Mobile app installs in APAC continue strong growth trajectory

Mobile app installs are reaching record highs - but it doesn't necessarily mean that people are taking more time to engage with the apps they're using. That's just one of the findings from the latest APAC Mobile App Trends Report 2021, conducted by mobile marketing analytics platform Adjust.

Adjust analysed the top 910 apps in Asia Pacific and how people in 11 countries use these apps, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

According to the report, people in Asia Pacific contributed to a 31% year-on-year growth in app installs in 2020, and that could grow by another 4% this year.

More installs mean more sessions, but session growth has barely increased by 1% overall. In Singapore, however, sessions have increased by 34% this year.

"While APAC's overall sessions growth in H1 2021 has only increased by 1%, it is slowly building momentum and has almost reached 2020's Q1 peak," comments Adjust's INSEA regional VP April Tayson.

"This shows that the app industry is retaining users acquired during the recent lockdowns — and continues to bring new users."

The report also analyses app installs and sessions across three verticals: eCommerce, fintech, and gaming.  It found that gaming grew the most out of the three verticals, followed by fintech, then eCommerce.

Fintech grew largely due to the rise of mobile banking and mobile payments. The report notes that this year there is standout growth in Indonesia (89%), Singapore (70%) and South Korea (60%).  Installs in Thailand and Vietnam dominated in fintech installs, reaching 100% and 97%, respectively, followed by Singapore at 72%.

In terms of fintech sessions, the report notes a rise in the number of sessions and the length of time within those sessions is growing.

"This is evidenced by very consistent retention rates throughout the year despite the impacts of the pandemic. In Q4, the day 30 average was 5.68%.

Singapore and Vietnam's fintech sessions increased 188% and 136% respectively.

The report says that iOS 14.5+ and Android 12 will once again change the mobile landscape, particularly when the collection of granular data points on user behaviour and in-app patterns becomes more important.

Report data comes from India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam between January 1, 2019, and May 31, 2021.

Adjust is a mobile marketing analytics platform used by growth-driven marketers around the world, with solutions for measuring and optimising campaigns, and protecting user data.