While there are still three months left until Business of Apps London, here is something to get excited about early.

Ben Lebus, CEO and Founder of Mob, the UK’s #1 recipe app, will deliver the event’s keynote address.

On April 23rd, Ben will take to the main stage to share the lessons behind Mob’s journey and what app and digital leaders can learn from it.

From building one of the UK’s most influential food and content platforms to scaling audience, brand, and revenue in a crowded digital landscape, Ben brings a rare founder-led perspective on growth, product, and community at scale.

If you haven’t got your ticket already, consider this a friendly reminder to get yours asap. If you work for an app or brand, you may be eligible to apply for a subsidised ticket here.

The post Opening keynote announced for Business of Apps London appeared first on Business of Apps.

It was a breakout year for generative AI and the leader of this category, ChatGPT, was the most downloaded app of the year with 770 million installs.

The chatbot managed to supplant TikTok and Instagram, which have held the top two positions in our ranking for the four years. ChatGPT was the most installed app on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Most popular apps 2025 (mm)

The only other chatbot to make the top 15 was Google Gemini, clocking in 354 million installs in 2025. If we broadened it to the top 50 most installed, two Chinese chatbots DeepSeek and Cici by TikTok-owner ByteDance made the cut.

Outside of the rise of the chatbots, the top 15 looks more or less the same as last year. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp made the top five again, each one rank down due to the surge from ChatGPT. Total downloads for all four of these apps was down year-on-year however, with an average decline of 155 million downloads between them.

Facebook’s Threads remains in the top 10, showing its staying power while rival X lingers. The social media giant has pushed Threads heavily on Facebook and Instagram, forcing users to sign up to view content that’s advertised on those platforms.

Three games made it to the top 15 this year, a big improvement on 2024. The three were Block Blast, Roblox and Free Fire. Block Blast has shot up the rankings in 2025, getting more than 300 million installs, a remarkable feat for a new twist on Tetris.

In terms of those that missed the cut this time, last year Facebook Messenger, Spotify and Shein were in, but missed out this year. While total downloads of the apps at the top of the pile decreased, the average downloads increased at the bottom of the rankings.

If you want to see more rankings by category and country, check out our most popular apps post.

The post ChatGPT was the most downloaded app in 2025, supplanting TikTok appeared first on Business of Apps.

On April 23rd, Business of Apps London will bring together 1,000+ senior leaders shaping the future of the app economy across growth, marketing, product, CRM, retention, and revenue.

Across seven content stages, the agenda will explore the ideas and strategies actually driving app growth in 2026 — from teams navigating AI adoption and privacy-first acquisition to those rethinking retention and monetisation models.

Our 2026 themes include:

• AI-powered growth engines: How teams are moving beyond automation to embed AI across creative, optimisation, and in-app experiences
• Retention redefined: Building durable growth through lifecycle strategy, personalisation, and long-term engagement
• Multi-channel user acquisition: What acquisition looks like in a privacy-first world; plus, measurement, attribution, and expansion beyond single-channel dependence
• Revenue innovation: New approaches to pricing, subscriptions, as well as app-to-web and web-to-app flows that unlock sustainable revenue growth

We’re inviting speakers to take part in:

• Short talks
• Panels
• Table Talks
• Boardroom discussions
• Workshops

If you’ve got a real story, tested framework, or hard-won lesson to share, we would love to hear from you.

We are looking for practical, execution-led sessions from across the app ecosystem — from eCommerce and fintech to media, travel, and beyond.

The post Want to speak at Business of Apps London? appeared first on Business of Apps.

Business of Apps is delighted to be collaborating with Branch to feature a selection of episodes from its podcast series, How I Grew This, on the Business of Apps podcast feed.

How I Grew This began as a Branch channel hosted by the company’s co-founder Mada Seghete, originally centred on career journeys and standout marketing campaigns.

As the mobile and growth landscape shifted, the podcast evolved alongside it, broadening its scope to reflect what modern growth teams are grappling with today, from changing platform dynamics to the growing influence of AI on how products are built and marketed.

Today, the podcast is hosted by Amanda Vandiver and Adam Landis and features conversational interviews with leaders across the digital space. Each episode focuses on the realities behind growth, exploring the decisions, trade-offs, and lessons learned that rarely make it into case studies or conference talks.

The show is intentionally unscripted, allowing discussions to unfold naturally and surface what the hosts describe as the “shiny pockets” of insight, i.e. moments when guests are open about what worked, what didn’t, and what they would approach differently with hindsight.

Through the collaboration with Business of Apps, selected episodes of How I Grew This will be released to a wider app industry audience, continuing the podcast’s aim of sharing practical perspectives and giving a platform to voices shaping growth and marketing today.

Commenting on the collaboration, Paula Mantle, VP of Marketing at Brach, said:

“What I love about How I Grew This is that it’s a platform for the people building the industry — with an incredible mix of guests and candid conversations. The best part is hearing leaders share the lessons they wish they’d learned sooner, and seeing our audience take something practical back to their work.”

The first episode is now live, featuring Shumel Lais of Day30 who dissects the ins and outs of subscription app growth. More episodes to follow soon; stay tuned.

The post Branch’s “How I Grew This” episodes land on the Business of Apps podcast appeared first on Business of Apps.

Gummicube has published a new downloadable guide designed to help app developers and marketers improve performance across the Apple App Store and Google Play, as competition for discovery continues to intensify.

The guide, titled ASO 101: Boost rankings and conversions, sets out the fundamentals of App Store Optimisation (ASO) and frames it as an increasingly essential lever for growth in a market now home to more than five million apps. With organic visibility under pressure, apps left unoptimised risk losing both rankings and installs over time.

Gummicube cites industry data suggesting that more than 65% of app downloads are driven by search, positioning keyword strategy and store listing relevance as central to acquisition. The guide is intended to provide a practical starting point for teams looking to build or refresh their ASO strategy, particularly as paid user acquisition costs rise and developers look for more sustainable channels.

The deck covers a range of optimisation tactics, including strategic keyword targeting to improve rankings, the use of app store creatives to increase conversion, and the deployment of In-App Events to engage new users and re-activate lapsed audiences.

It also explores how Custom Product Pages can be tailored to specific traffic sources, a growing focus area as marketers attempt to better match store experiences to user intent.

The guide is aimed at helping teams “take the guesswork out of ASO”, combining foundational concepts with actionable approaches to improve discoverability and install performance.

ASO 101: Boost rankings and conversions is now available to download directly from Business of Apps.

The post ASO moves centre stage as organic discovery declines appeared first on Business of Apps.

ConsultMyApp has announced the launch of APPlyzer 26, the latest evolution of its app store intelligence platform, built to give app marketers clearer, faster insight across Apple Search Ads, ASO, and competitor activity.

Designed for modern growth teams, APPlyzer 26 removes the complexity traditionally associated with app store data, turning fragmented signals into a single, intuitive view that supports smarter decision-making across markets.

Key highlights include:

Full Apple Search Ads auction visibility

See the top five bidders, not just the auction winner, alongside competitor Share of Voice and real-time auction movement.

Global keyword and market intelligence

Track keyword rankings, search volumes, and competitive dynamics across 150+ countries.

Custom Product Pages and In-App Events tracking

Analyse organic and paid CPPs and In-App Events to understand which creatives, messaging, and keywords competitors are actively using.

Download estimates and performance signals

Compare apps across markets using real-time download estimates and market-level performance indicators.

Built for speed, not setup

No integrations or specialist expertise required — insights are available instantly.

APPlyzer 26 is built for ASO, UA, and growth teams who need immediate clarity on where the market is moving and how competitors are behaving.

To learn more about APPlyzer 26, visit the website here.

The post ConsultMyApp launches APPlyzer 26 with full Apple Ads auctions appeared first on Business of Apps.

The health & fitness app category spans a wide range of apps, including everything from workout routines, to calorie counters, to menstruation cycles. Some focus on solo-rewarding users for hitting metrics, while others are community hubs for sport activities.

We created this Top 50 Health & Fitness apps infographic to better visualise how the health and fitness app market is structured at the top end, looking at key metrics such as installs and in-app purchase and subscription revenues.

This category generates over $5 billion in-app revenue according to the Health & Fitness App report, largely from subscriptions. About three quarters of the revenue comes from subs, with the other quarter supplied by ads. Connected hardware, in the form of smartwatches, fitness bands and gym equipment, makes a larger amount of revenue than the app side, but has much tighter margins, hence why major hardware suppliers like Peloton, Apple and Fitbit have pushed heavily into subscription services.

This is how we break down this app category into segments:

• Calorie counter: Counting calories and macros has been a thing for decades, apps such as MyFitnessPal, Yazio and Yuka made it more accessible through their large databases of food products.
• Activity tracking: This subcategory is split into two distinct types of tracking: solo and community. Strava and Runna are both big on friends and community, while Sweatcoin and StepsApp provides solo rewards for walking.
• Home and gym fitness: This is another subcategory split in two, although less so that activity. Some apps, such as Ladder and Fitbod, really recommend a gym or lots of equipment, while Sweat and Home Workouts: No Equipment by Leap Fitness are focused on exercises than can be performed at home.
• Hardware: Connected devices still play a big part in this category, with some such as Whoop, Oura, Connect by Garmin and Zwift unable to operate without them. Google Fit, Samsung Health and Huawei Health operate on a variety of devices including smartphones, Apple Fitness will offer limited functionality to iPhone-only users.
• Heartrate monitor: Checking your heartrate can be critical for some, and there are several apps that offer this either through a connected smartwatch or band, or through the smartphone.
• Health tracking: Holistic health tracking, which can cover a variety of metrics from the very broad to specific, are available on app through Apple Health, BetterMe and MyChart.
• Female focused: There are several apps that focus on female health. With Flo, the female-focus is in the functionality being a period and ovulation tracker, while LazyFit and Sweat market their exercise and health routines to women.
• Wellness: A rather broad category in its own right covering wellness, meditation, sleep and yoga. Calm and Headspace are two of the big names in this space, and offer a wide variety of services, including sleep noises, meditation guides and yoga.
• Sleep: Sleep tracking and noise is a booming industry with hundreds of apps offering white, green and every other colour noise to help you snooze, while also offering analytics on how well you slept. Apps like Pokemon Sleep offer rewards for having a better rest.
• Yoga: Then there are a few apps that focus on yoga routines, stretching and meditation, with LazyFit, Bend and Endel being the three top apps in this subcategory.

Check out the Top 50 Health & Fitness Apps infographic here, with a landscape version available to download for slides and presentations.

The post Which Apps Lead the Health & Fitness App Market appeared first on Business of Apps.

It will come as no surprise to anyone when I say that the app industry is a very dynamic one, with things changing by the week or even day, and 2025 was no different with the developments it brought.

In April, the Epic Games v. Apple ruling permanently barred Apple from forcing developers to use its in-app purchase system. The decision essentially blew open the App Store, paving the way for web-to-app purchase flows.

A similar fate would befall Google just a few months later. While the Epic Games v. Google ruling rejected calls to break up Google or Android, it still forced the Mountain View giant to implement sweeping changes, including allowing third-party app stores and giving them access to the full catalogue of Google Play apps as well as letting developers link to alternative ways to download their apps outside the Play Store.

The two landmark rulings consolidated web stores into an essential part of the growth funnel, opening new horizons for the subscription industry.

AI, as expected and already predicted at the end of 2024, continued to dominate the headlines in 2025, with the usual suspects (OpenAI, Claude, etc.) launching feature after feature and, in the case of OpenAI, even a new app, Sora AI. More interestingly, 2025 saw the rise of custom-built AI agents (e.g., SplitMetrics’s Iris) trained on relevant data in order to complete very specific tasks (to return to Iris, it specialises in Apple Ads).

All of this made 2025 a watershed year for the app industry and laid the groundwork for the opportunities and challenges the industry will face in 2026.

To help you prepare for the year ahead, we’ve invited eleven seasoned app professionals to reflect on the changes that 2025 brought and share their advice for what’s next for the app industry in 2026.

Freya Fine, Founder at &Fine

Femtech and women’s health will be one of the strongest growth categories in 2026. We’re already seeing momentum with apps like Joii, Ovum, Moody, and Pelby (launching soon), and this is only accelerating. Period tracking is being upgraded beyond calendars into intelligent health companions, while AI designed specifically for women will unlock more personalised care across hormonal health, fertility, pelvic floor health, mental health, and menopause. The next wave of women’s health apps will move away from one-size-fits-all solutions and focus on deeply personalised, life-stage–specific experiences.

The biggest challenge for apps in 2026 will be community building, especially beyond the screen. Digital-only engagement is no longer enough. Users want real connection, and brands will need to figure out how to bring their digital products into physical spaces through events, meet-ups, and shared experiences. Retention and monetisation will increasingly depend on how well apps can translate their online communities into meaningful offline relationships. Apps like Cliq are already leading the way, but this is still a difficult problem the industry hasn’t fully solved.

The biggest opportunity lies in organic community-led growth rather than paid promotion. Ambassador programs, creator-led advocacy, and platforms like TikTok and Reddit will play a central role in driving installs organically. The most successful apps in 2026 will be those that achieve strong product–market fit, build genuine communities around their products, and scale growth organically before relying heavily on paid acquisition.

Connect with Freya Fine.

Dieter Rappold, Co-Founder & CEO at ContextSDK

AppLovin dominates. Everybody has to work with them, but the dominance can be suffocating. So I think we will see strategic initiatives aligned to give the app economy some room to breathe and increase independence. The interesting question is: who will take the lead in this movement?

Context rules. Whether it is contextual targeting or exploring new contextual perspectives: increasing your ‘context score’ with new data points will be a top strategic priority in 2026 for most of the leading players.

ChatGPT & Co. If there is ever a challenger to traditional app store structures and structures of distribution in the world of apps, it will be the leading LLMs, aiming to establish alternative platforms of discovery and distribution. 2026 will see significant steps in that direction.

Connect with Dieter.

Ekaterina Gamsriegler, Head of Marketing and Growth at MyGroove

AI dramatically lowered the barrier. Now what? In 2025, many marketing and especially ad creation workflows included AI to generate and test new creative concepts, whether for on-brand ads or AIGC. It’s become dramatically easier to produce, test, and especially scale creative assets. Which is great, as lean teams were suddenly able to compete with big players.

Looking ahead to 2026, though, I think that in this sea of AI- and UGC-sameness, brand identity becomes a growth lever. My concern is that with infinite content that is increasingly optimised to be provocative, thumb-stopping, and sometimes just plain bizarre, we’re optimizing for an even faster ad fatigue and a system that demands even more shock value to maintain performance. It feels like optimizing for the opposite of what we’d actually want as users. And maybe even as a society. But I know…Don’t blame the player, blame the game, right?

Beyond acquisition, I also expect AI to get more embedded across the rest of the funnel, especially on the retention and conversion sides. With smarter lifecycle messaging, pricing, and paywall experiments. I think that the tools were already there in 2025, but relatively few companies really took advantage of them. I expect this to change.

Multi-channel marketing isn’t going anywhere. And different types of creators are part of the mix. What I don’t expect to change in 2026 is the importance of multi-channel, cross-platform acquisition strategies, which spread across social (owned and paid), search (on the app stores and on the web), creator marketing, UGC loops, communities, virality, referrals, and everything in between.

In 2024-25, we saw a wave of tools designed to make working with creators and influencers easier at scale. As a result, creator marketing became more measurable, repeatable, and performance-driven. I believe this is here to stay in 2026, with creators no longer sitting purely on the brand side of the budget, but acting as a more reliable channel alongside paid UA and a great source of “fast” insights and feedback.

Retention and long-term value will keep winning. I believe that teams that optimise for retention and long-term value will keep outperforming those focused purely on acquisition volume in 2026.

At the same time, monetisation is likely to become more granular and complex. Users are getting tired of one-size-fits-all subscriptions, and the winning strategies will be the ones that combine smarter pricing with relevant offerings that feel tailored and kinda more fair to users.

Connect with Ekaterina.

Marcus Burke, Meta Ads & App Growth Consultant

In 2026, winning UA teams won’t replace tasks with AI but rebuild processes AI-first.

As social feeds flood with AI content, users will crave two things: (1) the next level of insanity (content that feels impossible) and (2) authentic, raw, non-AI voices they can trust. Lean into these extremes instead of replicating your existing UGC talking heads with AI to save a few bucks.

Use generative AI for what wasn’t accessible before: scenes a creator couldn’t film, art styles you’ve never used, cinema-level production quality no smaller brand could afford. It’s all possible now.

Focus on research and context to increase win rates: build deep understanding of diverse sub-audiences through review mining (your store, competitors, niche books), Reddit for authentic tone and pain points, ad comment patterns.

AI ad volume scaled without insight and strategy doesn’t translate into better performance but waste.

Connect with Marcus.

Nico Winkelhaus, Head of Digital Marketing at PAYBACK

App fatigue is real. 2026 will accelerate the trend of consolidation. Users don’t want 50 mediocre shopping apps; they want 5 great ones that include everything.

We will see the rise of Western ‘super apps’ or connected ecosystems where shopping, loyalty, payment, gamification, and media consumption are united under one roof.

For marketers, the challenge is no longer just ‘getting the download’, but earning a permanent slot in the user’s daily ‘core four’ apps.

Connect with Nico.

Gary Danks, General Manager for AIM by Kochava

This isn’t about AI. AI will no doubt feature heavily in every other 2026 trends piece, which is exactly why I’ve left it out of this one. Instead, I’m focusing on a less flashy, but arguably more impactful development for marketers: the growing adoption of measurement frameworks like marketing mix modeling (MMM), which themselves rely on machine learning under the hood.

The rise of measurement stacks. One of the biggest shifts happening right now, and one that will define 2026, is the move away from relying solely on last-touch attribution. For years, it’s been the default measurement method for most of the industry. But today, more and more advertisers are combining it with incrementality testing and marketing mix modeling (MMM) to build a more accurate view of performance.

It’s not about replacing one method with another, it’s about using the right tool for the right job. Last-touch still plays a role in day-to-day decision-making and creative optimisation. But for strategic planning, budgeting, and channel mix decisions, marketers are increasingly relying on top-down methods that give a broader perspective.

Rebuilding the marketing workflow. The shift in measurement and availability of advanced technologies is driving change in how marketing teams operate. The most forward-thinking teams are building dual workflows: one bottom-up (using last-touch and in-platform metrics for campaign execution) and one top-down (using MMM and holdout testing to guide overall spend). These teams aren’t looking for precision in every data point, they’re looking for direction and confidence in their decisions.

The result is a more thoughtful, stable, and experimentation-driven way of working. And it requires new skills, new processes, and better cross-functional collaboration, especially between marketing, analytics, and senior management.

