter of which saw 75% year-over-year growth. Niche sectors also demonstrated significant momentum as the market matured. Consumer spending on dating apps rose 188% since 2018, while Health and Fitness engagement remained 56% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Business and utility apps like BukuWarung and PLN Mobile emerged as breakout leaders, signaling a deeper integration of mobile solutions into daily professional and civic life. As travel restrictions eased in late 2021, the recovery of travel and sports applications further solidified the mobile device as the central hub for the Indonesian consumer's digital and physical interactions.
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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y : 2021 Indonesian Mobile Landscape at a Glance 7.31B New App Downloads 2Y Growth +33% iOS, Google Play 5.4 Hrs Daily Time Spent Per User 2Y Growth Android Phones +38% 3.13B Gaming App Downloads 2Y Growth +56% $532M App Store Spend 2Y Growth +38% iOS, Google Play Gaming App Spend $325M 2Y Growth iOS, Google Play +24% > 13,000 apps downloaded per minute in 2021 1/3 of daily waking hours > $1,000 spent per minute in 2021 2 iOS, Google Play > 42% of all apps downloaded in Indonesia in 2021 > 61% of all app spend in Indonesia in 2021
Contents Macro Mobile Trends Gaming Finance Retail Video Streaming Food & Drink Health & Fitness Social Travel Dating Other Industries Embracing Mobile Top App & Games of 2021 Dive deeper into the insights contained in this report by exploring directly in data.ai Intelligence. Each slide contains links to view the data in expanded markets and trended over time. For access to data.ai Intelligence, reach out today. This report is interactive. For the best user experience, please view in your web browser. 3
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Macro Mobile Trends Macro Mobile Trends Consumer time and transactions in apps continues to hypercharge different verticals - From Gaming to Retail to Food/Ride hailing and now Finance, Fintech & Edutech. It is increasingly critical for brands to proactively invest in developing robust app-based insights and app capabilities to make the most of the surge in user attention and time. Neel Murty Head of Apps & Display, SEA Google 5
5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0 Brazil Indonesia South Korea Mexico India Japan Turkey Singapore Canada United States Russia United Kingdom Australia Argentina France Germany China 2019 2020 2021 Average Hours Spent on Mobile Per Day Per User Source: data.ai Intelligence Note: Android phones Indonesians Spent 1/3 of Waking Hours on Mobile, Up 38% Since 2019 M A C R O M O B I L E T R E N D S Across the top 10 markets analyzed, the weighted average surpassed 4 hours 48 minutes in 2021 — up 30% from 2019. Users in Brazil, Indonesia and South Korea surpassed 5 hours per day in mobile apps in 2021. Although the average Indonesian watched 4.33 hours of TV a day in 2018 (according to the latest available data), the time they spend on their mobile devices is quickly set to surpass that. Mobile usage estimates highlight growth sectors to inform strategic roadmap and investment priorities. Know where to make strategic decisions: advertising spend, corporate prioritization and resource allocation follow the eyeballs — and they are on mobile. 6
The Indian mobile ecosystem is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by a convergence of gaming, financial services, and entertainment applications. Hyper‑casual titles, primarily action‑puzzle games, have surpassed five billion downloads worldwide, while 4X march‑battle strategy games commanded the highest consumer spend in 2021, generating roughly ten billion dollars. This surge in gaming activity coincides with a 28 percent year‑over‑year increase in finance‑app usage, pushing total downloads beyond one billion and reaching 1.2 billion installations. Cryptocurrency platforms such as Binance, WazirX and CoinDCX recorded the strongest gains in sessions per user, signalling a growing appetite for digital‑asset services. Retail and video‑streaming applications also expanded markedly, with shopping apps alone accounting for 7.57 billion hours of user engagement. The market in 2021 was dominated by a blend of global and domestic firms. Google, Meta, Reliance, the Times Group, ShareChat and Bharti Airtel led both download and spend rankings across categories. In the gaming segment, Chinese and U.S. publishers—including Tencent, Jinke Culture (Outfit7), Voodoo, ironSource and Supercell—held top positions, with popular titles such as Carrom Pool and My Talking Tom Friends driving user acquisition. This competitive landscape underscores the importance of cross‑border content while highlighting the rising influence of Indian platforms. Overall, the data illustrate a diversified mobile market in India where high‑growth sectors—hyper‑casual gaming, strategic spend‑heavy titles, and fintech services—are reshaping user behavior and revenue streams. The coexistence of strong domestic players with leading international publishers suggests a dynamic environment poised for continued expansion throughout the coming years.
