Non-Game Apps Dominate Apple App Store for the First Time

As global downloads of games and non-game apps reached 35 billion in the second quarter of this year, spending on apps surpassed spending on games on the Apple App Store for the first time ever in the United States. According to Sensor Tower, non-game spending has grown at more than twice the rate of game spending on the App Store in the United States, with a compound annual growth rate of 40% since June 2014.

Non-game app revenue increased for the quarter, reaching nearly $3.4 billion on the US App Store, compared to $3.3 billion spent on mobile games. "Mobile app adoption has normalized after a quixotic two years, with global downloads of games and non-game apps waning 2.5% year-over-year to reach 35 billion in Q2 2022," said the report.

Last quarter, iOS users in the United States spent more on non-game apps than games for the first time. Non-game apps now account for more than half of App Store spending in the United States.

This increase in revenue is due in part to subscriptions, which non-game apps have increasingly adopted in recent years. According to the report, 400 apps generated at least $1 million in consumer spending in 2Q22, a 900 percent increase from 50 apps in Q2 2016.