Experimentation becomes essential. One clear trend for 2026 is that experimentation will no longer be optional. As teams adopt MMM and incrementality testing, they quickly realise the outputs often challenge platform-reported performance. That can feel uncomfortable at first, but it opens the door to testing more, learning more, and making better decisions.

Marketers are increasingly running holdout tests and channel experiments to triangulate what’s really driving value. That curiosity is becoming a competitive advantage.

Rethinking the funnel. Another important trend we expect to accelerate in 2026 is a rebalancing of media mix. For a long time, performance marketers, especially in user acquisition, have heavily favored bottom-of-the-funnel channels like Google and Apple’s app stores. The reporting tools made those channels look like the clear winners.

But when teams start building MMMs and running experiments, they begin to see the impact of mid- and upper-funnel channels more clearly. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and even traditional media, TV, audio, out-of-home, often play a bigger role in driving conversions than last-touch reporting suggests.

As more marketers start to see this, we expect to see more budget shift up the funnel, toward brand awareness and consideration activity that has long been undervalued.

This isn’t optional anymore. To put it bluntly: if you’re still relying only on last-touch attribution by this time next year, you’ll be at a disadvantage, and possibly out of step with where the industry is headed.

Marketers need to take the time to learn how MMM works, how to interpret the data, and how to use it alongside their existing tools. This is now a core skillset. Those who don’t adapt will find it harder to justify spend, harder to compete, and harder to grow.

Connect with Gary.

Iain Russell, Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer at Know Your Dosh

In 2026, it will be hard to escape the ever-growing adoption of AI tools into daily workflows. So far when it comes to mobile marketing and optimisation for apps, I have found these tools somewhat lacking and quite basic, but I fully expect this to change very soon as established companies and tools in this space develop their own engines trained on historical data and knowledge of the app ecosystems. Expectation doesn’t slow down and neither will the options to support this expectation, finding the valuable ones will be the challenge.

With Apple specifically, I keep expecting their ad network to introduce paid or promoted ‘in-app events’. Maybe they aren’t fully utilised yet as they still appear to be an untapped organic resource for promoting your app on the App Store with up to 5 available to use at any time. It seems obvious to me that an option to ‘boost’ or ‘keyword target’ these events through Apple Ads can not be too far away offering conversion-led placements.

Finally, I can see that the value exchange with the end customer of your app in 2026 is going to need to be even quicker, which means that onboarding needs to be slicker and help guide customers to that point of value with as little friction as possible — we are all feeling more and more time-poor in general, so as soon as that time starts to be wasted, you’ve lost them.

Connect with Iain.

Steve P. Young, Founder at App Masters

As we move into 2026, the app ecosystem continues to evolve at breakneck speed, and winning in the market means thinking globally, intelligently, and strategically. One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing is the rise of localisation and monetisation outside traditional tier-1 markets. Growth in Southeast Asia, LATAM, Africa, and parts of Eastern Europe is accelerating, with users in these regions showing strong engagement and increasing willingness to pay for premium experiences when apps speak their language, culture, and local payment methods.

At the same time, AI will continue to dominate app marketing — not just as a buzzword, but as a core driver of performance. From predictive segmentation and hyper-personalised creatives to AI-optimised bidding and real-time A/B testing, marketers who can leverage machine learning at scale will outperform peers on both acquisition efficiency and retention metrics.

Cross-platform experiences — where acquisition funnels span web, social, in-app, and emerging touchpoints — will redefine how brands build lifetime value. And as AI-generated content becomes more mainstream, creativity and brand authenticity will become differentiators rather than just performance levers.

In 2026, the winners will be those who combine global perspective with localised execution, backed by data-driven, AI-powered marketing that respects user privacy.

Connect with Steve.

Andrey Shakhtin, Co-Founder & CEO at FunnelFox

By 2026, web-to-app will become the dominant growth engine for leading apps. Adoption is still accelerating, growing at ~77% year-over-year. Today, 82% of top-grossing apps already rely on web funnels. Many of the most advanced teams have shifted the majority of their acquisition budgets to web, with some generating up to 90% of total revenue outside the app stores. Once teams experience the speed, visibility, and control that web funnels provide, there’s little incentive to go back to slower, opaque in-app-only flows.

At the same time, AI is fundamentally changing how fast teams can move. When web funnels, AI-generated creatives, and flexible payment stacks come together, building, testing, and scaling happens in weeks instead of months. Creative volume is also exploding, and performance is increasingly driven by how quickly teams can produce, test, and iterate, not by finding a single winning idea. In parallel, revenue leaders are launching dozens or even hundreds of highly targeted funnels, each tailored to specific user intents, segments, and use cases, which consistently drives higher conversion rates and LTV.

The next challenge — and opportunity — sits after the click. Payments, retries, cancellations, churn, and upsells are no longer ‘backend details’; they’re core growth levers. With 30-50% of web payments failing and upsells adding up to 20% to LTV, the biggest wins in 2026 will come from teams that optimize the full journey end-to-end. The future belongs to teams that move fast, experiment broadly, and treat every step — from creative, to payment, to retention — as part of one connected growth system.

Connect with Andrey.

Shumel Lais, Co-Founder at Day30

In 2026, we’ll see signal engineering become a must-test initiative for any app investing five figures or more per month into algorithm-driven ad channels such as Meta and TikTok.

As platforms have moved fully toward algorithmic optimisation while simultaneously introducing alternatives to traditional attribution in response to privacy constraints, such as the shift away from SKAN, the signal or goal event a platform optimises toward has become critical in driving performance. In many cases, improving this signal will unlock greater efficiency gains than creative testing alone, an area many mature teams had already optimised heavily by 2025.

The teams that succeed will understand the trade-off between signal volume and signal quality relative to their budget, and deliberately design signals that platforms can learn from early. This also requires having first-party product usage data in order, so teams can identify what truly differentiates long-term, high-quality users based on early behaviour.

Connect with Shumel.

Andrey Kazakov, CEO at Adjust

In 2026, the most successful consumer businesses won’t be thinking ‘mobile-first’ but multi-platform by design. This means building products meant to be discovered and experienced seamlessly across desktop web, mobile web, and apps. The entire user journey, from first touch and onboarding to functionality discovery and core usage, is orchestrated as one continuous experience, not fragmented by device or platform. This shift creates a huge opportunity, and a necessity, for analytics and measurement that can truly follow the user cross-device and cross-platform.

This is why marketers demand tools that connect all UA efforts into a single, understandable picture of performance. At the same time, monetisation will span app stores, web shops, and hybrid checkout flows, so businesses will need to track and optimise transactions wherever they happen. The winners will be the tools and the teams that can unify app and web data into one coherent view of the customer, instead of separate silos. In short, mobile analytics will evolve into multi-platform journey analytics connecting discovery, engagement, and revenue across every surface where users show up.

Connect with Andrey.

If you want to hear more from app experts above and discover more strategies and tactics for app growth, join us at one of our three Business of Apps events in London, NYC, and Berlin.

The post App market trends 2026: The year ahead according to experts appeared first on Business of Apps.

TikTok was the top grossing app worldwide for the fourth year in a row and generated more than $3 billion in-app, the only app on the market to reach that milestone.

It is a major feat for the video sharing app, which has continued growing its revenue and users despite the imminent threat of sale for its US division. About 40 percent of TikTok’s total in-app revenue came from the United States, with Germany and Japan the app’s second and third largest markets for in-app purchases, according to data from AppMagic.

Top grossing apps worldwide 2025 ($bn)

Even though TikTok gets all the glory for being the top grossing app, it will have a formidable opponent in the future in ChatGPT, which increased its in-app revenues by 515 percent in 2025 to $2.3 billion. It was the third most grossing app worldwide in 2025.

Google One, the company’s cloud storage app, had another year of strong in-app revenue growth, going from $1.7 billion in 2024 to $2.6 billion in 2025. It was the top grossing Google Play app by a decent margin, earning almost all of its revenue from that platform. It was also the top grossing app in the United States, with $1.5 billion coming from that country.

In terms of games, Honor of Kings was once again the top grossing game worldwide, even though it is only available in China. The League of Legends clone developed by Tencent has been the top grossing game for four years now, but in-app revenues have declined from $1.8 billion in 2024 to $1.6 billion in 2025.

Games in general had lower in-app revenues than the previous year, highlighting a shift in user spend from games to apps. Several major apps such as YouTube, Tinder, Duolingo and CapCut increased their in-app revenues in 2025.

You can see the full list of top grossing apps, with breakdowns by platform, category and country, on our Top Grossing Apps post.

The post TikTok is the top grossing app for another year, generating over $3 billion in-app appeared first on Business of Apps.

Your app has already achieved what many never reach; you’ve surpassed the early growth hurdles, secured a reliable user base, and established a foothold in your category. But once your app reaches scale, the real challenge begins: how do you sustain that momentum in an increasingly competitive and unpredictable landscape?

App marketing costs are rising, user journeys are getting more fragmented, and discovery pathways are shifting faster than ever. Standing out in the app stores is no longer as simple as great creative or a well-run UA campaign. To grow sustainably, you need a strategy that works across acquisition, conversion, and retention while managing your costs.

That’s exactly where our latest guide comes in.

The App Growth Playbook: Unlocking ASO Success Across the App Lifecycle is your end-to-end blueprint for mastering organic acquisition, strengthening your storefront, and boosting efficiency at every stage of your growth.

If your app is ready to scale intelligently and sustainably, this guide is built for you.

Who is this ASO guide for?

This guide is created for apps that are actively seeking to scale and optimise performance, and it offers valuable learnings for teams at every stage of growth.

This playbook is designed for:

• Apps that have surpassed the launch phase
• Teams experiencing increased competition and stagnating visibility
• Businesses seeing rising CPIs and diminishing returns from paid acquisition
• Marketers seeking more control in a privacy-first, AI-driven app store ecosystem

In a marketplace where more than 2 million apps compete for the same user attention, ASO is no longer optional. It’s the cornerstone of sustainable growth. Our guide shows you how to turn your app store presence into a high-performing, algorithm-friendly, conversion-focused engine that lowers acquisition costs and drives long-term retention.

What challenges does this guide solve?

Scaling an app today means navigating new complexities:

• Paid media inefficiency
• Declining tracking precision across SKAN and Privacy Sandbox
• Rising cost per install
• Increased competition across every category
• Shifting user discovery habits powered by AI and personalisation

The App Growth Playbook shows you how to overcome these hurdles by strengthening the organic foundation that supports all your acquisition channels.

You’ll learn how ASO can:

• Reduce your reliance on costly paid acquisition
• Improve conversion rates across every traffic source
• Increase visibility with smarter keyword and metadata strategies
• Help you unlock new markets through localisation
• Build more relevance through custom store variants
• Set you up for the future as ASO evolves into a user-centric, AI-driven discipline

What’s inside the app growth playbook?

Our guide breaks down the most impactful ASO strategies for 2026 and beyond.

Here’s what you can expect:

Optimise metadata for conversion

Metadata is no longer just technical; it’s narrative. This part of the guide shows you how to structure metadata that speaks to both humans and algorithms, ensuring clarity for users while signalling relevance to search engines.

You’ll learn how to tailor keywords across iOS and Android based on platform-specific weighting, improve ranking by aligning your metadata with contextual cues, and adapt your content to meet the expectations of Google Natural Language (GNL) on the Play Store.

Alongside this, we share practical tips on A/B testing, crafting benefit-led descriptions and maintaining your metadata as a living optimisation cycle that evolves with market changes.

Creative differentiation: Turn browsers into installers

Your creative assets are now as important as your product roadmap. This section explores how to build screenshot sets that capture attention and convert in seconds, striking the right balance between brand identity and category best practice.

You’ll learn how to use visual storytelling to highlight your app’s core features, build trust and communicate value instantly, while running creative experiments that help surface your highest-performing variants.

In crowded categories, where apps increasingly look alike, creative excellence is what stops users scrolling – and this section shows you how to achieve exactly that.

Localise to globalise: Unlock international growth

Localisation is one of the most powerful ASO levers and often the most underutilised. Here, you’ll discover how to identify markets with high potential using performance data, and how to apply metadata localisation best practice across both app stores to improve visibility and resonance.

We also explore market-specific creative adaptation, showing how visuals, language and cultural cues can dramatically influence conversion, as well as how regional search behaviour should shape your keyword choices. With examples such as Spotify’s highly effective localisation strategy, this section demonstrates why relevance beats translation every time.

You’ll also learn how to implement Super Geo Localisation, a proven tactic that can double your indexed keyword capacity and significantly boost impressions in competitive markets.

Test, optimise, repeat

The most successful apps treat ASO as a continuous optimisation cycle. This section explains exactly what you should test across different markets, from screenshots and messaging hierarchies to titles, subtitles, and long-form descriptions.

You’ll learn how to evaluate performance across both metadata and creatives, uncover regional variations in behaviour through A/B testing, and build strategies that adapt to seasonal trends, product updates, audience cohorts and evolving market conditions.

By adopting a test-and-learn mindset, you’ll be able to refine your app store presence continuously and stay ahead of competitors who take a static approach.

What’s next: The future of ASO

The app store is evolving faster than ever, and this section looks ahead to the trends reshaping discoverability.

We explore how personalised search results and AI-powered ranking systems are redefining visibility, along with the rise of voice search and the growing importance of App Intents and proactive discovery.

You’ll also learn how real-time metadata adjustments and multi-variant creative experiences are transforming how apps appear in search results, and how the shift toward contextual visibility means success is no longer about ranking alone.

ASO is increasingly about being surfaced in the right place at the right moment with the right message, within an ecosystem that is becoming more personalised and dynamic by the day.

Ready to take your app’s growth to the next level?

If you’re looking to scale sustainably, improve cost-efficiency, and future-proof your app store presence, The App Growth Playbook is your essential resource. Download your copy today.

The post Your essential guide to ASO success in 2026 is here appeared first on Business of Apps.

The app market in 2026 has never had more opportunity.

App commerce is exploding. Subscriptions and in-app payments are now the default business model. Apps are now always-on services powering banking, retail, streaming, fitness, and more.

AI is accelerating everything. Build cycles are shorter. Personalisation is deeper. Small teams can now ship and iterate faster than ever.

But growth hasn’t got easier.

Acquisition is more expensive and harder to measure. Retention and churn are as tough to crack as five or ten years ago. CRM and lifecycle strategies are underdeveloped. AI is everywhere but real, usable examples are still rare.

That’s exactly why Business of Apps London exists, to help you solve these challenges. And this year marks an important moment.

For the first time, we’re bringing you the event under our new name (formerly called App Promotion Summit London), we’re bringing the same ecosystem together under one unified platform for the app economy.

Same high-quality, agenda-setting conversations. Same meaningful, authentic connections. Same access to the platforms and partners shaping app growth.

The 2026 agenda (coming soon) will focus on how app growth actually happens today:

• CRM, lifecycle, and retention tactics across the customer journey
• Acquisition, ASO, and paid media with real benchmarks
• Optimising web-to-app flows, onboarding, and UX to convert more visitors into active users
• AI in growth teams with practical use cases
• Product, marketing, and data teams working together
• Vertical-specific discussions with honest “biggest fails” insights

You’ll leave with:

• Practical CRM and lifecycle frameworks
• Retention, activation, and re-activation strategies that work
• Clear thinking on tracking and attribution
• Guidance on AI — agents, automation and creatives
• Real case studies, including what didn’t work and why

Get your ticket today.

If you work for an app or brand, you may be eligible for one of our complimentary, subsidised tickets. Applications are limited and reviewed individually.

The post Get ahead of app growth in 2026 at Business of Apps London appeared first on Business of Apps.

Few would accuse us of exaggerating if we said 2025 was a monumental year for the app economy.

After a period of miserly purse-clutching due to political and economic uncertainty and the post-Covid wind-down, everyone had high hopes for 2025, and the year certainly did not disappoint.

2025 continued the trend of steady if unglamorous growth already set by 2024. UA spend reached $78 billion globally, representing a 13% year-over-year increase, as reported by AppsFlyer. Total global spend reached $109 billion, with $31 billion going towards remarketing initiatives.

While these numbers indicate a healthy economy, it was 2025’s headlines that really solidify its reputation as “a monumental year”.

April saw the Epic Games v. Apple verdict, blowing open the Apple App Store by allowing D2C web shops. A similar fate befell Google only a few months later. Since then app-to-web and web-to-app have become as hot as AI in the minds of app marketers and developers alike.

2025 also marked the first year when non-gaming apps overtook gaming apps.

It all happened in the second quarter when consumer apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store generated $20.9 billion in revenue, or $300 million more than games. Game revenue has, in fact, been largely flat since the first quarter of 2023.

2025 for Business of Apps

Business of Apps too changed massively over the course of 2025.

In October, we consolidated our App Promotion Summit events under the Business of Apps name to create a single, stronger brand, hosting our first event under the Business of Apps name just a few weeks later in November.

Business of Apps Berlin 2025 itself was a huge success, boosting its biggest audience yet. We counted 700+ attendees on the day who gathered at the iconic Hotel Adlon to hear from some of the brightest in the industry about the now and next of the app industry.

In 2026, we will be moving to a new venue, the Estrel Congress Center, as our audience has grown too big for the Adlon.

2025 in content

To wrap a year of change and exciting developments for both us and the wider industry, we’ve curated all our best content of the year, covering and dissecting all the changes we haven’t already mentioned.

Data reports

In 2025, we continued publishing our industry reports dissecting sector-specific app data. 2025 saw us updating all our existing reports with the most recent data as well as publishing several new ones, including:

• Crypto App Report 2025
• AI App Report 2025

Benchmarks and statistics

Alongside our long-form reports, we continued regularly releasing updated benchmarks and statistics pages, providing readers with quick digests on app performance data across different categories, verticals, platforms, and technologies.

• App Marketing Ecosystem 2025
• Social App Market Map 2025
• AI App Market Map 2025

Insights

2025 was defined by structural shifts in app marketing and revenue generation as a result of the Epic legal cases and increasing adoption of AI. Our insights dug beneath the headlines to unpack what these changes really mean for marketers and product teams navigating a rapidly changing landscape.

• The Apple vs. Epic ruling: A new era of app monetisation
• What the Epic v. Apple ruling means for mobile game developers
• How AI breaks app marketing rules
• From search to AI optimization: What brands need to know
• Privacy, trust, and fear: Flo Health’s growth strategy
• Retargeting is making a comeback

News and announcements

We also covered the biggest stories shaping the app economy in real time, from landmark legal rulings to standout growth stories.

The post How Business of Apps covered the app economy in 2025 appeared first on Business of Apps.

2025 was a year of important updates for Kadam: new technologies, improved retargeting, started redesign, participation in global conferences, and awards from leading industry media.

We strengthened our product and paid even closer attention to the needs of our audience while keeping the most important things: care for partners and a healthy balance between work and life. We value not only numbers, but also the people we grow with.

And today, summing up the results, we want to show not just a list of releases, but the journey that shaped our year.

