Global Mobile Usage Hits 5.3 Trillion Hours in 2025
Smartphone users worldwide spent a total of 5.3 trillion hours on mobile devices in 2025, a 3.8% increase from 2024, according to the State of Mobile 2026 report by Sensor Tower.
On average, every person globally spends more than 600 hours online, equivalent to 3.6 hours per day or over 13 minutes of every waking hour.
Mobile users spent nearly 2.5 trillion hours on social media apps, averaging over 90 minutes per day, a 5% year-on-year increase, reflecting sustained engagement as overall mobile usage begins to stabilise.
Average User Accesses 34 Apps Per Month
The report highlights that users engaged with an average of 34 apps per month, up 5.4% from 2024. AI assistants emerged as a fast-growing category, recording a 426% surge in time spent, driven by growing interest in tools for personalised assistance and task automation.
Top 10 Countries by Mobile Time Spent in 2025
- India – 1.23 trillion hours (up from 1.13T in 2024)
- Indonesia – 414 billion hours (up from 400B)
- United States – 385 billion hours (up from 370B)
- Brazil – 301 billion hours (down from 311B)
- Russia – 200 billion hours (down from 214B)
- Mexico – 175 billion hours (up from 170B)
- Pakistan – 169 billion hours (up from 152B)
- Philippines – 153 billion hours (up from 147B)
- China Mainland – 148 billion hours (down from 164B)
- Nigeria – 129 billion hours (up from 110B)
Nigeria’s entry into the global top 10 highlights the country’s growing mobile engagement and the increasing role of digital platforms in daily life.
Top Apps Driving Engagement in 2025
Mobile app downloads reached 149 billion globally, up 0.8% year-on-year, with users increasingly engaging across multiple categories. Notable apps leading in time spent growth include:
- ChatGPT – 426% growth
- WhatsApp Business – 14% growth
- Google Pay – 13% growth
- POCO Launcher 2.0 – 11% growth
- Clock – 9% growth
- Google Photos – 8% growth
- Google Maps – 6% growth
- TikTok – 5% growth
- Spotify – 5% growth
- Santander – 5% growth
AI-powered and creative apps like ChatGPT, ReelShort, and CapCut recorded explosive growth in engagement, reflecting a strong demand for productivity and content creation tools.
Top 10 Markets by In-App Purchase Revenue
Global in-app purchase (IAP) revenue reached $167 billion in 2025, a 10.6% increase year-on-year. The top 10 markets for mobile app monetisation were:
- United States – $59B (up from $54.8B)
- China Mainland (iOS only) – $22.1B (up from $21.1B)
- Japan – $16.8B (unchanged)
- South Korea – $7.19B (up from $6.75B)
- United Kingdom – $6.38B (up from $5.31B)
- Germany – $6.02B (up from $5.02B)
- France – ~$3.9B (up from $3.0B)
- Canada – $3.98B (up from $3.11B)
- Taiwan – $3.44B (up from $3.07B)
- Australia – $3.26B (up from $2.91B)
The report underscores how mobile monetisation is accelerating, with app publishers leveraging subscriptions, paid apps, and in-app purchases even as overall usage stabilises.
Key Insights
- The average global mobile user spends 3.6 hours daily on their devices.
- Social media apps remain the largest category by engagement.
- AI assistants are the fastest-growing subcategory, indicating a shift toward personalised, interactive mobile experiences.
- Nigeria emerges as a major mobile engagement market, ranking 10th globally.
- In-app purchase revenue continues to grow, driven by loyalty and premium content.
