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

Yet, this dip was overshowed 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 ir digital experiences.

Apps for Everything

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

Indians Screen Time

In 2023, Indians were found glued to ir screens for an average of 4.77 hours each day, which is 2 per cent higher than in 2022.  Although this fell slightly below 5+ hours recorded in top 10 mobile-first markets, it positioned India as 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. digital thres connecting Indians grew stronger, weaving a tapestry of virtual connections across nation.

Source: EY and FICCI Report

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

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

Youngsters Love For Instagram

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

Men's and Women's Preference

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