Global app spending hits $34B in the second quarter of 2021

The global app market again broke its record high for app spending in the second quarter of 2021, while the total time spent in apps remained stable or grew during the period.

According to the latest app market report from App Annie, global app spending reached $34 billion in Q2 2021, up $7 billion from the prior year and $2 billion quarter-over-quarter.

Globally, TikTok topped the list of top apps by downloads. It was followed by Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp Messenger, and Zoom. When it came to which apps brought in the most revenue, TikTok again ranked first, followed by YouTube, Tinder, Disney+, and Tencent Video.

Even as pandemic-era restrictions ease and vaccination rates climb in many parts of the globe, App Annie notes that consumer app habits are remaining fairly stable. In other words, people are spending just as much time in apps as they were during the height of the global health crisis.

Specific regions also saw greater growth in the second quarter, including Brazil, Russia, and Turkey. Time spent within apps leapt 30% from the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2021. Russia saw 45% growth in time spent within apps during that same period, and Turkey saw 40% growth.

In the U.S., there was only a relatively modest spike in time spent in apps. During the second quarter, U.S. consumers upped their daily app hours to just under four hours, a 20% increase from Q2 2019.

As far as "breakout apps," or the apps that experienced dramatic growth, titles differed by country. In the U.S., it was PictureThis, followed by Voila AI Artist, CapCut, and HBO Max. In the UK, the National Health Service's app topped the list.

In the games category, Hair Challenge sat atop the charts, but was closely followed by apps like Bridge Race in the U.S. and Count Masters in the UK.

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