Market (Mobile)·Updated Mar 17, 2026 by Sensor Tower
Monthly active users for the top 500 apps grew at a compound annual growth rate of 12 to 14 percent between 2018 and 2021, with the average top app adding 10 million users annually.
While pandemic-driven engagement spikes normalized by Q2 2021, overall usage metrics across iOS and Android remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Mid-core gaming genres like Strategy and RPG command the highest engagement, with users averaging one hour of play per day and showing a strong correlation between time spent and revenue per download.
Hypercasual titles dominate in total monthly and weekly active users, but they negatively impact overall day-30 game retention metrics by prioritizing acquisition over long-term loyalty.
Social networking apps lead in session frequency with nearly 10 sessions per day on Android, while entertainment apps lead in daily time spent at approximately 30 minutes.
Business, education, and medical apps emerged as the fastest-growing categories, while travel and navigation apps experienced the most significant declines during the 2018–2021 period.
Tabletop games represent a high-retention outlier within the casual gaming sector, maintaining the strongest long-term loyalty and daily time spent metrics.
Monthly active users for the top 500 apps grew at a compound annual growth rate of 12 to 14 percent between 2018 and 2021, with the average top app adding 10 million users annually.
While pandemic-driven engagement spikes normalized by Q2 2021, overall usage metrics across iOS and Android remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Mid-core gaming genres like Strategy and RPG command the highest engagement, with users averaging one hour of play per day and showing a strong correlation between time spent and revenue per download.
Hypercasual titles dominate in total monthly and weekly active users, but they negatively impact overall day-30 game retention metrics by prioritizing acquisition over long-term loyalty.
Social networking apps lead in session frequency with nearly 10 sessions per day on Android, while entertainment apps lead in daily time spent at approximately 30 minutes.
Business, education, and medical apps emerged as the fastest-growing categories, while travel and navigation apps experienced the most significant declines during the 2018–2021 period.
Tabletop games represent a high-retention outlier within the casual gaming sector, maintaining the strongest long-term loyalty and daily time spent metrics.