AppsFlyer has released its annual report on mobile app trends. The report is not just a retrospective lookback but a forecast, following an increasingly complex digital economy.
The 2024 report arrives as both a record and a roadmap, shining a light on how mobile marketers have harnessed new technologies, creative strategies, and market insights to navigate a volatile landscape.
If 2023 was a year of recalibration, 2024 was a year of calculated acceleration. User acquisition (UA) ad spend surged globally, with brands deploying increasingly sophisticated monetisation strategies. Artificial intelligence fueled an unprecedented evolution in how campaigns are optimised and scaled.
The report also revealed that the year’s most decisive growth story unfurled outside the gaming sector, where in-app purchases (IAPs) surged by nearly 20 per cent.
While gaming ad spend declined by 7 per cent, non-gaming categories saw an 8 per cent rise. The finance sector led the charge with a staggering 61 per cent year-over-year (YoY) increase in ad spend, buoyed by the relentless expansion of crypto and fintech. Travel apps followed with a 20 per cent rise, while shopping apps, after a meteoric 2023, saw an 8 per cent decline—a suggested normalisation after aggressive market penetration by Asian players.
The Middle East: A powerhouse for growth
The Middle East in particular was identified as a high-growth market in AppsFlyer’s latest report. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt were among the countries in the region that saw an over 30 per cent surge in mobile app installs for non-gaming categories, especially impressive when compared to the 7 per cent global average.
Finance apps and generative AI platforms emerged as regional favourites in terms of UA ad spend, skyrocketing 208 per cent and 94 per cent, respectively.
Paul Wright, AppsFlyer’s General Manager for Western Europe and MENAT, attributed this to fierce competition and market maturation. “The especially significant increase in UA spending in these categories indicates stiff competition and the potential for many players to continue growing their market share by appreciable levels,” he said.
Interestingly, regional shopping apps reduced their UA ad spending by 47 per cent which might indicate a stabilisation in the market, where major players have already built loyal customer bases and no longer need to rely as heavily on user acquisition campaigns. Wright stated that the pullback in spending by incumbents could make it more cost-effective and impactful for smaller players and new entrants to run successful mobile marketing campaigns.
Looking forward, the findings from the AppsFlyer report suggest that 2025 will be a year of deeper integration between gaming and non-gaming sectors. Wright predicts, “We’ll see further refinements in monetisation strategies and a greater reliance on owned media technologies like deep linking, which will unlock unprecedented personalisation and hybrid app experiences.”
For an industry in flux, the message is clear: agility, data-driven creativity, and a willingness to embrace emerging technologies will separate the leaders from the laggards.