This is the story of Kadam’s five key achievements in 2025.

Retargeting — the main technological breakthrough of the year

This year began with the release of a tool many had been waiting for. Retargeting at Kadam was launched fully from architecture to analytics and brought to market as an effective growth strategy for iGaming.

What we launched:

• Two types of retargeting: fingerprint-based and cookie-based
• Made the tool compatible with any ad format
• Fast and clear audience collection without complex integrations
• A tool that helps bring back churned players with high profitability

We made retargeting “clear” for the market

The first step was to explain the instrument to the audience. On the podcast, Kadam CEO Sergey openly broke down what is usually hidden:

• How funnels are built
• Why ROI grows
• And why retargeting is a must-have in iGaming

The podcast turned out dynamic, honest, and received excellent feedback. We recommend watching it on YouTube.

Autumn webinar with mr.Booster

In the autumn, we held a live online webinar where we explained the mechanics of retargeting, showed cases, and demonstrated optimisation paths.

Results:

• More participants registered than we expected
• The chat was active throughout the entire session
• Partners shared experiences and asked questions
• It became clear that this format is truly useful for the audience

The webinar is available on YouTube and this is only the beginning of the webinar series. In the Taplink on our Instagram, you can find the form and receive the link to the webinar.

Educational content

Throughout the year, we actively developed the educational part of the product and published a large amount of content about retargeting and its practical value.

We released detailed guides, applied articles, educational posts, and explained with examples how to properly build funnels and strengthen campaigns using retargeting. All of this can be found on our social media and blog.

Conclusion

Retargeting is now used by partners not for testing, but as a key element of their strategy.

A year of meetings, recognition, and awards

We participated in 16 conferences: AW Asia, SiGMA, TES, iGB Live, and other key events of the year. And in every city, the approach was the same — result-oriented:

• We discussed strategies and budgets for specific GEOs
• Conducted express campaign analyses right at the boots
• Spoke on panels, sharing our experience with iGaming and AdTech trends

These in-person meetings became one of the most important parts of our year: we listened to market requests, gathered feedback, and helped partners solve tasks “here and now.”

We finish 2025 with two prestigious awards:

Best Native Ad Network — Affbank Awards 2025

Best Advertising Network of the Year — MAC Awards 2025

This is the result of joint work: the strength of the Kadam team, the trust of partners, and the drive to improve the product every day.

Conclusion

Kadam strengthened its position as one of the leading networks in the industry.

Growth in numbers: results of 2025

2025 became a year of not only product updates but also tangible financial and operational growth:

Growth in advertiser performance

• +54% ARPPU of advertisers: Deeper analytics, updated tools, and high-quality traffic allowed brands to invest more and maintain stable ROI.
• +31% average first-time top-up: New advertisers join the platform with greater trust and more serious budgets.
• 20,000+ new advertisers: The rise in registrations led to increased campaign volume and confirmed the ongoing demand for Kadam as a scaling platform.

Growth in publisher monetization

• +12M clicks across all formats: A 64% increase — a result of advertisers buying more traffic from publishers.
• Popunder: +20% CPM: The format became more stable, more expensive, and more effective.
• Leadership in pops: According to AdSpyglass, Kadam ranked among the top networks in popunder monetization effectiveness and profitability.

Conclusion

The growth in numbers confirms that Kadam strengthened both sides of the ecosystem: advertisers and publishers, ensuring sustainable growth for partners.

The blog — knowledge hub for advertisers and publishers

In the summer, we launched our blog that became one of the key tools for partners, offering practical materials that simplify work and improve results.

• For advertisers: strategy, seasonality, iGaming, utilities, CPI/CPA, retargeting, funnels;
• For publishers: CPM by GEO, popunder monetization, push, new markets, mistakes and growth points.

The blog has grown into an educational platform, it is read, saved, and shared with colleagues.

Redesign — start of new language of minimalism and usability

We have long understood that our visual language and website structure needed an update. In 2025, we did what had been postponed: we prepared a new design: modern, technological, and built around user convenience.

We recognized the need to reboot the platform’s visual language, and in 2025 we made it happen.

Already done:

• Introduced a new visual system
• Implemented the redesign in social media and the blog

In progress:

• Gradual implementation on the website

The redesign became a new standard of convenience and technological quality that will continue evolving in 2026.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Kadam team!

This year made Kadam stronger and more efficient: we updated products, enhanced analytics, expanded expertise, and became closer to those who work with traffic every day.

We believe that sustainable results arise where there are not only technologies but also space for rest, recovery, and human connection.
And we remain a platform that is comfortable to work and grow with.

May 2026 be a year of great opportunities, new ideas, and a gentle attitude toward yourself.

Ready to scale your campaigns in 2026? Join Kadam.

The post Kadam wraps up 2025 with retargeting breakthroughs and industry awards appeared first on Business of Apps.

Tenjin, a leading mobile measurement platform, today unveiled an all‑inclusive, fully transparent pricing structure that tackles a critical industry problem: unpredictable costs, hidden fees, and rigid terms that have long plagued mobile app developers seeking straightforward, game‑free attribution solutions.

The announcement represents a significant shift in how mobile measurement partners (MMPs) price their services. For the first time, app developers and studios of all sizes can access publicly available pricing tiers easily, without requiring a sales call, and with the freedom to cancel anytime.

Roman Garbar, Marketing Director at Tenjin, explained the motivation behind the change:

“For most app developers, life is brutal: thin margins, rising costs, endless competition. Too many partners bleed small teams dry. Tenjin chose the opposite—clarity, flexibility, and respect. We listened to our community and made our plans even better. Hopefully, this will become a new industry standard for MMP pricing.”

Tenjin’s new model introduces four key principles that set it apart from traditional MMP pricing:

All-inclusive features, every tier

With paid plans starting from $200/month, all customers on paid plans gain full access to Tenjin’s entire product portfolio and platform. This includes everything: attribution,  accurate LTV prediction, cost aggregation, and advanced analytics. No feature gates. No upsells.

Transparent pricing

You truly get everything in the price, guaranteed. There’s no sales call required to understand the costs and differences between each of our three tiers. Tenjin’s entry paid plan starts at just $200 a month for 10K conversions/month, then upgrades to $400 for 25K conversions/month, with the biggest plan costing $700 for 50K conversions/month. For higher conversion rates, Tenjin offers custom enterprise plans.

Cancel anytime option

All-inclusive plans are available month-to-month with the ability to cancel anytime. Customers also have the option to opt-in for annual commitments at a reduced per-conversion rate.

Economics that improve with scale

As apps grow beyond their current tier, the per-conversion price decreases, ensuring unit economics improve rather than deteriorate with success.

The new pricing structure benefits developers at every stage. From indie studios launching their first title to established publishers scaling multiple games. By eliminating the typical penalties and painful surprises associated with growth, Tenjin enables teams to focus on what matters: building great apps, connections, and sustainable businesses.

Garbar concluded:

“Whether you’re an indie launching your first game or a veteran team scaling another title, you need options, not penalties. We want you to learn, iterate, and scale on your terms.”

The new pricing takes effect immediately and is available to all new Tenjin customers.

For more information, including a full breakdown of plans, please visit Tenjin’s pricing page.

The post MMP pricing without the games, all-inclusive, fully transparent, cancel any time appeared first on Business of Apps.

If you manage user acquisition, chances are that your day probably starts with a familiar routine: dozens of campaigns and hundreds of placements to take care of. Every new offer means rebuilding targeting, replicating bids, and trying not to miss anything in the process. Doing that manually sounds like a nightmare and even when you clearly know how to make it work, you don’t always have time for that.

And this is what inspired PropellerAds to develop three recent updates: Zone Groups, CTR-based campaign rules, and separate rates for different GEOs inside one campaign. Together, they’re designed to reduce manual work and make scaling more predictable.

Zone Groups: Save and re-use your best placements

Zone Groups let you bundle multiple ad placements into reusable sets: that might be entire sections of a publisher’s site, or specific slots spread across different websites.

Instead of hunting down the same high-performing zones every time, you:

• Save them as a Zone Group
• Apply that group to any new, similar campaign
• Update the group once, and push those changes across all linked campaigns

Key benefits of Zone Groups:

• Centralized control: Manage multiple placements as one unit instead of one by one
• Predictable performance: Build groups from zones with proven quality and volume
• Fewer errors: Standardized groups reduce missed or duplicated placements

For advertisers working across multiple projects, it turns “this worked last time” into an actual, reusable asset.

CTR-based rules: Let engagement drive your bids

Remember our Rule-Based Optimization feature? It helps you create the “if/then” rules for auto-optimization. For example, if you want to change bids or exclude zones depending on the Spend size, conversion number, or once other KPIs reach certain values. Now it gains a new function, you can create campaign rules based on CTR.

CTR is often the first sign that a creative + placement combo is resonating. Manually reacting to that signal in real time, however, is super-hard.

With CTR-based campaign rules, you can tell the system what to do when CTR crosses a threshold: the algorithm dynamically changes bids to attract more traffic or exclude under-performing zones. This turns CTR into an automation trigger instead of just a reporting metric.

What you gain with CTR-based rules:

• Budget protection: You can get rid of underperforming zones if they don’t meet your performance expectations
• Smarter testing: Strong engagement gets more budget automatically
• Efficiency at scale: Just one automated rule to help you deal with tons of manual work

Separate GEO rates in a single campaign

Anyone running multi-country campaigns knows that not all GEOs work the same: CPIs, CPAs, and competition can vary dramatically from one market to another. Our update allows you to set different bids for each country or group of countries within a single campaign, across all ad formats and bidding models. Instead of duplicating campaigns per GEO, you can run one clean campaign, set higher bids for top-performing markets and keep testing other GEOs at lower bids.

Benefits of separate GEO rates:

• Full control over ad spend per market
• Smarter optimization for each GEO’s ROI
• Easier scaling without campaign duplication

These three features were built with one goal in mind: help advertisers act on their data more efficiently. By turning proven zones, CTR signals, and GEO insights into reusable, automated tools, we aim to give advertisers more control, less friction, and a clearer path from testing to scale.

Try them at PropellerAds.

The post PropellerAds automates performance marketing with three new optimization tools appeared first on Business of Apps.

The 2025 AppsFlyer Performance Index has been released, and Gamelight, the leading rewarded UA platform, has once again demonstrated its strength as a top mobile marketing partner. This year’s results highlight Gamelight as one of the top-performing user acquisition sources across the entire Index, delivering both quality and scale for mobile game publishers worldwide.

Exceptional performance in the new AppsFlyer Performance Index

This year’s Performance Index recognises Gamelight across every major dimension of the ranking structure, reflecting balanced strength on a global level and within specific regions and gaming categories.

Global rankings

Gamelight is ranked among the top UA sources in the Global ranking, reaffirming its position as one of the strongest performers in the entire Index.

Regional rankings

Across North America, EMEA, and APAC, Gamelight secured top placements, demonstrating consistent performance worldwide and strong competitiveness in each major region.

Gaming category rankings

Gamelight also ranked highly in the overall Gaming Index, showcasing its effectiveness as a leading partner for game publishers across platforms.

Genre-specific rankings

Within individual gaming genres, including Casual, Hypercasual, Casino, Mid-core, and Match, Gamelight achieved leading positions, underlining its versatility across different verticals.

Source: AppsFlyer Performance Index

Notably, Gamelight is one of the few platforms ranking highly on both the Power and Volume indexes, demonstrating its ability to combine high-quality users with meaningful scale on both Android and iOS.

These achievements emphasise Gamelight’s position as one of the strongest and most competitive UA channels in today’s mobile advertising ecosystem.

Consistent momentum across previous editions

The AppsFlyer Performance Index is considered one of the most recognised benchmarks in mobile advertising. Likewise, Gamelight has been consistently ranked among the top-performing platforms, particularly in the rewarded category.

Past rankings reflected:

• Top-three placements in multiple categories
• #1 rewarded UA source globally
• Top-two rankings across key verticals and GEOs, including Casual gaming in Western Europe, Japan, and South Korea

This steady trajectory highlights Gamelight’s sustained growth and its evolution into a leading global marketing partner for mobile publishers.

Setting the standard for rewarded UA

Gamelight has played a central role in elevating rewarded UA from a secondary channel to a core acquisition strategy for game publishers. Powered by advanced optimisation and a data-driven recommendation engine, Gamelight’s rewarded UA model focuses on delivering high-intent, engaged users who convert into long-term players.

This approach has:

• Improved retention and engagement
• Increased ROAS stability across platforms
• Enabled global publishers to scale profitably in competitive markets

Gamelight’s continued performance in the AppsFlyer Performance Index reinforces how far it has driven the rewarded UA category, and how effectively rewarded traffic can compete with the industry’s largest UA channels.

Case study: Delivering profitable global scale for Unico Studio

Gamelight’s strong placement in the Performance Index is backed by measurable results. Unico Studio, one of the largest casual gaming publishers globally, partnered with Gamelight to scale 16 puzzle titles across Gamelight’s 13 GEOs on iOS and Android. The lineup included Bus Craze, Wood Block Jam, Brain Test: All Star, and additional puzzle hits.

• Strong performance: Bus Craze exceeded both profitability targets, outperforming the D7 ROAS goal of 70% and surpassing the D30 ROAS target of 110%.
• Full-funnel optimisation: With 40 shared in-app events, the campaign benefited from precise optimisation across IAP and ad revenue.
• Improved data quality: Shared suppression lists enhanced postback ratios and signal clarity.
• Efficient execution: Close collaboration allowed rapid iteration and fast scaling across all GEOs.

The result was profitable global growth, reinforcing Gamelight’s ability to deliver ROAS-positive scale for top-tier studios.

Final thoughts

This year’s AppsFlyer Performance Index underscores Gamelight’s continued leadership in the mobile UA landscape. With top rankings across global, regional, and gaming-specific indexes, and proven success through global partnerships, Gamelight remains at the forefront of rewarded UA and mobile performance marketing.

As publishers increasingly prioritise profitability, quality, and scale, Gamelight continues to provide a reliable, data-driven path to sustainable UA growth.

The post Gamelight achieves top global rankings in the latest AppsFlyer Performance Index appeared first on Business of Apps.

On November 27th, Business of Apps Berlin 2025 (formerly App Promotion Summit Berlin) gathered over 700 app marketing, growth, product, CRM, and revenue leaders at the Hotel Adlon for a day of learning and networking. The event, in its twelfth iteration, marked a new attendance record and was the last to be held at the iconic hotel in Berlin’s Mitte district.

From APS to BOA: Twelve years of bringing the app industry together

It all began back in 2013. The app industry was young — practically a newborn. It was still the stuff of nerds and geeks. Brands and businesses had to be convinced of mobile’s value. Back then the rules of the game were downloads and installs. To succeed, one needed more users, with most spending going towards UA.

That year, the first App Promotion Summit Berlin took place. Gathering around 200 people, most discussions revolved around advertising and UA optimisation.

The name App Promotion Summit made sense back then.

From there, APS began growing and expanding. The app industry was doing the same — diversifying, maturing. Specialised agencies began popping up, and with increased scrutiny and oversight from governments and users’ demands for privacy and personalisation, things began shifting.

Pretty soon, UA alone was only half the story. Acquiring users became more expensive and more difficult. Apps could no longer afford to acquire a new user and throw them in at the deep end without thinking about onboarding, notification permissions, messaging strategies, subscription management, and a thousand other etceteras that are the cornerstone of any app growth strategy worth its mettle.

App growth today… well, it’s not an easy thing. It’s full-funnel, consisting of multiple layers, each complex in its own right, that app marketers must tame into peaceful co-operation if they are to stand a chance in today’s dog-eat-dog mobile world.

APS… well, it changed too.

For one, the numbers have septupled (means to increase sevenfold ). The last event’s audience, which took place just over a week ago, consisted of CMOs, CPOs, growth leaders, product managers, and founders from some of the world’s biggest apps.

The one-room gatherings of the early years are now large-scale events with exhibitions, meeting programmes, and multi-track content, spanning user acquisition, retention, monetisation, subscriptions, and product development.

App Promotion Summit no longer makes as much sense these days…

The Hotel Adlon, despite its unimpeachable Glanz und Eleganz, can barely contain our crowd within its walls…

The road ahead

For starters, we changed our name. We are now Business of Apps and we’ve been so for a while. You can learn more about the rebrand here.

After twelve amazing years at the Adlon, we’ve grown too big and we are moving.

We will, of course, miss the Adlon. The hotel was APS for twelve whole years, APS was the hotel. However, to welcome even more curious, knowledge-hungry attendees and deliver on our promise of bigger, better events, we must move.

Next year, November 12th (pencil in the date now so you don’t forget), we will be welcoming you at the Estrel Congress Center, “one of Berlin ’s largest and most modern conference, trade fair and event locations” (it’s says so on the home page of their website — let’s pause for a second to laud my research skills ).

In all seriousness now, it’s an outstanding venue, in the hip, young, and vibrant Neukölln district. It will also let us welcome a bigger — did anyone say 1,000+?! — audience and up our production values to the max.

It’s a change, yes, and change can be scary, especially in uncertain times, but — platitude incoming — with changes comes opportunity.

The app industry has been growing, changing, expanding, diversifying, maturing. Along with the rebrand, this is our way of keeping pace with an dynamic market that rarely sleeps… is over-caffeinated… and is tweaking onboarding flows and researching keywords at 2am in the morning — but who am I to judge?!

A few things that are not changing are our mission and our team. We are still focused on connecting and growing the app industry, delivering outstanding events, and being the leading source of information on the app industry.

As always, everyone is more than welcome. We hope to see you there. More information can be found here.

The post Celebrating twelve years of bringing the app industry together at Hotel Adlon appeared first on Business of Apps.

Business of Apps Berlin 2025 (formerly App Promotion Summit Berlin) is a wrap. Held on November 27th, the twelfth edition of the event reached a new high gathering over 700 app marketing, growth, product, CRM, and revenue leaders at the iconic Hotel Adlon for a day of learning and networking.

Across six content stages and over fifty talks, executives from Omio, PAYBACK, Zasta, MyGroove, AutoScout24, Zalando, Flink, GameDuell, Zenjob, Toca Boca, and more presented to an audience that included representatives from Delivery Hero, Wolt, Vinted, Flo, Audible, Blinkist, Bolt, Spotify, Babbel, Kaspersky, Klarna, and HelloFresh, among others.

The summit’s dedicated networking app recorded over 3,300 new professional contacts made and 2,900 messages exchanged, facilitating in the process over 340 meetings.

As part of the event’s sustainability efforts, Business of Apps Berlin 2025 partnered with Treeapp to plant over 800 trees.

The first Business of Apps event

Business of Apps Berlin 2025 was the first event to be held under the Business of Apps brand after the recent rebrand bringing App Promotion Summit and Business of Apps under the same name and the same brand identity.