The global mobile economy experienced unprecedented expansion in 2021, characterized by a 19% year-over-year increase in app store spending to $170 billion and a 23% rise in mobile advertising to $295 billion. This growth was underpinned by a fundamental shift in consumer behavior, as users in leading markets now average 4.8 hours daily on mobile devices. Social, photo, and video applications dominate this engagement, accounting for 70% of time spent. The ecosystem's vitality is further evidenced by the release of 2 million new apps and the emergence of 233 individual titles that each surpassed $100 million in annual consumer spend. Mobile gaming remains the primary engine of monetization, reaching a record $116 billion in spend. While hypercasual titles drive download volume, core gaming experiences like 4X March-Battle strategy and creative sandboxes drive the highest revenue. Beyond gaming, the finance sector saw a 28% increase in downloads, propelled by the rise of neobanks in emerging markets and a surge in cryptocurrency adoption. Similarly, retail engagement surpassed 100 billion hours, while the food and drink sector reached record sessions through the rapid expansion of ultra-fast delivery services. The landscape also reflects a recovery in travel and sports, with engagement returning to pre-pandemic levels alongside a 95% increase in dating app spend since 2018. Emerging trends such as live streaming and avatar-based social platforms indicate growing consumer interest in the metaverse, with live streaming engagement outpacing the general market by nine times. Geographically and corporately, the market is led by U.S. giants like Google and Meta in general utility, while Chinese firms like Tencent dominate the gaming sector. This data illustrates a mature yet diversifying mobile industry that has become the central platform for finance, entertainment, and social interaction globally.
Brazil solidified its position as a global leader in mobile engagement throughout 2021, with users averaging 5.4 hours daily on apps, the highest rate in the world. This intense engagement fueled 10.3 billion new downloads and a 63% increase in consumer spending over two years, totaling $1.13 billion. The gaming sector acted as a primary catalyst for this expansion, contributing 4.5 billion downloads and $571 million in revenue. While Arcade and Action titles gained momentum, Free Fire remained a dominant force in the market, reflecting a strong national preference for the battle royale genre alongside short-form video platforms like TikTok. Beyond entertainment, the digital landscape underwent a structural shift toward financial and essential services. Finance app downloads surged by 91% over two years as a large underbanked population transitioned to neobanks such as Nubank and PicPay. This digital adoption extended to the retail and food sectors, where shopping app usage grew 45% year-over-year and food delivery sessions reached record peaks. International publishers captured over half of the shopping app market, signaling a highly competitive environment for domestic and overseas developers alike. Social engagement and utility apps also saw significant deepening of user habits. Social, photo, and video apps captured seventy percent of all mobile time, with live streaming and video-heavy communication driving record engagement. Health and fitness downloads rose 30% over two years, while the sports and travel sectors rebounded toward pre-pandemic levels. The diversification of the app economy was further evidenced by the rise of income-generating business tools and delivery driver platforms, illustrating that mobile devices have become central to both the personal lives and economic livelihoods of Brazilian consumers.
Brazil solidified its position as a global leader in mobile engagement throughout 2021, with users averaging 5.4 hours daily on their devices. This record-breaking activity drove 10.3 billion app downloads and a 22% year-over-year increase in consumer spending, which reached $1.13 billion. While social, communication, and video streaming apps captured 70% of total mobile minutes, the gaming sector emerged as the primary engine for monetization, accounting for more than half of all consumer expenditures. Hypercasual titles led in volume, while 4X Strategy games dominated revenue generation. The market underwent a profound digital transformation across the finance and retail sectors. Finance app downloads surged by 91% over a two-year period, fueled by a large underbanked population gravitating toward neobanks like Nubank and PicPay. Similarly, shopping app engagement rose 45%, though domestic players faced increasing competition as international publishers secured a 52% share of the local market. This shift toward digital-first services extended to the "rapid delivery" and food sectors, where sessions reached 4.5 billion, and the business category, where users increasingly utilized apps to secure alternative income through gig economy platforms. Post-pandemic recovery and lifestyle shifts further diversified the mobile landscape. Travel and sports apps saw significant rebounds in downloads and time spent, while the dating sector reached $47 million in consumer spend, marking a 62% increase since 2018. Health and fitness apps also maintained momentum with a 30% growth in downloads compared to pre-pandemic levels. Emerging trends, such as the 45% surge in TikTok usage and the rise of avatar-based social metaverses, indicate a maturing market where short-form video and interactive digital environments are becoming central to the Brazilian mobile experience.