Mobile app industry hanging onto users acquired during lockdown and continues to bring new users in: report

THE Asia-Pacific (Apac) region is leading the pack in the rate at which they download and use mobile apps, with 64 per cent of downloads coming from the region and 45 per cent of the mobile app market growth predicted to come from Apac between 2020 and 2024.

According to mobile marketing analytics platform Adjust's inaugural APAC Mobile App Trends Report 2021, installs across Asia-Pacific increased by 31 per cent year on year in 2020 and a further 4 per cent in 2021.

Sessions also boomed in 2020, growing 54 per cent year on year, largely due to the shift to mobile during lockdowns.

"While Apac's overall sessions growth in H1 2021 has only increased by 1 per cent, it is slowly building momentum and has almost reached 2020's Q1 peak," said April Tayson, regional vice-president, INSEA, Adjust. "This shows that the app industry is retaining users acquired during the recent lockdowns - and continues to bring new users."

Singapore and Vietnam in particular posted impressive install rates of up to 49 per cent and 43 per cent respectively in the first half of this year, compared to 2 per cent and 27 per cent in 2020.

Singapore's sessions have increased by 34 per cent this year, compared to the 1 per cent growth in 2020.

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The report also looked at three verticals: gaming (hyper-casual and nonhyper-casual), fintech and e-commerce.

Hyper-casual gaming grew the most out of all verticals, with installs climbing 66 per cent year on year in 2020, and 49 per cent in 2021. Hyper-casual games are games that are simple in mechanics and usually free to play. Examples include Candy Crush, Farmville and Temple Run.

Fintech took second place (36 per cent and 18 per cent respectively), followed by e-commerce (27 per cent and 8 per cent) and non hyper-casual games (23 per cent and 4 per cent).

In the fintech space, Thailand and Vietnam saw increases of 100 per cent and 97 per cent, respectively, in terms of number of installs, followed by Singapore at 72 per cent.

So far in 2021, fintech app installs are surging in all markets, with standout growth in Indonesia (89 per cent), Singapore (70 per cent) and South Korea (60 per cent), noted Adjust.

In terms of e-commerce installs, the average growth rate for Apac sat at 27 per cent comparing 2019 to 2020 and at 8 per cent from 2020 to H1 of 2021. Japan grew at a slightly higher rate of 31 per cent and 9 per cent, while South Korea grew 45 per cent and 2 per cent respectively.