Since its inception in the early 2010s, the app industry has been all about promotion. Everything was installs and downloads; everyone wanted more users. The App Promotion Summit name made sense back then.

However, as the industry expanded, diversified, and began maturing, as privacy and personalisation began to dominate the discourse, and as users grew more savvy and their expectations increased, App Promotion Summit no longer made as much sense.

Today, the app industry is no longer about just promotion; app growth encompasses the full funnel — from user acquisition and retention to monetisation, subscriptions, and product development.

To reflect the ever-evolving industry, we changed the event’s name, but our commitment to bringing attendees high-quality content and networking opportunities as well as growing and adapting with the wider app industry remains the same. The rebrand will help us bring attendees more content tracks, larger venues, higher production values, and an even broader mix of leaders across marketing, growth, product, CRM, and revenue.

And this year’s numbers are already showing that the rebrand was more than worth it.

The attendees

In its 2025 iteration, Business of Apps Berlin welcomed a diverse audience, representing apps and brands across the spectrum, with 20.5% of attendees representing apps with 10M or more MAUs; 52.2% representing apps with 1M+ MAUs; and 73.6% representing apps with 100k or more MAUs.

The top app categories at the event were shopping, health and fitness, games, finance, utilities, travel, and education, with household names such as Deliver Hero, PAYBACK, Omio, Vinted, Flo, Blinkist, Bolt, Kaspersky, Babbel, Wolt, Spotify, Klarna, Freenow, Flink, Flix, Audible, Idealo, Zalando, Deezer, HelloFresh, Too Good To Go, and others among the audience.

The trends

The event was abuzz with the latest ideas and trends in the app industry, with a few key topics being on everyone’s mind.

AI, AI, AI, AI, AI

Rather unsurprisingly, one of the major topics of the day was AI and how to implement it in everything from marketing to product development.

Omio’s VP of Growth Norman Nielsen’s opening address set the stage in that regard, delivering a talk on the importance of thinking about AI not in terms of tools but in terms of frameworks. As he explained, successful app professionals should be having 100+ conversations with AI per day, not just a handful.

More importantly, however, AI should be adopted at company level and across all teams, rather than leaving individual teams or employees to choose the tools to use. He further stressed the importance of each company choosing the tools employees should use and setting clear guidelines on how and when they should be used. This top-down approach ensures that there are no silos within a company and will help, Nielsen argued, companies to save even more time and resources than the already recorded 20-25%.

Web monetisation

The recent rulings against Apple and Google have blown open the industry and revealed a slew of opportunities for those bold enough to reach for them and seize them. A lot has already been said about web monetisation, its advantages, its limitations, and such discussions inevitably made their way to the tables and session rooms at Business of Apps Berlin.

In his talk, FunnelFox’s CEO and Co-Founder Andrey Shakhtin broke down key benchmarks for web-to-app and outlined strategies for optimising web funnels.

In their dedicated workshop, Paddle’s CIO Andrew Davies and Perceptycs’s Founder and CEO Nathan Hudson tore down a series of web funnels (attendees were even encouraged to bring their own funnels for discussion) — from the great and good to the meh and bad ones — squeezing them dry for strategies and tactics everyone could use.

If you couldn’t join us on the day, you can watch recordings of all the sessions here.

The future

After twelve years of being the event to close the year for European app marketers, Business of Apps has grown so big that we are moving to a new venue.

Next year, Business of Berlin will return on November 12th at the Estrel Congress Center in the hip Neukölln district of Berlin.

You can find more information here.

The post Business of Apps Berlin 2025 sets an attendance record and unpacks the future of app growth appeared first on Business of Apps.

Customer engagement platform Pushwoosh has released ManyMoney, a fully autonomous AI-powered marketing copilot designed to drive revenue growth for mobile-first businesses. The key difference: the new product optimizes for actual conversions and purchases rather than engagement metrics — and proves it with hard numbers.

Unlike conventional AI marketing automation tools that focus on content generation or campaign setup, ManyMoney functions as an autonomous revenue engine operating 24/7. It continuously creates, tests, and scales campaigns across push notifications, email, in-app messaging, SMS, and WhatsApp channels.

“We’re not building another AI assistant that helps you work faster — we’re building a money-making machine that works while you sleep,” said Max Konev, founder and CEO of Pushwoosh. “While other tools use AI as a bait for gold digging, we’re giving mobile marketers a goldmine. ManyMoney doesn’t optimize for clicks or opens — it optimizes for dollars in the company’s bank account.”

The platform guarantees a 40% increase in revenue in the first 90 days, or clients get their money back. Early results back up the promise: a 55% increase in customer lifetime value and +400% ROI across industries — no exaggeration.

ManyMoney eliminates the revenue-killing problem of marketers spending hours optimizing campaigns that barely move the needle. The AI copilot immediately identifies performance leaks, then suggests and pursues more profitable opportunities — all powered by predictive CLV algorithms and real-time revenue analytics that track every dollar earned.

ManyMoney fits into Pushwoosh’s evolution from a messaging infrastructure provider to an AI-driven revenue partner for mobile businesses. The launch comes as mobile marketing teams face increasing pressure to demonstrate clear ROI while battling limited resources and AI-enabled competition devouring the market.

Learn more about ManyMoney, the first revenue-obsessed AI marketing copilot by Pushwoosh.

The post Pushwoosh launches ManyMoney AI marketing copilot, guaranteeing a 40% revenue increase for mobile apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

AdQuantum has released the ultimate Snapchat Guide: Creatives & User Acquisition for Apps & Games. It walks you through how to get the most out of Snapchat for both performance and creative strategy.

Why should your app be on Snapchat?

Snapchat is one of the fastest-growing social platforms globally, with over 900M+ monthly active users. It’s also one of the strongest channels for performance marketing. The platform holds a leading position among Millennials and Gen Z, who interact with it constantly, opening the app more than 30+ times per day.

What’s more, about 47% of this audience is more likely to explore new, visually driven mobile apps, making Snapchat a powerful environment for acquiring high-value users and driving rapid app growth.

What’s inside?

You’ll get the full journey inside Snapchat ads: a step-by-step walkthrough for setting up and optimizing campaigns for maximum efficiency, proven techniques for producing high-performing creatives, and strategies that unlock scalable growth for both apps and web on Snapchat and beyond.

• Introduction to Snapchat
• Platform Guidelines
• Ad Account Setup
• Creative Best Practices
• Testing
• User Acquisition Strategies
• Analytics & Optimization
• Pre-Launch Checklist
• Tools with Snapchat Integration

Download the ultimate guide: Best Practices for Creatives & User Acquisition for Apps & Games and start turning Snapchat into your next growth engine.

The post AdQuantum launches the ultimate guide: Snapchat Best Practices for Creatives & User Acquisition for Apps & Games appeared first on Business of Apps.

Web-to-app — the strategy powering growth across subscription apps — has become one of the most effective yet complex levers in mobile marketing. Turning a click into a paying subscriber requires far more than funnels or creatives; it demands precise targeting, pricing, messaging, billing, retention systems, and predictive analytics that maximise ROI.

Every app wants to win on the web, but few can do it alone.

That’s the gap Great Apps aims to fill. After two years building its playbook behind dozens of top-performing apps, Braavo Capital has spun out Great Apps, a full-stack growth engine that helps app companies instantly activate and scale profitable web-to-app acquisition. Great Apps acts as an end-to-end growth partner, taking brands from their first paying web subscriber to a multimillion-dollar acquisition engine, without the technical lift or resource strain. Braavo also finances user acquisition budgets, offering a unique advantage to qualified partners.

For startups, Great Apps provides a fast and confident path to launching on the web. For mature app businesses, it becomes a powerful accelerator, adding capital, creative innovation, and experimentation to push past growth plateaus.

Case study: Senses goes from plateau to $3.5M in 6 months

Senses, a health and fitness app, struggled to scale its existing web strategy. After deploying Great Apps’ full web2app stack — funnel development, creative production, pricing tests, billing infrastructure, and predictive analytics — the results were immediate:

• $3.5M in new web revenue
• 35,000 new web subscribers
• 2X ROI on ad campaigns
• 40% lift in LTV driven by improved retention

Great Apps helped the brand expand into new audiences, languages, and global markets, transforming Senses into a high-performing web acquisition engine.

A full-stack growth engine

“Succeeding in web-to-app isn’t just about having good funnels — it’s about running an entire growth machine,” said Mark Loranger, CEO of Braavo Capital. “Great Apps brings systems, capital, and creative intelligence previously available only to top publishers and makes them accessible to every subscription app.”

Great Apps delivers the full web2app stack, customized for each client:

• Paid acquisition
• Creative development and iteration
• Web funnel design
• Billing and subscription infrastructure
• Upsell and cross-sell strategies
• Customer support
• Proprietary LTV
• ROI analytics

Its API connects web subscribers directly to the app for seamless onboarding, while its creative intelligence engine identifies top-performing messaging and pricing across thousands of campaigns. App partners can also track performance in a real-time dashboard covering conversion funnels, pricing tests, and profitability.

Backed by $20 million and built to scale

Incubated within Braavo Growth Ventures, Great Apps grew to 40+ customers and quadrupled revenue over the past year. Now, with its official spin-off, Braavo has committed $20M in UA financing to help scale the platform and drive profitable growth for new partners.

Learn more at www.greatapps.com.

The post With $20M from Braavo Capital, Great Apps is building the growth engine for scaling subscriptions on the web appeared first on Business of Apps.

Norman Nielsen, VP of Growth at Omio, will be speaking at Business of Apps Berlin (formerly App Promotion Summit Berlin). He met with us for a quick, informal chat to give us an overview what he and his team are cooking for the event.

Can you start by walking us through your career path? How did you get to where you are today?

I wasn’t a model student at the beginning, and then, when I could choose my own topics, I went quite crazy on innovation management and online marketing. I was one of the first studying online marketing, so I could go with my professor to China to study and see the world there. I worked in India after that, which was quite a cool experience, and then started right away with a small team at Axel Springer, doing a lot of SEO, partnerships, and affiliate work, and presenting on the market for quite a long time.

One day a very big fashion retailer, Zalando, came up and said, “Hey Norman, you want to keep working with four people or scale to eighty people?” I said, “Yeah, let’s do it.” Six days later I signed with them, and that was the beginning of my in-house professional career. We had lots of freedom to build everything, so we ramped up all the countries. It was a great time.

Then one Christmas I met the founder of Omio and he said, “You want to do forty countries?” And I said, “Of course.” Again, we started quickly ramping up all the markets. Omio is now in Asia, South America, North America, Europe of course, bringing travel tickets — train, bus, flights, ferries — to the customer. And that’s the mission here: focusing on highly scalable global content, global apps, and global approaches while keeping the local customer in mind.

And for that we use a lot of AI. It’s one of my favorite topics, in fact. I have a friend from MIT, and in 2019 she said, “Norman, you have to watch OpenAI. They do cool stuff.” And there was an API from another SaaS company, so we could use OpenAI already, way before ChatGPT came out. That was the really big first touchpoint for me and my team.

What advice do you have for anyone aspiring to grow into a role like yours?

I think if you don’t stay curious, especially nowadays, that’s a big failure. That’s what I learned in innovation management. You have to do the business as usual, no question. You have to be resilient, always delivering. But if you’re not curious, if you don’t want to go for innovations as well, you will probably not have the leading edge. So first advice, be both consistent when you deliver, but always be interested in exploring new paths.

Norman’s top career advice

Source: Business of Apps via YouTube

Surround yourself with builders, surround yourself with an environment that lets you grow. If you’re in an environment that is doing the nine-to-five thing or whatever it is in the Western world now, I’m not sure you will be able to grow that quickly or efficiently.

Also, you need to have a very deep skillset in one thing and then become a T-shaped professional. In other words, have a deep understanding of one domain — data, product, storytelling, etc. — and then you can go broad into other channels, other products.

You’ve been working in the app space for over fifteen years now. In your opinion, how has the space changed in the last few years?

I’ve been in the market for seventeen years now, and I remember when apps really came up, it was all about UA at the time. Now it’s more about how you do testing better, how you go from pure acquisition to lifetime value, how you shift customers from web to app more.

It’s fundamental how you actually use the new AI functions out there. Everybody talks about AI, but AI means predicting churn better, generating one-to-one communications. The content pieces you can create now are really personalised. Everybody has been saying this for the last ten years; but now is the time for real personalization, I think.

Drawing on your years of experience in the app industry, what lessons have stayed with you that still apply today?

What I see in companies is that web-to-app is underused. This has been going on for a long time now. Growth channels and product have to come much closer together. I know some people talk about it, but product and marketing are not always that aligned, because you need the learnings from the beginning and you shift them down to the product and back again. So a lot of feedback loops are needed here. Maybe it even has to be in one team.

The same applies to web-to-app. You have to look at seamless cross-platform communication and platform funnels. I think that’s underestimated, and that’s where you have to go nowadays.

You will be speaking at Business of Apps Berlin (formerly App Promotion Summit Berlin). Can you give us a run-through of what you’ll be talking about?

I will be talking about how to make the most of AI for app marketing, making an important distinction between an AI framework approach and an AI tools approach. It’s quite important, I think. I personally think the more people you have in the company, the more employees you have, the more you should think about exactly these decisions: what frameworks there are out there, and how to engage everyone, not only the top 10–15% or so.

Then we go deeper into what agent-assisted growth systems there are. How do you actually scale when you have more than one app, more than one domain, and so on?

AI frameworks over AI tools

Source: Business of Apps via YouTube

From the frameworks, we then go down to AI as a co-pilot for CRM. How do you actually use it to build AI-driven segments, AI timings, AI personalised content, and have better testing and predicting.

And at the end, it’s automation, yes, but also augmentation. I will try to show what’s possible when you come from a framework down to a single customer.

In your opinion, what’s the real role of AI in app marketing?

There are the obvious reasons: all the big tools have AI implemented — Meta, Google, and so on — so we don’t have to answer that one. But if we look at Tim Ferriss’s The Four-Hour Workweek, what did he do? He had assistants, doesn’t matter whether human or AI, to cut down his work week to four hours and do all kinds of stuff for him. This applies to the new agent world we are heading into. You can create much smarter companions that help you on Mondays with your numbers, your forecasts, and your number interpretations. Especially in marketing, this automation is quite important.

The second thing is AI allows us to hyper-personalise not only CRM but every storytelling now. You can go local, national, international, but also one-to-one again. Storytelling at scale, not only the one campaign per month.

What we see now already in LLMs is that communication is more like a dialogue. People get used to it quite fast. Same thing happened with same-day delivery at no extra payment — people get used to it and then they think that’s the way companies should operate. So you also have to get into the mode and offer a continuous conversation on-site, in the app, in customer service, even in marketing. You cannot just show the same ads twice in the future; you have to build the storyline. And AI will for sure help with scaling this.

At the end, you combine LLMs — whatever it is, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, or whatever — with the behavioural data you have, first-party data, and real-time context. For us, for example, if the train has a delay, that’s the information a commuter needs. That’s what I want to see from CRM systems and marketing in the future — combining all these elements.

What do you think people often get wrong when talking about AI in app marketing?

As we said at the beginning, you have to decide if you use it as a framework and combine all the sources, and not only just do one dialogue with just one LLM at a time. Someone said a real expert of AI in the future will have a hundred conversations per day with AI, not only ten, and I think that’s exactly where we are headed.

You have to be ready to use AI. So next to the framework, you need the data to be ready and cleaned up. You need guardrails — not only in an ethical sense but also for what each team can use. Maybe you need your own LLM on your own systems to be fairly ethical, fairly GDPR-conformant, and so on.

And at the end, you need cross-functional integration. It doesn’t help if product is using something different than marketing and you cannot combine them. So we have to listen much more to AI and be smarter here, but still not give up on judging what comes out, reducing hallucinations, and so on. I think that’s the main point people should think about more.

App marketing is diverse — ASO, advertising, content, CRM, etc. What has AI’s effect been on these subfields, and where do you think things are heading?

ASO is already using a lot of AI testing with generative metas, pictures, content, and other visuals. We’ve had a lot of success with these kinds of testing environments. So advertising and general content creation are already using a lot of AI. This is not a future prediction; this is what we can see now — sometimes bad, sometimes really good.

In the future, however, these channels will change in terms of scalability, production, smartness, and so on. Personally, it will save time for you, for me, for all of us. AI saves time. Airbnb said they integrated a new AI bot, and it saves them 15 to 20% of time or something like this. At first I thought, is that a lot or not? Twenty percent gain is a big thing. Even if AI doesn’t help you with 80% of saving time, already 20% is great.

How AI is changing growth today

Source: Business of Apps via YouTube

Going on, you will have a lot of AI-native growth loops, where content, SEO, and so on reinforce each other in real time. When you go on the website, you have all the web-to-app functions, but also down in the funnel, AI can offer much smarter recommendations, change pricing — this kind of stuff will come, too.

What is humans’ role in all this, especially around authenticity in content and creatives?

Let’s draw the positive picture. AI will support us and help us. All these negative things about losing jobs also come in every business with every interruption, with every next step of innovation. The one who uses it will have a great experience here.

The future will be how we orchestrate AI and human work in companies together. You can scale with AI, but being authentic, being an expert, bringing emotions in — that comes from humans. Only the one who combines these two worlds will win here. Real reviews from your customers or wherever you get them — from creators, influencers, macro-influencers, experts — these voices will deliver trust, and the scale comes from AI.

There was a talk from, I think, Mazda, an automotive company. They said 80% of their new models are AI-created. And to make the market fit, to make it great-looking for humans, the last 20% — this is the human in the loop; the human–machine combination we want to see. So a lot of AI work in there, yes, but also a lot of human empathy, human creativity.

If you don’t want to miss Norman’s session, make sure to get your Business of Apps Berlin ticket today.

Norman’s answers have been slightly edited for clarity.

The post Omio’s Norman Nielsen on how to prepare your company for the age of AI in marketing appeared first on Business of Apps.

Custom Product Pages (CPP) on the App Store and Custom Store Listings (CSL) on Google Play are now one of the most powerful levers for improving install conversion.

The ASO Project’s latest guide dissects the ins and outs of CPPs and CSLs and show you how to implement them properly: from where CPP/CSL variants actually move the needle and how to structure your intent themes to how to map them to ads and organic traffic and how to operate dozens of variants without breaking your team.

This isn’t the “CPP 101” treatment. This is a practitioner playbook — from teams already doing it.

What’s inside

• When CPPs/CSLs should be built — not just when you can
• The “one intent → one CPP/CSL” operating rule
• How to map each CPP/CSL into Apple Ads/Google App Ads
• How to avoid keyword cannibalisation
• How to measure CPP uplift vs your default listing
• How CBS Sports uses CPPs seasonally and team-specific
• How feature-specific CPPs (e.g. baby name generator) unlock deep-linked conversion

Why this matters now

Apple’s recent introduction of keyword assignment to CPPs (and Google’s existing broader controls) moves CPPs/CSLs out of “ad variation extra” territory and into true ASO segmentation. For UA, this is the closest we’ve ever had to intent-aligned “landing pages inside the store”.

