The Indian app story: How Indians are spending time on apps?

Indian app story: India emerged as a dynamic hub for mobile app engagement, where the pulse of the nation echoed through billions of downloads and countless hours spent on smartphones. With rising internet penetration, Indians have flocked to countless apps on their phones for troubleshooting daily problems. For dating, Indian youngsters resorted to Bumble, and Tinder, for socialising, Instagram and FB came to their rescue.  As the year unfolded, 26.4 billion new apps found their way into the hands of Indian users in 2023, marking an 8 per cent decline from the previous year. India has the second-highest number of app downloads in the world, the report by EY and FICCI said.

Yet, this dip was overshadowed by a staggering 30 per cent surge in App Store spending, reaching a whopping $600 million, painting a picture of a population increasingly willing to invest in their digital experiences.

Apps for Everything

As per the study, Indians spent around 250 billion hours using apps for social media and communications. Next in the row are the apps for entertainment and video sharing, on which Indians spent around 250 billion hours in 2022.  Similarly, social media and social apps were third in the list, on which people spent around 170 billion hours in 2022. Under the category of 100 billion hours, apps related to utility and productivity were there, followed by entertainment and OTT. 

Indians Screen Time

In 2023, Indians were found glued to their screens for an average of 4.77 hours each day, which is 2 per cent higher than in 2022.  Although this fell slightly below the 5+ hours recorded in the top 10 mobile-first markets, it positioned India as the global epicentre of mobile phone usage. Communication apps witnessed a boom, with a remarkable 55 per cent growth in Monthly Active Users (MAUs) compared to 2020. The digital threads connecting Indians grew stronger, weaving a tapestry of virtual connections across the nation.

Source: EY and FICCI Report

Mobile gaming, too, saw a meteoric rise, with spending doubling in 2023 compared to the previous year. The virtual realms captivated users, offering an immersive escape and a testament to the evolving nature of entertainment in the digital age. As the digital bazaars expanded, Indians spent a staggering 73 per cent more hours on shopping apps, transforming the e-commerce landscape. From fashion to electronics, the smartphone became the gateway to a virtual marketplace, shaping the future of retail.

Social media, however, stood tall as the undisputed monarch of the digital kingdom. Indian MAUs on social platforms surged by 31 per cent from 2020, capturing the nation's attention and time. Social media became the beating heart of the digital realm, where stories unfolded, connections blossomed, and trends ignited.

Youngsters Love For Instagram

Younger audiences preferred Instagram, immersing themselves in visual stories and curated content. Meanwhile, the older ones preferred Facebook and WhatsApp. Meta claimed dominion with the top 3 most used apps in India. However, the true architects of consumer spending were found elsewhere, as other apps took the lead in driving financial investments.

Men's and Women's Preference

The report highlights that Indian men preferred Facebook as their first choice as far as apps are concerned, on the other hand, for females the first choice was WhatsApp Messenger. The second preference by men was Instagram while women preferred Snapchat. Next in the line. On the third spot, males preferred Truecaller while females preferred Meesho. The fourth app choice for males was PhonePay and for females it was Myntra.