Your default store page is for everyone. CPPs/CSLs are for someone — and that’s where conversion changes.

Download the guide, get the framework, and start growing at scale today.

The post CPPs and CSLs are the future of growth at scale on iOS and Android appeared first on Business of Apps.

Business of Apps Berlin is just over a week away, and we are now close to capacity. Next week, the leaders shaping the future of app growth meet in Berlin. This is your final chance to secure a ticket before registration closes.

As the home of app growth in Europe, this year’s event brings together more than 700 senior app marketing, product, CRM, and growth decision-makers at Hotel Adlon. The scale, calibre, and depth of insight make it the definitive place to learn how the strongest teams are growing and scaling apps in 2026.

Across talks, workshops, Table Talks, Boardroom sessions, and our meetings programme, you will get the frameworks, models, and strategies that top-performing teams are deploying right now. It is a high-performance environment designed for app growth leaders who prioritise data, efficiency, and measurable impact.

You’ll access:

• Full-funnel growth strategies across marketing, product-led growth, retention, subscriptions, and AdAttributionKit
• Actionable insight from the teams behind Europe’s top apps
• Opportunities to benchmark your numbers and thinking with peers operating at scale
• Direct access to platforms and agencies driving the global app ecosystem

If you want to understand where app growth is heading and walk away with practical strategies you can apply immediately to help you grow and scale your app, this is the room to be in.

Get your ticket now.

The post Final call for Business of Apps Berlin tickets appeared first on Business of Apps.

Nico Winkelhaus, Head of Digital Marketing at PAYBACK, will be speaking at Business of Apps Berlin (formerly App Promotion Summit Berlin). He met with us for a quick, informal chat to give us an overview what he and his team are cooking for the event.

Can you start by walking us through your career path? How did you get to where you are today?

I started as a 16- or 15-year-old establishing an online video games magazine at a time when the internet was something for freaks and geeks. The goal was simply to get those kinds of games for free in order to review them. That is how I first tapped into the digital and internet area, which was around 1995.

After that, following about ten years of working on internet magazines focused on games, I moved into the media industry and joined publishing houses, including Condé Nast. These were TV and print media companies, and I was always working in the digital department. So, I had a strong traditional company on one side, while being part of the digital division on the other. That has consistently been my career path, being the “digital guy” within a more traditional company.

For the past ten years, I have been at PAYBACK as the Head of Digital Marketing. PAYBACK is Germany’s largest multi-partner loyalty programme and one of the largest in Europe as well. My main goal is to drive more digital reach for PAYBACK while also looking for ways to monetise that reach.

You’ve been working in publishing and digital marketing for thirty years now and also have founder experience, having spent the last decade at PAYBACK. In your opinion, how has the space changed in the last few years?

On a broader level, everything today is really large. Everyone is using the internet, and everyone has a smartphone, which wasn’t the case twenty years ago. But what is also nice about the industry is that it is always changing. When you thought Netscape was large and communities couldn’t be monetized, Facebook launched. When you thought Google had a real monopoly and wondered how you could possibly disrupt it, AI emerged, and now Google is changing. That constant change is part of the beauty of the industry.

The industry keeps changing — the fundamentals don’t

Source: Business of Apps via YouTube

But one thing has stayed the same, whether twenty years ago, ten years ago, or five years ago. As a digital marketer, you always have to look beneath the platforms and have a deep understanding of how KPIs are driven, what the drivers behind the results are, and what the real mechanics of a platform or a business model look like. That hasn’t changed over the decades. It is always the same approach — you have to understand the details and the drivers behind them. That is the beauty of it.

Drawing on your years of experience in the app industry, what lessons have stayed with you that still apply today?

Looking into the details is still a lesson that applies today, I would say. If you only look superficially at platform KPIs and don’t look beneath them, if you accept too much of, say, a platform’s reporting and don’t have your own data, your own view on it, your own understanding of the dependencies, then you miss what is really going on. That applies today, whether it is a platform like TikTok or Meta.

So, not trusting superficial reporting and really trying to understand the details — not managing every detail, but understanding them — is still a relevant driver of success, I think.

What advice do you have for anyone aspiring to grow into a role like yours?

Never stop learning. You have to become an expert in all the new topics that will arise. For example, when I moved into my role at PAYBACK, everything I knew from the media industry I could throw away because the eCommerce, CRM, and loyalty environment is completely different. It has different mechanics. You have to dig into the details and learn and understand them. You don’t have to manage all the details, but you do need to grasp them.

I always say you have to be a kind of T-shaped professional — you dig into the details, you understand them, you are essentially an expert on a few key topics, but you can still see the broader picture. That, I think, is the foundation of success in today’s world, whether we are talking about apps or the broader economy.

You will be speaking at Business of Apps Berlin (formerly App Promotion Summit Berlin). Can you give us a run-through of what you will be talking about?

I will talk about the PAYBACK app. We are now 25 years old, and we like to say we are now the best PAYBACK we have ever been. We are certainly bigger than ever before.

Twenty-five years ago, we were a plastic loyalty card supported print and direct mailings. The rule back then was that space in the wallet is limited; no one wanted to carry five, six, or seven plastic loyalty cards. And the same is true now in the app world. No one is using fifteen or twenty shopping or loyalty apps on their device.

That is where our success comes from. Through the multi-partner approach, we have the relevancy to be one of the few apps people actually keep. In the past, we were the third card in the wallet; now, we are a top shopping app on a user’s phone.

Tell us more about multi-partner loyalty programmes? What are they? In your opinion, why are they particularly important today?

Loyalty now is experiencing a real revival, because an app-based loyalty programme is a bit easier than the plastic and print-based loyalty programmes of the past. Since the paid channels are not as efficient anymore compared to ten years ago, many advertisers are focusing more on CRM and retention, and not so much on user acquisition. And that is where loyalty comes into play.

You can either run a multi-partner approach like ours or a single-partner approach. The beauty of the multi-partner approach is that you aggregate different shops and have one programme for all of them, which means the chance of having real, high relevancy for the user is quite strong.

Why loyalty is having a comeback in 2025

Source: Business of Apps via YouTube

The success of our programme shows that — we are the top multi-partner loyalty programme in Germany. On the other hand, there isn’t enough space for twenty or thirty mass-market loyalty programmes, because at the end of the day, a loyalty programme is a low-involvement product. It has to be easy to use, and it has to be relevant. And through the multi-partner approach, we really fuel that relevancy.

In your opinion, what is the role of loyalty programmes for building long-term retention and engagement with app users?

In past years, most advertisers focused on user acquisition and user growth, but not enough attention was given to retention and the CRM aspect. And since the paid channels are now less efficient than they were five or ten years ago, it has become important to focus more on existing customers, on increasing their value, on reducing churn, and on addressing all the topics that come with that.

So that is why using loyalty programmes as part of your CRM strategy makes the CFO more happy than trying to increase your paid investment, which may be less efficient in terms of marginal return than the CRM investment.

What types of apps are best positioned to make the most of loyalty programmes?

All types of apps can benefit from loyalty programmes. Loyalty can start early in the user’s life cycle, and it is certainly not only for eCommerce apps. It is a core topic for gaming apps, and it can also be a core topic for language apps or various types of freemium apps. It is a strong strategy as part of your overall CRM approach.

But it takes time, it is complex, and it is not easy. It is not a short-term investment, for sure — you always need to have a long-term investment expectation.

What factors do you consider the most important for building successful loyalty programmes?

It has to be relevant. There are so many loyalty programmes that are not used because they are not relevant.

In most cases, a loyalty programme is a low-involvement product. Users don’t want to invest much time into a specific loyalty program; they want to be rewarded for their actions, but they don’t want it to be time-consuming. So, it has to be fairly simple as well.

A complex loyalty program might be relevant for a very niche target group, but not if you want to scale and build a large-scale loyalty program. So, be relevant in terms of the offers and be very simple in terms of the mechanics and the overall program.

Finally, look at partnerships. You don’t always need to build everything on your own. There are many suppliers and partners who can help you build these kinds of loyalty schemes.

Privacy is the topic du jour in the app industry these days. If an app is looking to implement loyalty programmes, how should teams be thinking about and approaching privacy?

It is a very, very important topic from my point of view. At PAYBACK, privacy is part of our DNA because we manage a lot of data, and trustworthiness is essential. Loyalty only works if the user truly trusts the loyalty programme.

From a monetisation perspective, as an app publisher you might think, “Great, I have this loyalty programme. If I use the user data and monetise it aggressively, I can make a few extra euros.” But that is not a long-term strategy. Loyalty and trustworthiness have to be connected.

Data isn’t a revenue shortcut — it’s a trust contract

Source: Business of Apps via YouTube

My recommendation is: don’t make mistakes when it comes to privacy. Be very clear with the user about what you do with their data. Have very clear consent processes. And don’t try to aggressively monetise the data just to generate short-term revenue. Instead, use the data to drive relevancy — relevant offers, relevant next best actions, etc. This is a much more sustainable, future-oriented strategy.

Look at the data through the lens of relevance, not through money signs in your eyes.

If you don’t want to miss Nico’s session on loyalty, make sure to get your Business of Apps Berlin ticket today.

Nico’s answers have been slightly edited for clarity.

The post PAYBACK’s Nico Winkelhaus on multi-brand loyalty in the app world appeared first on Business of Apps.

Connected TV (CTV) has reached mass adoption, yet its role in mobile user acquisition remains up for debate. For years, CTV was considered a brand awareness channel — effective for reach but often seen as too top-funnel and hard to measure for UA teams focused on installs and return on ad spend.

That perception is evolving. As mobile performance channels mature and privacy restrictions limit traditional identifiers, marketers are exploring new ways to drive growth. Advances in cross-device attribution and signal-based optimization now make it possible to link CTV exposure to mobile installs with greater precision.

On December 4th, industry leaders from Verve, Dataseat, and Kochava will convene for Making CTV work for UA: From exposure to install — a live strategy session, hosted by Nicole Weiss, on how leading DSPs, SSPs, and MMPs are redefining CTV as a measurable performance channel.

The session will cover:

• Attribution mechanics: How MMPs connect CTV exposure to verified mobile installs using deterministic (QR codes, companion banners) and probabilistic (household-level) methods
• Signal-rich supply: How curated, app-based CTV inventory provides the contextual and technical signals needed for scalable, measurable performance
• Optimization models: How DSPs use verified post-install data to inform delivery, bidding, and ROAS optimization

Attendees will walk away with a clear view of how CTV can complement their mobile UA mix and what it takes to test, measure, and scale performance campaigns on the big screen. Register today.

The post CTV is entering the performance era appeared first on Business of Apps.

Feed.fm today announced Warner Music Group (WMG) as the launch partner for Feed Clips, its new music clip API that enables digital platforms to integrate song clips from major label catalogs.

The collaboration brings together Feed.fm’s cutting edge technology and WMG’s expansive catalog, which spans both Warner Chappell Music and Warner Recorded Music, to make it easier for developers to integrate high-quality, fully-licensed song clips through a secure, scalable system.

With this partnership, Feed.fm becomes the world’s foremost music technology provider offering a complete end-to-end solution for music clips that includes licensing, curation, and in-app experiences delivered via a secure API.

The Feed Clips music API also gives WMG and its artists and songwriters a way to bring music into social platforms to boost music discovery and fandom. It expands discovery into new apps where fans are creating with music, unlocking scalable reach and deeper cultural relevance across the digital landscape.

“We’re excited to work with Feed.fm to bring music to more experiences,” said Rachel Scarpati, VP, Business Development and Digital Strategy at WMG. “This partnership is another step toward building a more innovative music ecosystem that fuels creativity, discovery, and genuine connection.”

“This partnership is another step toward building a more innovative music ecosystem that fuels creativity, discovery, and genuine connection.”

Rachel Scarpati, VP, Business Development and Digital Strategy at WMG

For rightsholders like WMG, this partnership unlocks new avenues for music discovery and monetization in environments where music discovery, emotional connection, and viral sharing happen daily. For developers, the product offers a turnkey system complete with curated content, full API support, and built-in usage reporting.

“WMG is a forward-thinking partner, and we’re proud to collaborate with them to power music in new and innovative digital experiences,” said Jeff Yasuda, CEO and Founder at Feed.fm. “As music becomes a core layer of connection in social environments, this partnership helps us bring artists, developers, and fans into closer synergy.”

“As music becomes a core layer of connection in social environments, this partnership helps us bring artists, developers, and fans into closer synergy.”

Jeff Yasuda, CEO and Founder at Feed.fm

Feed Clips is designed to empower the next generation of platforms harnessing the power of music clips by streamlining the complexity of rights management and compliance tracking. The launch of Feed Clips also represents a significant opportunity for music to be embedded in more moments of digital expression — from social posts to interactive cards and creative messaging tools.

For more information, visit www.feed.fm/clips.

The post Warner Music Group and Feed.fm partner to bring premium music clips to apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

Crypto apps are firmly back in demand after two years of decline, with global downloads surging to 495 million in 2024, according to data from the Crypto App Report.

It marks the strongest year the sector has ever recorded and signals a clear return of mainstream interest, driven by renewed trading activity, rising retail participation and a broader recovery across the digital asset market.

Binance was the most downloaded app by a factor of two, while popular derivative trading exchanges Bybit and OKX came second and third in total downloads. Coinbase and Crypto.com were the two most popular crypto exchanges in the United States, and had similar global downloads.

Crypto app downloads 2018 to 2024 (mm)

According to the report, roughly 500 million people now own crypto in some form. Only about 10 percent of those holders actively trade, but that smaller cohort drives the bulk of activity across exchanges. Within that group, Binance dominates: more than half of all active traders use the platform, and it is popular in every region of the world.

As users have returned to crypto, so has total transaction volume, with exchanges processing more than triple the amount seen in 2023. Revenue also reached a new high, although the growth has been less dramatic due to the lower fees associated with derivatives trading compared to spot.

Derivative trading is the more popular way to trade crypto now, while in the last bull run in 2021 spot trading made up the majority of trading on exchanges.

Even with the surge in derivatives trading, spot continues to generate far more revenue, as seen by Coinbase’s $6.2 billion revenue compared to OKX’s $1.9 billion and Bybit’s $1.6 billion. Binance, as the leader in both trading markets, generated the most revenue by far of any exchange, exceeding $16 billion in 2024.

Want to learn more about the crypto app market? Check out our full report.

The post Crypto apps hit 500 million downloads per year appeared first on Business of Apps.

Designli is excited to announce it’s partnering with Business of Apps to launch a new channel. Hosted on Business of Apps with content written by the Designli team, the channel is a dedicated space for non-technical founders to learn how to navigate software development, product design, and product strategy.

Designli’s core mission as a company is to help non-technical founders find peace of mind with a dedicated product team they can trust.

The Business of Apps channel extends that mission by providing founders with practical guidance, expert insights, and a clearer path to make their SaaS ideas come to life.

“Non-technical founders deserve to build products without feeling overwhelmed of learning how to code. In this channel, we turn complex technical conversations into simple, actionable guidance so founders can make decisions with clarity instead of confusion. Here, they’ll find the resources they need to succeed in the SaaS industry with confidence.”

Keith Shields, CEO at Designli

Designli’s goal with this channel is simple: share technical knowledge, frameworks, and real-world experience with SaaS founders so they can make smarter decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and build software with clarity, not chaos.

In the channel, you’ll find content focused on:

• How to validate and prototype ideas
• How to avoid tech and design debt
• How to work with developers even if you’re not technical
• How to scale a product with confidence
• How to make better product decisions from Day 1

The Designli team is happy to be partnering with Business of Apps as they continue helping funders move from idea to execution with peace of mind.

Discover the channel and its content here.

The post Designli takes off with new channel helping non-technical founders build better products appeared first on Business of Apps.

Traditional ASO platforms are holding app marketers back with outdated workflows that can’t keep pace with today’s fast-moving mobile landscape. In an industry where timing is everything, slow tools and fragmented data sources are costing marketers valuable opportunities and competitive advantages.

To address this, ConsultMyApp launched APPlyzer Chat — a new, faster way of doing ASO which provides marketers with the information they need in seconds.

APPlyzer Chat combines global app store data and ChatGPT-enabled analysis for better, more comprehensive insights, all delivered through natural language.

“The problem with traditional tools can be summed up in one word: time. Tasks that should be instant still take far too long. With AI, those processes can finally be automated, giving brands, apps, and developers the power to work ten times faster and focus on what really matters: strategy.”

Mike Rhodes, CEO at ConsultMyApp

Every feature is designed to help get marketers from question to actionable insight in seconds, not hours, then guiding them on how to act on those insights immediately.

APPlyzer offers you:

• Live data analysis: Access real-time app store data from all major markets worldwide with instant AI-powered insights
• Natural language queries: Ask questions in plain English
• Speed to value: Get actionable insights in seconds
• Keyword opportunities: Discover untapped keyword opportunities and optimize an app’s discoverability instantly
• Competitive intelligence: Analyze competitor strategies and market trends with comprehensive data visualization
• Global market insights: Access data from app stores worldwide to expand reach and optimize for international markets

“The strength of APPlyzer’s data has always been our greatest advantage. So when AI began to truly evolve, it was only natural to merge that un- matched data quality with a faster, smarter way to access it, it meant delivering ASO insights at lightning speed.”

Mike Rhodes, CEO at ConsultMyApp

Designed for both ASO veterans and newcomers alike, APPlyzer democratizes access to enterprise-level app store intelligence through an intuitive ChatGPT-powered UI. Its natural language interface means anyone can access critical ASO intelligence without becoming a platform expert.

Download the APPlyzer Chat brochure, created by Business of Apps for ConsultMyApp, to learn more about APPlyzer Chat and start taking advantage of its capabilities today.

The post APPlyzer Chat helps democratize access to critical ASO data appeared first on Business of Apps.

If your Meta ads look good on the surface but your “cheap installs” vanish by Day 2 never to be heard from again, you have a targeting problem on your hands.

To address this problem, REPLUG’s Paid UA team built this 5-minute checklist to help marketers identify exactly what’s breaking their campaigns and how to fix it fast. It’s the same tried-and-tested framework that the award-winning REPLUG team uses before scaling budgets to six figures.

This quick self-audit will help UA teams to stop feeding Meta’s algorithm bad signals and stat driving installs that convert.

What you’ll learn:

• How to fix campaign set-up and optimise for post-install value, not vanity installs
• How to build seed audiences that don’t re-target users you already paid for
• How to structure bids and budgets to keep CPAs stable
• Which placements and creatives perform, and which drain your spend
• How to send the right in-app events so Meta learns from real growth data

Profitable growth doesn’t start with bigger budgets, it starts with smarter targeting.

Get the checklist, run a 5-minute audit, and see where your Meta strategy’s holding you back.

The post Most Meta campaigns fail due to bad targeting appeared first on Business of Apps.

AIBY, a leading American co-founding company in the mobile app industry, announced the launch of AIBY Startup Studio, its new initiative aimed at helping mobile and web app creators build successful products.

By joining the Studio, individuals and teams with a promising product, vision, or tech solution can become co-founders of their projects within a partnership. With up to $10 million in funding, they receive tailored mentorship, marketing budgets and expertise, product strategy guidance, and operational assistance from HR to analytics.

“When creating AIBY Startup Studio, we were inspired by the idea of building a wide-open opportunity. We didn’t want to limit ourselves to strict rules about who we can collaborate with. Instead, we welcome a broad range of professionals and projects. Our goal is to create an environment where every vision has the chance to grow into a sustainable, co-founded product.”

Raman Alsheuski, VP of Product at AIBY

For many startups, a lack of resources or being bootstrapped can significantly slow down growth. Even if funding rounds have already been secured, it’s essential to consider how to spend those funds efficiently.

Acting as a strategic partner, AIBY Startup Studio combines extensive marketing expertise, advanced analytics, and proven product-promotion experience to help founders scale their products quickly and effectively from the earliest stages, turning ideas into profitable products with global impact.

The Studio is open to partnerships with developers of mobile, web, and SMB subscription apps, teams building AI-driven solutions, and visionaries shaping the future of technology and the mobile industry.

To learn more and apply, visit the website.

The post AIBY Startup Studio debuts to back app creators with up to $10M appeared first on Business of Apps.

The sports app industry has transformed dramatically over the past decade, reshaping how fans follow, interact with and participate in sport. The explosion of data, streaming access and fan engagement tools has created one of the most dynamic ecosystems in mobile.

Fantasy sports and sports betting apps have fuelled an appetite for detailed player and team statistics, pushing score and news apps to go far beyond simple results. The legalisation of betting across much of the United States has created new billion dollar companies, and an industry worth tens of billions.

At the same time, OTT platforms and league-owned services have made live sport more accessible than ever, with highlights and behind-the-scenes content available within minutes of each match. In most leagues, all of the live games are available to watch on one platform, rather than having to sign up to several different cable networks.

In our Sports App Market Map, we have covered all of the main categories in the sports app ecosystem:

• Live sports OTT – ESPN, NBC Sports and Sky Sports remain major cable and satellite broadcasters, while streaming-only services such as DAZN, FuboTV and Prime Video cater to cord-cutters worldwide.
• Leagues – Many major leagues run their own apps, offering highlights, stats, and exclusive content. NFL Network, F1 TV and UFC stream events directly, while others, like the Champions League app, focus on video and data hubs.
• Score trackers – Sofascore, Flashscore and LiveScore have become essential companions for fans, combining live data, historical stats and player insights. Single-sport specialists like FotMob, CricBuzz and OneFootball deliver similar depth within their niche.
• Sports news – The Athletic, Bleacher Report and Barstool Sports integrate stats, analysis and fan engagement tools into their coverage, while BBC Sport, Marca and L’Équipe remain key sources for breaking news and rumours.
• Fantasy sports – Apps like Underdog, Chalkboard and Fantasy Premier League let users build and manage teams, while PrizePicks, Dabble and Sleeper add real-money contests to the mix.
• Professional teams – Clubs are increasingly turning their apps into fan ecosystems, combining behind-the-scenes access with ticketing and merchandise sales. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona lead globally, with Manchester United and Manchester City strong in the UK.
• Sports betting – Betting remains a defining segment, long established in the UK through bet365, Paddy Power and Betfred, and rapidly expanding in the US through FanDuel and DraftKings.
• Merchandise – Fanatics dominates global sports merchandise with exclusive drops and partnerships, while Topps and Panini lead in collectibles and trading cards.
• Coaching – GameChanger and Hudl provide analysis and communication tools for coaches and players, while sportsYou, TeamReach and Heja help teams coordinate training and match schedules.
• Specialist apps – Niche audiences are thriving through platforms like Fishbrain for fishing, KAYA for climbing, Slopes for skiing, Surfline for surfing, and 18Birdies or DartCounter for precision sports.
• Ticketing – While many clubs are bringing ticketing in-house, third-party marketplaces like Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and StubHub remain central. MLB Ballpark and Wimbledon show how leagues are integrating ticketing with fan experiences.
• Sports games – Digital gaming continues to blur with real-world fandom. EA Sports FC, Madden NFL and NBA 2K dominate across consoles and mobile, while eFootball and Football Manager offer deeper competitive or management-focused experiences.

Download the Sports App Market Map here to get a PDF landscape version, perfect for slides and presentations.  

The post Introducing the Sports App Market Landscape appeared first on Business of Apps.

On November 27th, 700+ senior leaders from across the app economy will gather at Hotel Adlon for Business of Apps Berlin (formerly App Promotion Summit) for a day of learning, networking, and growth.

Klarna, Zalando, N26, and HelloFresh are attending. Booking.com, Delivery Hero, and Bolt have confirmed places. Executives from SYBO, Wargaming, and Wooga to teams from Audible, Deezer, and Paramount will be there too.

You’ll be surrounded by peers solving the same growth challenges at the highest level. Conversations here are direct, informed and often turn into the collaborations that can help you grow and scale your own app.

This event has become the home of app growth in Europe because we’ve consistently delivered the quality of attendee, conversation, and connection that senior leaders require.

Who’s attending Business of Apps Berlin

Why should you attend?

This year we’re delivering more than ever before. Multiple content stages covering AI in app marketing, retention strategies, product-driven growth, revenue optimisation, and channel diversification. Expert-led workshops on privacy centric user acquisition, subscriptions, and more. Interactive discussions designed for the problems you’re solving right now. Browse the full agenda here.

Register today. See you in Berlin.

The post Just three weeks to go until Business of Apps Berlin appeared first on Business of Apps.

There is a vast world outside of walled gardens, and marketers might be leaving users and revenue on the table if they are only focusing on Google and Meta.

To help UA marketers uncover opportunities for growth beyond social, BidMatrix has just published their 2025 expansion kit. This is a free, short, visual guide dissecting how to launch and evaluate programmatic and CTV as performance channels, including how to set them up, what to monitor, and when to scale or pause.

Inside the kit

• Channel Fit Matrix: when to use programmatic vs CTV
• 10‒14 day launch templates with setup checklists, daily checks, and clear go / hold / pause rules
• Creative and format cheat-sheets: what to produce for programmatic, what to show on-screen in CTV (QR, value prop, scan path)
• KPI quick reference: CPP / CPA, eROAS (D1 / D7), IPM, engaged view rate, assisted installs
• Tool map: programmatic DSPs, CTV platforms, MMP / deep link / analytics stack to measure and read lift

Who is this guide for

This guide is for UA, growth, and performance marketing leads at mobile apps who are under pressure to scale beyond Meta and Google, protect ROAS, and prove incremental impact.

You can download the full expansion kit directly from the Business of Apps website.

The post Programmatic and CTV are overlooked by app marketers, BidMatrix’s new UA expansion kit aims to fix that appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile marketers, user acquisition managers, and ASO specialists will gather virtually this November for the third edition of App Growth Week — a free online event designed to turn insights into action.

In a crowded landscape of webinars and digital summits, App Growth Week 2025 stands out as a true upgrade opportunity, not just another online event. Designed for ASO managers, UA leads, growth strategists, and CMOs, this three‑day virtual gathering (November 18–20, 2025) offers more than insights: it offers transformation.

Organized by SplitMetrics, the event brings together more than 30 speakers across 15 sessions, with dedicated tracks on paid user acquisition, App Store Optimization (ASO), multichannel strategy, and the growing role of AI in mobile marketing operations. Having previously drawn over 2,500 industry professionals, the event is a key fixture for global growth teams.

“We’ve designed this event to be a real game‑changer for app marketers,” said Daniela Damonte, Head of Marketing at SplitMetrics. “Our goal is to deliver genuine value — not just another round of generic webinars. App Growth Week is about giving marketers access to practical frameworks, tools, and peer expertise they can apply right away to shape their 2026 growth strategies.”

Save your seat now. Register for free here.

What sets this edition apart

App Growth Week 2025 positions itself not only as a learning event but also as an execution-oriented experience. The agenda combines short, focused live sessions (each 30 minutes long), with Q&A opportunities, downloadable resources and tool trials.

Topics span from creative AI workflows and ASO to automation strategies in campaign management, market expansion, brand protection, and attribution methods — with each speaker delivering hands-on examples and real-world applications.

Confirmed speakers include a vast variety of professionals from leading app growth teams, agencies, CMPs, MMPs and social media platforms. While the full lineup is still being revealed, attendees can expect sessions rooted in real case studies and practitioner expertise.

Who should attend

The event is aimed at professionals working directly in mobile growth, acquisition, and performance marketing, including:

• ASO managers seeking to improve visibility and conversion through better metadata strategies and testing
• UA specialists optimizing paid campaigns across different channels
• Growth marketers coordinating across product and marketing teams to improve LTV and retention
• Marketing leaders and CMOs interested in lean team models and AI-supported growth ops

Every registrant gains full access to session recordings, templates, selected mobile marketing tools and exclusive offers, with no paywall or attendance restrictions.

Content is delivered weekly to registered participants starting from sign-up, making the event more of a multi-week resource hub than a 3-day broadcast.

This year, attendees can level up the experience by inviting their peers. Every referral unlocks a chance to win a personalized app growth audit from SplitMetrics experts.

How to join

App Growth Week 2025 is free to attend, but registration is required to access sessions and receive the pre-event content pack.

Reserve your spot now.

Event recap

• Dates: November 18–20, 2025
• Time: Starts at 14:30 CET / 08:30 EST / 05:30 PST
• Where: Online, hosted on Zoom
•  Language: English
• Agenda: 15 live sessions, 30+ speakers, weekly growth content, practical downloads

Browse sessions and speakers here.

Save your seat

Register for free and invite your team.

The post Inside App Growth Week 2025: How AI is reshaping app marketing strategy appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile OEM advertising specialist AVOW has announced a significant recognition from its strategic partner, HONOR. The company was presented with the Global Best Support Partner Award at a special ceremony held during the HONOR Global Developer Conference in Shenzhen, China.

The award was accepted on behalf of the company by AVOW’s Chris Zhao. AVOW stated that the award is not just another accolade but a “powerful symbol” of its successful and thriving partnership with the leading global smart device provider.

This recognition celebrates the success of their collaboration within the mobile OEM advertising space. AVOW serves as HONOR’s official global partner for its Google Play Auto Install (PAI) inventory. This strategic role provides brands with an exclusive channel to an engaged and unique audience.

The dynamic preloads solution for app marketers

At the core of the partnership is AVOW’s Dynamic Preloads solution. This solution allows app developers to place their apps directly onto new HONOR smartphones during the initial device setup, reaching over 200 million active users worldwide.

This method offers several key advantages for app marketers looking to scale:

• First touchpoint access: It allows brands to reach users at the very first touchpoint of their new device journey.
• Large-scale distribution: Developers can achieve significant scale on HONOR’s rapidly expanding ecosystem, particularly in high-growth markets like Europe, LATAM, MENA, and SEA.
• Frictionless, high-performance installs: The solution drives high-performance installs directly from Google Play, all without the need for any SDK integration.

AVOW highlighted that the shared goal of this partnership has always been to help app developers grow “beyond the mainstream duopoly,” and this award serves as a fantastic validation of that mission.

Executive commentary on the milestone

Tiangang Zhou, Head of Overseas Product and Operations, HONOR, praised AVOW, stating: 

“AVOW has been an exemplary partner in bringing their Dynamic Preloads offering to app developers worldwide. This award recognizes their outstanding performance and commitment to innovation, making them a core partner as we expand our global ecosystem. We are thrilled to celebrate their success and look forward to our continued collaboration.”

Robert Wildner, CEO and Co-founder of AVOW, shared his thoughts on the recognition: 

“We are incredibly proud to receive this award from our esteemed partner, HONOR. It’s a testament to the hard work of our team and the strength of our collaboration. This recognition fuels our shared mission to provide app developers with innovative, transparent, and effective channels for global user growth, moving beyond the traditional duopoly, and emphasizes the importance of having OEMs as a default part of their marketing mix.”

Why OEM advertising is crucial for app developers

For marketers still concentrated in the walled gardens, mobile OEM channels are fast becoming a must-have complement. AVOW’s direct partnerships span the largest Android manufacturers, including Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, OnePlus, realme, vivo, HONOR, Transsion, Infinix, itel, and TECNO, providing brands with scaled access to high-intent users across native placements, alternative app stores, and on-device entry points.

Across these partnerships, AVOW reaches over 1.5 billion daily active users globally, with coverage that represents roughly 86% of the global Android market. This—together with AVOW’s proprietary real-time optimization tool, AVOW Intelligence — provides the kind of scale and performance that helps teams offset rising CPI (Cost-per-install) and CAC (Customer Acquisition Costs) whilst maintaining quality.

Future outlook

Looking ahead, AVOW states that receiving this award from HONOR only strengthens its resolve. The company is “more committed than ever” to deepening the partnership and continuing to pioneer new opportunities in the mobile OEM and advertising landscape.

The post AVOW secures award from HONOR for mobile OEM advertising success appeared first on Business of Apps.

Learn first-hand insights about AdTech, monetization, and data-driven innovation from Attributed — a new media platform amplifying industry voices.

Attributed brings together visionaries, brand leaders, agency strategists, and marketers to share insights on the future of advertising technologies, AI-driven innovation, data privacy, app growth, monetization, and more.

The first published articles feature:

• Linda Kender, Regional Director at MMA MENA, on how AI is reshaping advertising, why it’s a positive change for marketers, and how to ensure it doesn’t become too invasive.
• Ignacio Ortiz, Co-Founder at X3M Mediation, on the new wave of “mediation wars” in mobile advertising and why greater competition could drive innovation.
• Hung Luu, Senior Growth Marketing Manager at MoMo, on how Vietnam’s booming superapp scene is transforming the way people shop and interact online, and what global marketers can learn from it.

The platform will continue to publish op-eds, interviews, and expert commentary.

Read and subscribe to Attributed today to discover what’s next and stay ahead of the competition.

The post Creepy AdTech, mediation wars, and not-so-super superapps appeared first on Business of Apps.

Snapchat has introduced the App Power Pack, a new suite of ad formats and delivery tools designed to help brands accelerate app growth on the platform.

The company has also released an accompanying App Power Pack playbook, which breaks down how to make the most of the new tools. The playbook is now available to download directly from the Business of Apps website.

Why Snapchat for apps?

Snapchat has a track record of driving conversions and growth for app businesses, with Snapchatters not merely discovering apps via the platform but acting on them, too.

Data backs this up. According to an online survey with daily Snapchat users in the US, Q4 2024, 65%* of US users have downloaded an app from an ad they saw on Snapchat. What’s more, 57% have made an in-app purchase after discovering an app on the platform, according to the same study.

What’s inside?

The App Power Pack brings together a bundle of ad formats, smarter delivery tools, and clearer measurement that are all designed to make campaigns work harder.

• New ad formats to help brands engage in more authentic ways
• Smarter delivery designed to improve efficiency and boost installs
• Clearer measurement for insights that inform better decisions

Impact advertisers are seeing

Advertisers adopting the App Power Pack have reported +25%** lift in installs across formats. A gaming app cut cost per purchase by more than half*** while boosting ROAS, according to company data.

Source: Snapchat

Download the App Power Pack directly via Business of Apps.

Sources

*Online survey with daily Snapchat users in the US, Q4 2024, Toluna | n=1,017 Q: “Have you ever downloaded an app through an ad you have seen on Snapchat?”

**Snap Inc. internal data, July 2nd-6th 2025

***Snap Inc. internal data, Q1-Q2 2025

The post Snapchat launches the App Power Pack, a suite of ad formats to help marketers drive app growth appeared first on Business of Apps.

This Friday is your last chance to lock in Early Bird savings of up to €300 for Business of Apps Berlin — the ultimate gathering for Europe’s app growth economy.

Taking place November 27th at the iconic Hotel Adlon, this year marks a milestone: it’s the final edition at this venue. We’re expecting record attendance as 700+ app marketing, growth, product, CRM, and revenue leaders come together for a full day of strategy, insights, and connection across 6 stages — from acquisition to retention.

Expect sharp, data-driven content, hands-on discussions, and real-world lessons from the teams scaling the world’s most successful apps. You’ll connect with the people shaping the industry and walk away with new ideas, partnerships, and energy to fuel your 2026 growth plans.

Who else is going to be there?

Reserve your ticket now to hear from the likes of Omio, MyGroove, PAYBACK, Zalando, Flink, AutoScout24, bunq, GameDuell, Zenjob, Toca Boca, Zasta and more, and network with the biggest names in apps.

Brands booked on include: Babbel, Klarna, HelloFresh, Delivery Hero, Flix, Vinted, OneFootball, SYBO, GetYourGuide, wetter.com, Blinkist, Deezer and many more.

It’s a competitive market, and in many cases you’re competing directly with these brands for the same users. Learn how to stay ahead of the curve and replicate the tactics that attract, retain, and turn users into advocates from the teams doing it best.

Secure your ticket by Friday, 31st October to save up to €300 before prices rise.

The post Business of Apps Berlin early-bird ticket sale ends this Friday appeared first on Business of Apps.

AI-driven platform Knapsack has partnered with Cheesecake Labs, a software development and AI integration company, to launch Knapsack Chat. This lightweight chat interface helps SaaS companies integrate an AI-powered chatbot directly into their core data.

Making AI adoption easier

For SaaS teams, building “chat with your data” functionality in-house is a major lift:

• 1,000+ engineering hours and $50K+ in costs are common just to reach MVP.
• Launch timelines can stretch for 4–6 months, delaying customer impact.
• Even then, maintaining compliance with SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR is an ongoing burden.

Yet the payoff is undeniable: research shows contextual chat can boost 30-day retention by 9–25%, cut churn by 25%, and raise customer satisfaction by 15% or more. SaaS leaders know the ROI is there—but the build costs keep them stuck.

Knapsack Chat provides a natural language interface using a JavaScript SDK that requires just a few lines of code to embed. It connects seamlessly to internal data like emails, calendars, and documents, delivering context-aware responses without exposing sensitive information.

Designed with compliance in mind, the tool meets SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR requirements, making it suitable for regulated industries.

With Knapsack Chat, SaaS users can also use Knaps — modular workflows that connect to email, calendars, CRMs, and planning tools to turn raw data into insights. Knaps help reduce daily admin and can be customized for each company’s needs and goals.

Addressing SaaS concerns

“Many SaaS companies are eager to roll out AI but have been blocked by complexity,” says Mark Heynen, CPO and co-founder of Knapsack. “We make it super simple—without forcing teams to compromise on privacy or control.”

Uniquely, Knapsack Chat comes with a full admin interface, giving SaaS operators control over data sources, user permissions, and workflow customization. Unlike black-box AI tools, Knapsack puts companies in the driver’s seat.

Innovative collaboration with Cheesecake Labs

Cheesecake Labs partnered closely with Knapsack, embedding engineers directly into their team to speed up delivery and ensure enterprise-grade quality. Their collaboration focused on building a secure and scalable hybrid AI platform that balances strong privacy protections with fast, intuitive performance.

Driving engagement and efficiency

Several early users are already seeing tangible benefits. For example, Sevanta, a CRM tailored for venture capital firms, uses Knapsack Chat to empower its clients to stay in touch with their portfolio companies and founders in their ecosystem, analyze deal trends,  and summarize pitch decks. These capabilities have significantly boosted productivity and user engagement.

For Cheesecake Labs, the collaboration proves their ability to bring advanced AI tools to market rapidly, combining technical rigor with human-centered design. Working with Knapsack has been an opportunity to showcase what’s possible when innovation and execution align.

The post Cheesecake Labs and Knapsack partner to launch Knapsack Chat appeared first on Business of Apps.

The first wave of Connected TV (CTV) advertising was built on a seductive promise: simplicity. Platforms emerged to make buying TV ads feel as frictionless as launching a paid social campaign. It worked. Budgets unlocked. New advertisers entered the ecosystem.

But for serious performance marketers, that simplicity now exposes a ceiling – a maturity gap that entry-level tools were never designed to bridge.

The shift happens when CTV graduates from test budget to core channel. Marketers stop asking if it works and start asking how: How does it integrate with mobile? What halo effects does it drive? How do we scale it with the same rigor as display?

From simplicity to sophistication

Every new advertising channel starts with accessibility – but real growth only arrives through sophistication.

Having spent nearly two decades in programmatic and mobile performance marketing, Andrew Whiteside, newly appointed VP & GM Americas at Smadex, understands this pattern well.

“We’ve seen this evolution across every performance channel,” says Whiteside. “The early tools focus on getting brands in the door. The next generation focuses on making those brands successful. That’s where CTV is now – it’s no longer about getting on TV, it’s about performing on TV.”

At Smadex, that evolution means applying the same data discipline, transparency, and measurable outcomes that built programmatic and mobile into global growth engines. The future of CTV isn’t about making it simpler –  it’s about making it smarter.

From black-box metrics to business outcomes

In verticals where every dollar is judged by real KPIs, vanity metrics don’t cut it. Completion rates and viewability are table stakes. Success means cost per install, ROAS, and incremental revenue.

Achieving that on CTV requires more than a basic self-serve tool. It demands:

Surgical precision at scale

Basic platforms make buying easy to get started and offer low minimums. Sophisticated platforms deliver precision that scales performance.

It’s about using deep programmatic signals to define high-value households, control frequency at the user level, and scale globally without sacrificing efficiency.

Radical transparency in the supply path

The promise of CTV is premium inventory. The reality is often a murky supply chain.

Sophisticated marketers demand full transparency and tools for real Supply Path Optimization – investing in inventory that drives performance, not padding the margins of intermediaries.

Measurement that matters

Last-touch attribution is broken in a multi-screen world. The next frontier is proving incrementality.

Performance marketers need partners who can quantify causal lift, not just impressions, and connect CTV investment directly to business outcomes.

Fostering the next wave of CTV expertise

The industry won’t mature in isolation. It requires open dialogue among the sharpest minds in performance marketing.. That’s why Smadex created CTV Live!, a global event series designed to accelerate industry knowledge and performance expertise.

Following successful events in London with AppsFlyer and Nexxen, and in Los Angeles with Sensor Tower and Mistplay. CTV Live!

Next, Smadex will bring CTV Live! to New York on November 13, alongside partners Adjust and Magnite, to continue the conversation with those driving measurable growth on TV.

The era of simply being on TV is over. The era of performing on TV is here.

For marketers who have tested the quick-service options and are now asking, “What’s next for real growth?”, the answer isn’t another easy button. It’s a strategic engine.

Explore Smadex CTV solutions. Register for CTV Live! New York.

The post The CTV performance maturity gap appeared first on Business of Apps.

On 23rd April 2026, Business of Apps London (formerly App Promotion Summit) returns, bringing together over 1,000 senior leaders across marketing, product, CRM and revenue to shape the next phase of the global app economy.

What’s in it for you?

• Explore the strategies defining app growth in 2026 through new networking programmes and exclusive vertical forums.
• Learn how to scale intelligently with insights on AI-enabled marketing, retention, subscriptions, privacy centric user acquisition and more.
• Connect with leading app platforms, networks and agencies in our expanded marketplace and access intelligence that drives measurable results.

New for 2026

More people. More access. More depth

With 1,000+ attendees, the introduction of The Retreat, focused Vertical Forums, and a dedicated Meetings Programme, Business of Apps London 2026 sets a new benchmark for strategic connections and insight.

Call for speakers

Want to share your expertise with our audience? We are looking for speakers to join a stellar line up to share transformative ideas and actionable insights.

Partnership opportunities

Do you want to connect with decision makers from the world’s leading apps in an environment that leads to authentic relationships? Get in touch to reserve your spot in our exhibition area or contribute to the agenda.

Register now. See you in London.

The post Business of Apps returns to London on 23rd April 2026 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Business of Apps Berlin 2025 unites Europe’s app growth leaders for one day of sharp insights, real connections, and strategies that drive scale.

In a landscape defined by tightening budgets, privacy shifts, and new AI-driven opportunities, this is where you’ll hear what’s working now, directly from the teams building and scaling the world’s most successful apps.

Every session, panel, and boardroom discussion is designed to deliver actionable value you can bring straight back to your campaigns and roadmaps.

Beyond the content, it’s about connection. BOA Berlin attracts the people you actually want to meet, senior app marketers, growth leads, founders, and platform partners shaping the future of mobile. The ROI comes from those conversations: the ideas sparked over coffee, the partnerships formed in the exhibition, and the competitive edge you take home.

Join us in Berlin this November to learn how to grow and scale your app and uncover what’s next for the global app economy.

Early Bird pricing ends next week. Save up to €300 while you can.

Here are the top 5 reasons why you should attend

Connect with your people

Designed for leaders in app marketing, growth, product, CRM, and revenue. This is where the biggest names from ecommerce, fintech, health & fitness, and beyond come together to share strategies, solve challenges, and shape the future of the app economy.

Unmatched learning

Explore multiple content stages featuring the biggest and most influential voices in the app industry with actionable insights, hands-on workshops, and interactive discussions. With the agenda-setting sessions, discover the latest trends and connect in specialist zones focused on growth, product innovation, and user engagement.

The biggest names in apps join us

A buzzing exhibition

Power up your app stack and meet leading user acquisition, analytics & data and app engagement platforms in our exhibition area. Your gateway to discovering the tools and partners taking apps to the next level.

Partner events & parties

Work hard, connect harder. From exclusive partner gatherings to after-parties across the city, Business of Apps Berlin delivers the full festival experience of app growth and connection.

Outstanding networking

Build meaningful relationships in an environment designed for real connection. From curated networking breaks and dedicated meeting areas to our event app and smart networking platform, every element is crafted to spark valuable conversations, all within a world-class event setting.

Early Bird ticket sale ends in a week. Grab your ticket now.

The post Five weeks to go until Business of Apps Berlin appeared first on Business of Apps.

The post FastSpring executives outline three-phase approach to app-to-web monetization appeared first on Business of Apps.

Verve has released its In-app user privacy report 2025, a comprehensive study surveying 4,000 mobile users across the US and UK. The report examines evolving consumer attitudes toward data privacy, personalized advertising, and the value exchange between users and publishers.

The research, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Verve in August 2025, reveals a complex landscape where privacy concerns are intensifying even as consumers show greater willingness to share data under the right conditions.

Key findings

Growing acceptance of ad-supported models

Three in four consumers now say they are more willing to watch ads in exchange for free content than they were two years ago, up from two in three in 2024. This shift reflects growing subscription fatigue and presents new opportunities for advertisers and publishers.

How willing are you to watch/receive advertisements in exchange for free content compared to two years ago?

Source: Verve’s In-app user privacy report 2025

AI concerns surge

Concern over data being used to train AI jumped 40% year-over-year, with 65% of respondents now more worried than they were two years ago. The report found that 97% of respondents believe app publishers and platforms need greater transparency around data handling.

How concerned are you about your data being used to train AI compared to two years ago?

Source: Verve’s In-app user privacy report 2025

Strategic data sharing emerges

While privacy concerns are climbing across all categories, consumers are becoming more selective rather than completely privacy-averse. Users showed decreased willingness to share highly identifying information like names and contact details, but increased openness to sharing demographic and contextual data including health information, regional data, and personal characteristics.

Transparency drives trust

Understanding how data is used emerged as the primary factor in willingness to share. Approximately 55% of respondents who expressed an opinion felt more likely to share their data if they understood better how it was going to be used, though significant demographic differences exist, with confidence ranging from 76% among 25-34 year-olds to just 38% among those 55 and older.

Relevance is critical

Three in four consumers are more likely to pay attention to an ad if it’s relevant to them, and two in three said personalized ads help them discover new products. However, the report also reveals a “personalization-privacy paradox,” with demographic divides showing younger audiences (16-44) most receptive while consumers 55 and older remain skeptical.

Platform trust varies by context

Mobile apps emerged as the most trusted environment for data protection (29%), followed by desktop websites (26%) and mobile web (22%). Connected TV, despite commanding the highest attention for relevant advertising (32%), was perceived as the least secure platform.

The report includes detailed analysis across 11 mobile app categories, revealing that dating, gaming, and news apps face the highest user reluctance to share data, while shopping, social media, and streaming apps enjoy greater trust.

“Stronger privacy controls have helped the industry innovate, but the real opportunity lies in pairing that control with transparency. When consumers understand how their data is used and feel in control, they’re far more willing to engage. That ’s where publishers and advertisers can build lasting trust.”

Aviran Edery, SVP & GM of Marketplace at Verve

The report also features expert perspectives from industry leaders including John Koetsier of Singular, Amnon Siev of GeoEdge, and Davide Rosamilia of ID5, who provide strategic guidance on navigating the evolving privacy landscape.

The full In-app user privacy report 2025 is available for download here.

The post New data reveals shifting consumer attitudes toward app data sharing and advertising appeared first on Business of Apps.

The shopping app market has become one of the largest and most dynamic sectors in the mobile economy, spanning everything from global marketplaces to niche, category-specific retailers and specialist services. Ever-improving search and recommendation systems have made it possible to find and purchase almost any product in seconds.

In 2024, shopping apps facilitated more than $4 trillion in global gross merchandise volume, reflecting the central role mobile now plays in global commerce. Increasingly, the entire purchasing journey, from product discovery to checkout, takes place within apps, driven by greater consumer confidence and smoother mobile payment experiences.

In developing and emerging markets, ecommerce infrastructure and logistics are expanding rapidly, allowing app-based retail to reach new towns and cities. This growth, coupled with innovations in delivery, payments and personalisation, is propelling the next wave of digital shopping worldwide.

In our Shopping App Market Map, we have covered all of the main categories in the shopping app ecosystem, complete with the key apps in each:

• Marketplaces – Coined by Jeff Bezos in 1994, “The Everything Store” now defines platforms like Amazon, Taobao, Flipkart, Shopee, Mercado Libre and Trendyol, which dominate retail in their respective regions.
• Discount marketplaces – A new wave of low-cost marketplaces has emerged, connecting consumers directly with manufacturers. Temu leads this space, with AliExpress and Lazada extending Alibaba’s reach beyond China.
• Customer-to-customer marketplaces – eBay pioneered peer-to-peer selling and remains a major player. Apps such as Vinted, Depop and OfferUp have refined the model for mobile, focusing on resale and community-driven commerce.
• Fashion – Zara, H&M and Abercrombie & Fitch remain dominant fashion brands, while marketplaces like Shein, Myntra and ASOS test brand loyalty with vast, fast-changing product selections.
• >Activewear – A major part of the fashion retail segment, with Nike and Adidas adapting well to mobile commerce and newer names like Lululemon and SKIMS attracting strong followings.
• Luxury – Vestiaire Collective, Farfetch and Net-A-Porter act as digital marketplaces for high-end fashion, mirroring the curated experience of traditional retailers like Harrods or Selfridges.
• Grocery – The pandemic pushed supermarkets in North America and Europe to expand online, a shift that continues to shape the sector. Instacart, Flink, Gopuff and Getir scaled rapidly during this period, while HelloFresh and TooGoodToGo offer alternative food models focused on convenience and sustainability.
• Food delivery – Just Eat, Grubhub and iFood connect restaurants directly with consumers, while DoorDash, Uber Eats and Deliveroo handle both ordering and delivery, reshaping how meals reach customers.
• Buy now, pay later – Klarna leads the BNPL space, with Affirm and Afterpay strong competitors in the US. These platforms combine instalment payments with curated shopping experiences and growing marketplaces.
• Live commerce – Live commerce remains in early stages in Western markets, but Whatnot and TikTok Shop have gained traction over the past two years. In Asia, Douyin, Kwai, Shopee and Lazada dominate as key live shopping platforms.
• Home and furniture– Wayfair pioneered mobile home shopping with its dedicated marketplace for home goods. IKEA, Lowe’s and Bed Bath & Beyond have since strengthened their digital offerings, improving app-based browsing and delivery.
• Electronics – Argos and Newegg have long served the electronics marketplace, while interest in second-hand devices has risen through platforms like Cashify and Back Market, which specialise in refurbished tech.
• Handmade – Etsy remains the leader in handmade and craft marketplaces, hosting millions of sellers worldwide. Redbubble and Not On The High Street support independent creators through curated and design-focused platforms.
• Deals – Coupon and voucher apps have become integral to online shopping. Capital One Shopping and ShopBack offer automatic coupon and cashback features, while Groupon remains a key name in group deals and local offers.
• Price comparison – Finding the best value on an item or experience is as easy as one search with price comparison apps. Honey by PayPal and Quidco combine price tracking with cashback rewards, while Payback integrates loyalty points. In travel, Skyscanner and Trivago continue to lead as major comparison platforms.

Download the Shopping App Market Map here to get a PDF landscape version, perfect for slides and presentations.  

The post Introducing the Shopping App Market Landscape appeared first on Business of Apps.

Smadex has partnered with Singular and MobileAction to launch Beating the odds: The latest iGaming growth guide, a strategic guide addressing the mounting challenges that iGaming marketers are facing as user acquisition costs continue climbing and regulatory scrutiny intensifies.

The guide provides a step-by-step roadmap for iGaming UA managers, marketers, and creative teams  to build high-performing, compliant campaigns that drive engagement, retention, and revenue.

What’s inside:

• Advanced player acquisition strategies leveraging programmatic advertising and App Store Optimization
• Creative best practices for iGaming campaigns that drive both attention and conversions
• Optimization techniques for turning engagement metrics into measurable revenue growth
• AI-powered insights for staying ahead of emerging industry trends
• Compliance considerations for scaling campaigns across multiple markets

The guide is available for download directly from the Business of Apps website and can be found here.

The post iGaming user acquisition costs surge as marketers seek new growth strategies appeared first on Business of Apps.

During his session at App Promotion Summit NYC 2025, Paddle’s CMO, Andrew Davies, told attendees that consumer subscription apps now account for roughly a third of Paddle’s transaction volume, up from “very little” two years ago. Companies are increasingly routing purchases through web-based checkouts, but, according to Davies, the primary reason behind the surge is not only avoiding Apple’s 30% commission fee — the most commonly cited reason.

“Frankly, it has not been one of the biggest drivers in many of the businesses that we serve,” Davies said of the App Store fee, acknowledging this might sound counterintuitive. Instead, he pointed to factors including improved cash flows and customer lifetime value, better customer data, and the ability to experiment rapidly with new conversion funnels and to target larger audiences beyond mobile-only buyers. For Paddle, Davies also revealed, the shift to web payments among consumer apps represents its fastest-growing segment.

The working capital calculation

One frequently overlooked advantage, according to Davies, is the acceleration of working capital cycles. When transactions occur through the App Store, companies must wait through free trial periods, initial subscription periods, and Apple’s 30-60 day payment holds before accessing funds. Web payments can reduce this cycle from quarterly to weekly or monthly.

“Some of the fastest growing consumer apps we’ve seen are using this just to speed up their working capital without needing to go and find a third party funding provider,” Davies explained.

For early-stage apps spending heavily on user acquisition, this timing difference can determine whether they need external financing to maintain growth.

“Some of the fastest growing consumer apps we’ve seen are using this just to speed up their working capital without needing to go and find a third party funding provider.”

Retention over conversion

While initial web checkout conversion rates may lag behind Apple’s streamlined process, Paddle’s data suggests that lifetime value calculations favor web subscriptions. Davies said web subscriptions typically show lower involuntary churn from failed payments and lower voluntary cancellation rates.

Code Way, a European app portfolio company, saved $500,000 in would-be cancellations by moving subscribers to web-based systems and implementing cancellation flow optimizations, according to a Paddle case study.

Winning on the web: How app monetization is changing

Source: App Promotion Summit

Two implementation models

Companies are adopting web payments through two primary approaches, according to Davies. The “web-to-app” model directs users from advertisements to web landing pages where they complete payment before downloading the app.

The “app-to-web” model — enabled by recent court rulings — allows apps to redirect users from in-app paywalls to web browsers for payment processing. Most transaction volume currently flows through the web-to-app model, with increasingly more companies shifting user acquisition budgets toward web funnels.

However, adoption patterns vary by region. European companies appear more willing to implement app-to-web flows, while American firms remain more cautious, Davies said. “It feels like in America, there’s probably a little bit more concern over Apple’s dominance in the ecosystem and what might happen, and people want to see it play out a few more times first,” he added.

“It feels like in America, there’s probably a little bit more concern over Apple’s dominance in the ecosystem and what might happen, and people want to see it play out a few more times first.”

Eastern European innovation

Unusually for the technology industry, this trend appears to be moving from east to west. Turkish and Cypriot app ecosystems are pioneering web-first approaches, with some companies launching with web payments as their primary channel rather than attempting to process through Apple initially.

Davies attributed this to government incentives in those regions and what he described as “a real interesting meeting of East Meets West with all the Russian and Ukrainian diaspora that are there as well as western capital.”

“This is one of the very few trends that is going from east to west,” Davies pointed out.

“This is one of the very few trends that is going from east to west.”

The complexity challenge

Davies cautioned that web payments introduce operational complexity that Apple previously handled, including sales tax compliance across jurisdictions, multi-currency support, fraud prevention, chargeback management, and customer support.

While payment processors like Stripe make it easy to implement web checkouts initially, companies often end up turning to more comprehensive solution providers after encountering some of the above challenges, he said.

Recent court rulings have given “a really big spotlight” to revenue generation outside app stores, Davies said, though he emphasized that major app companies have operated substantial web payment channels for years. According to Davies, the current surge represents not a new phenomenon but an acceleration of a long-standing practice, now accessible to a broader range of developers as legal barriers fall and supporting infrastructure matures.

You can catch all the App Promotion Summit NYC 2025 sessions on YouTube.

The post Consumer apps shift to web payments for cash flow benefits, not just fee avoidance appeared first on Business of Apps.

The Epic Games vs Apple ruling allowing US app developers to direct users to external purchase flows has opened a revenue goldmine. However, most publishers are still leaving money on the table while competitors who act fast are already capturing those higher-margin dollars.

On October 15th, join FastSpring’s Senior Product Marketing Manager Braden Steel and Director of Demand Generation Jesse Paliotto for How to launch App2Web Monetization ASAP, a live strategy session designed to help you capitalize on this landmark opportunity without derailing your development timeline.

Braden and Jesse bring specialized expertise in app-to-web monetization and will run attendees through what has changed thanks to recent rulings and what other legislation app marketers and developers should be watching. They will also reveal their crawl-walk-run approach to launching app-to-web flows to start building value quickly.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed wondering exactly where you should start and how to get value without upending your development roadmap, don’t miss this webinar.

The post How to launch app-to-web campaigns [online event] appeared first on Business of Apps.

After twelve years of connecting the app industry as App Promotion Summit, our events are evolving to match how the industry has changed. App Promotion Summit is now Business of Apps London, Berlin, and New York City.

When we launched back in 2013, app growth was primarily about promotion. The big question was: “How do we get installs?” That is why we called the event App Promotion Summit.

The first ever App Promotion Summit in 2013

Since then, however, app growth has matured and diversified. Today, it encompasses the full funnel — from user acquisition and retention to monetization, subscriptions, and product development.

Our events too have grown alongside the shift. What began as small, one-room gatherings are now large-scale events with exhibitions, meeting programmes, multi-track content, and over 1,000 attendees. These are not summits anymore; they are international, industry-defining events with an audience that includes CMOs, CPOs, growth leaders, product managers, and founders from the world’s biggest apps.

Meanwhile, our media platform Business of Apps has become the leading source of insights, news, and analysis for the industry, reaching 150,000+ professionals monthly, and is a source of data on the app industry for the Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, and the BBC.

Bringing our events and media under the Business of Apps brand reflects where the industry stands today and creates a clearer, stronger, and better platform for the community we serve.

App Promotion Summit London 2025

Our first event under the new brand will be Business of Apps Berlin on 27th November 2025.

In 2026, we will be scaling up our events further, with expanded capacity in London and new venues in NYC and Berlin:

• Business of Apps London, 23rd April 2026 – 1000+ attendees
• Business of Apps NYC, 17th September 2026 – 500+ attendees
• Business of Apps Berlin, 12th November 2026 – 900+ attendees
  

We will still bring you the same high-quality content and networking opportunities — but on a bigger scale. Attendees can expect more content tracks, larger venues, higher production values, and an even broader mix of leaders across marketing, growth, product, CRM, and revenue.

What’s not changing? Our mission and our team. We are still focused on connecting and growing the app industry, delivering outstanding events, and being the leading source of information on the app industry.

Registration for Business of Apps Berlin 2025 is now open. Secure your place today.

The post App Promotion Summit is now Business of Apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

Branch has partnered with GlobalSurveyz to release its 2025 State of App Growth Report, surveying over 700 directors, VPs, and C-level app marketing leaders worldwide on the challenges reshaping mobile growth.

The report reveals a crisis of confidence in measurement, with only 18% of marketers saying they trust their attribution data.

Futhermore, in 2025 app marketers face higher acquisition costs, tighter privacy rules, and mounting pressure to deliver measurable ROI, all forcing them to rethink their approach to growth.

Key findings include:

• Today’s challenges in acquiring new users and how leaders are tackling them
• Why only 18% of marketers feel confident in their attribution data
• How deep linking is driving acquisition, but can be better utilized for retention
• Anticipated barriers to adoption in AI
• Benchmarks by industry, channel, and region

The full report is available for download directly from the Business of Apps website and can be found here.

The post 82% of marketers don’t feel confident in their attribution data appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit returns to Berlin on November 27th at Hotel Adlon, bringing together app marketers and product experts to share cutting-edge growth strategies and tactics.

Across six content stages and fifty talks, attendees will discover the future of app growth, learn how to scale apps, and understand key topics including AI-enabled marketing, product-led growth, retention, AdAttributionKit, and the subscription economy.

The post APS Berlin super early bird tickets ending on 3rd October appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit NYC 2025 is a wrap. Held on September 18th, the event gathered more than 300 app marketing professionals at 360 Madison in New York.

This year’s summit featured over 30 expert speakers across four content stages and more than 20 sessions.

Executives from The Economist, WeWard, Hopper, and Sago Mini presented to an audience that included representatives from The Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast, TikTok, Walmart, Macy’s, Tinder, Dow Jones, and others.

The summit’s dedicated networking app recorded over 960 new professional contacts made and 1,400 messages exchanged.

Finally, App Promotion Summit partnered with Treeapp to plant over 300 trees as part of the event’s sustainability efforts.

Industry faces platform upheaval and AI disruption

Over the course of the day, speakers highlighted the major challenges that the app industry is facing today and shared how they working to overcome them. Among those, platform changes in the aftermath of Epic Games v. Apple and the rise of AI emerged as the biggest and most pressing.

AI integration across marketing functions

Multiple speakers — Dave Bell of Gummicube and Diogo Martins of DraftKings — discussed how artificial intelligence is moving beyond experimental phases into core marketing operations. Daniel Neumann of Alison.ai argued that, to paraphrase the title of his session, creative has become the algorithm, making a case for AI-driven creative optimization over traditional A/B testing.

While most lauded the benefits of AI systems and urged for their implementation across diverse functions, including but not limited to content creation, analytics, and ASO, others warned about the challenges AI-enabled products face.

Phil Carter of Elemental Growth, in particular, described what he terms the “tourist effect” of AI products, which is a phenomenon where AI apps attract sizeable free organic user growth but struggle with monetizing it, while facing high underlying costs associated with using LLM infrastructure to support AI features.

The rise of web monetization

In the aftermath of Epic Games v. Apple, web monetization has emerged as a strategic priority for many companies looking to avoid Apple’s App Store fees.

In one notable example, Andre Davies of Paddle called web-to-app campaigns “a non-negotiable growth lever for all apps.” However, he argued that making the most of this seismic industry shift isn’t always easy, requiring considerable infrastructure and upfront investment — challenges that are even more difficult to overcome for smaller businesses and companies operating in complex European markets.

Beyond traditional user acquisition

Some speakers discussed moving away from paid user acquisition toward product-driven growth strategies. Makoto Rheault-Kihara of Hopper detailed how the company transitioned to using its core products for B2B, allowing Hopper to turn off most of its paid UA.

App Store Optimization is evolving

App Store Optimization is undergoing significant changes too as both Apple and Google implement new algorithms and policies. Dave Bell of Gummicube outlined recent App Store updates and their ASO implications, while Anthony Asuncion of AppTweak led a discussion on adapting to the most recent platform changes.

App Promotion Summit NYC will return in 2026 at a larger venue and rebranded as Business of Apps NYC.

The post App Promotion Summit NYC 2025 sets the stage for the future of app growth appeared first on Business of Apps.

Fantasy sports are back in focus with the 2025/26 seasons of the National Football League and the English Premier League starting in September, but it may be surprising to hear that the most popular fantasy sports app isn’t focused on either of these two leagues.

The most popular app is actually Dream11, a fantasy sports app for the Indian Premier League (IPL), according to our sports sector profile. The T20 cricket league is watched by over one billion people across TV and digital platforms, according to The Economic Times, and is well followed outside of India.

Fantasy sports downloads by app 2024 (mm)

Dream11 was installed 44 million times in 2024 according to AppMagic, more than the combined 23.1 million downloads of the seven most downloaded fantasy apps in the United States, and much more than the 8.3 million Fantasy Premier League downloads.

The infrastructure around the IPL, from TV and digital channel distribution to fantasy leagues and sports betting, has grown at a fast pace over the past decade. Rivalry between JioCinema and Hotstar has led to large increases in the distribution rights deals.

There were about 70 million active players of fantasy sports apps in 2024, an increase of four million on the previous year. Even though Dream11 had the most downloads, it only launched in 2022 and quite a lot of those that download don’t go on to actively use the app.

The opposite is true for ESPN, Yahoo and DraftKings, which already have large installed userbases, and have millions return every year.

Fantasy sports app users 2018 to 2024 (mm)

The fantasy sports app industry made $2.3 billion revenue last year, with apps generating income from ads, personalization and peer-to-peer or group wagers, of which the app takes a cut.

Alongside an increase in fantasy sport fans, there are also more users than ever accessing sport scores and news. About 450 million people accessed sport score and news channels in 2024, an increase of 72 million on the previous year. Some of the most downloaded apps of 2024 include 365Scores, Flashscore, Sofascore and ESPN.

The post The most popular fantasy sports app of 2024 isn’t ESPN or FPL… it’s Dream11 appeared first on Business of Apps.

In the past month, Gemini has went from around three million weekly installs to 13 million in the second week of September, according to data from app intelligence firm AppMagic.

ChatGPT, Gemini weekly downloads July to Sept 2025 (mm)

Part of the reason for the surge in installs comes from the launch of Nano Banana, Gemini’s photo editing and image generation model that lets users turn selfies into 3D figurine style portraits. According to Google, this brought 10 million new users to Gemini, with a lot of them choosing the mobile app.

Google has also stepped up its marketing of Gemini on television and online channels in the past few months. The company’s new Pixel 10 smartphones have AI front and centre, as one of the key features differentiating it from competitors.

ChatGPT still holds the crown for number of installs, at 17 million last week. It is also far ahead of Gemini for September total, at 41 million to Gemini’s 20 million.

It’s less likely that Gemini installs will stick in comparison to ChatGPT, as Gemini has surged due to a viral feature that people are likely to stop using after the hype fades. This is not the case with ChatGPT, which is approaching close to one billion weekly active users.

Perplexity is the only other chatbot in the top 100 for installs in September, although this is skewed by the large percentage of total downloads from India. If we just look at downloads from the United States, Perplexity, Gauth and Grok are all in the top 100. Apps from companies spending billions on AI research, such as Meta AI, Copilot by Microsoft and Claude by Anthropic, these are still getting less than two million downloads per month.

The post ChatGPT and Gemini battle for the top spot in app installs appeared first on Business of Apps.

Today, step counter apps are ubiquitous — it is a core feature of many a fitness app and both Apple and Google have their own versions of the concept. However, just a few years ago step counters were still in their infancy with plenty of room for trailblazing innovation and creativity.

Founded by Yves Benchimol in 2019, WeWard has been one of the early pioneers in step counting and at the forefront of most of the developments in the space.

Today, WeWard counts — I know my puns are hilarious! — 25 million users. It is fair to say that WeWard is one of the most inspiring success stories in the industry, and I wanted to find what is behind this success — what has made the app so sticky, and how did Yves and his team grow it to where it is today?

So after some back and forth and some timetable Tetris, Yves sat with me for an interview, where he, with fiery enthusiasm might I add, retraced WeWard’s journey in engrossing detail, from its genesis to its international success, a story that started in Paris and took Yves to the Big Apple.

The beginning

An engineer by training, Yves used to spend his days behind a screen — cue in intense blue light and a pile of Starbucks coffee cups. But he quickly noticed something troubling about the technology that was being developed around him. “Most of the technology being developed was making us less active — like ordering an Uber or ordering food directly to your doorstep,” Yves explains. And this trend of inactivity only exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic when people became used to having pretty much anything and everything delivered.

“Most of the technology being developed was making us less active — like ordering an Uber or ordering food directly to your doorstep.”

In 2019, Yves decided to build a technology that would address this growing problem, and WeWard was born. The app was designed as “a motivational step counter” built around three core features: rewards (points convertible to charity donations, gift cards, or cash), social competition (leaderboards and friend challenges), and gamification (badges and collectibles).

How WeWard grew from a media darling in France to a U.S. powerhouse

Year by year, WeWard evolved, adding new features and expanding to new markers. As Yves outlines, the core levers of WeWard’s growth strategy were (and in many ways continue to be) word-of-mouth referrals as well as proactive media outreach. These days, the app is present across 29 countries and reaches 25 million users globally; it also employs approximately 60 people spread between two offices in Paris and New York.

Celebrity partnerships: The key to the U.S. market

But an exceptional product alone would not have been enough to scale to 25 million users and break into the U.S. market — a notoriously tough nut to crack for outside competitors. When Yves arrived in the USA back in 2023, he faced a harsh reality: “the U.S. market is way more competitive. We were not as competitive as when we launched in France in 2019. When we arrived in the US in 2023, the product was not as innovative.”

The solution came through an unexpected partnership. Venus Williams, the tennis legend, not only became an ambassador for WeWard but also invested in the company. “We immediately felt a connection because she is promoting a lot about physical well-being but also mental health,” Yves explains.

The Venus Williams partnership became what Yves calls WeWard’s “celebrity growth engine,” and it fundamentally changed how Americans perceived WeWard: “U.S. users feel closer to the app because of Venus Williams,” Yves notes. The collaboration solidified WeWard’s position as a top player in the health and fitness vertical across both the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store.

“The U.S. market is way more competitive. We were not as competitive as when we launched in France in 2019. When we arrived in the US in 2023, the product was not as innovative.”

As Yves has previously written for Business of Apps in a post where he outlines WeWard’s celebrity partnership playbook, “while the concept is not necessarily groundbreaking, partnering with celebrities is a growth hack that can turn emerging apps into vertical leaders through driving brand visibility and long-term customer loyalty.”

Combined with charity partnerships, university outreach, and organic social media growth (especially on Instagram and TikTok), this quadrumvirate of strategies helped WeWard reach 2 million users in the US market, where Yves believes they are now “the biggest one” in both the reward as well as step tracking space.

The European privacy advantage

While breaking into the American market took cultural adaptation and celebrity partnerships, WeWard maintained one key differentiator from their European roots, namely a strict approach to user privacy.

“We are a company from France and believe that the framework of privacy in Europe is well developed, especially with GDPR,” Yves explains. “We have decided from the beginning of the company to not sell the data of our users.”

This decision, while potentially costly from a revenue perspective, simplifies their privacy framework and builds user trust. WeWard implements what Yves calls a three-pillar framework: consent management for all data collection, data minimization (collecting only what is needed), and signing Data Protection Agreements with all third partners.

Most notably, WeWard applies these European privacy standards globally. “Even if the legislation is not as protecting as GDPR,” Yves explains, WeWard maintains the same privacy protections for users worldwide, turning European regulatory requirements into a competitive advantage in the privacy-conscious era.

On September 18th, Yves will be delivering App Promotion Summit NYC’s keynote address. Join him there to hear WeWard’s story live and learn more about celebrity partnership as a growth engine for apps.

The post The growth strategies that scaled WeWard to 25 million global users appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit returns to Berlin on November 27th at Hotel Adlon, bringing together app marketers and product experts to share cutting-edge growth strategies and tactics.

Across six content stages and fifty talks, attendees will discover the future of app growth, learn how to scale apps, and understand key topics including AI-enabled marketing, product-led growth, retention, AdAttributionKit, and the subscription economy.

Attendees will learn from and connect with leading app marketers and product experts through an engaging mix of interactive workshops, talks, panel discussions, and roundtable sessions designed to share cutting-edge ideas and actionable strategies that will drive app success in 2026 and beyond.

“One of the most useful and insightful events I have ever attended.”

Senior Brand Marketing Manager, Lingoda

New features for 2025

This year’s event introduces several exciting additions to enhance the attendee experience:

The Boardroom will host high-level discussions on the major app growth topics shaping the industry today.

An Expanded Roundtable Zone will offer greater opportunities for attendees to interact and participate in focused discussions with peers and industry experts.

The Extended Drinks Reception promises an elevated networking experience and will feature DJs, stilt walkers, and fine wines.

“One of the best conferences I’ve attended. So many valuable insights!”

Director of Performance Marketing, Blinkist

A new Meetings Programme will help facilitate connections between attendees, ensuring participants can connect with the people they want to meet during the event.

Who is coming?

Some of the biggest brands will be in attendance. APS Berlin is your chance to hear from and meet with decision-makers from some Klarna, Bolt, Delivery Hero, Flix, Zalando, wetter.com, Babbel and more.

“App Promotion Summit is one of my favourite conferences. I attended the Berlin edition today for the 2nd time. Lots of takeaways!”

Marketing & Growth, HelloFresh

Speaker and partnership opportunities

APS Berlin is actively seeking industry experts to join the speaker lineup. If you have transformative ideas, this is your chance to share them with an audience hungry for mobile insights. Apply to speak here.

Partnership opportunities are also available for businesses looking to connect with decision makers from the world’s leading apps. Companies can reserve a spot in the exhibition area or contribute to the event agenda. Become a partner here.

This year’s App Promotion Summit Berlin promises to be better, bigger, and brighter than ever. Don’t miss your chance to stay ahead of growth trends and build meaningful connections in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

The post App Promotion Summit Berlin returns on November 27th with new features appeared first on Business of Apps.

Privacy regulations and user expectations have fundamentally changed the mobile advertising landscape, creating both challenges and opportunities for app publishers.

In an online strategy session that took place on September 4th, Verve’s SVP & GM of Marketplace Aviran Edery joined forces with leading industry experts to untangle the intricacies of turning privacy regulations into a growth lever.

Together with Singular’s CMO Stephanie Pilon, ID5’s VP of Product Davide Rosamilia, and GeoEdge’s Head of SDK Alex Yerukhimovich, Edery uncovered:

• What users actually want in exchange for their data in 2025 and beyond
• How users’ views on data privacy have changed in the last 12 months
• The next wave of privacy-safe measurement and monetization
• Tactical plays from top apps rethinking personalization and value exchange

You can catch the full strategy session here.

The post Users are concerned about privacy but still open to sharing demographic and contextual data appeared first on Business of Apps.

The productivity app sector covers a wide spectrum of apps, all built for the purpose of helping users get tasks done more efficiently. In some cases, such as email, word processing or spreadsheets, we couldn’t imagine how we would perform a task without these tools, whereas newer apps like to-do lists, password management and AI present new ways to reduce time spent sorting and managing documents.

In the case of VPNs, antivirus software and authenticators, productivity software also blends into the security and privacy market. Being able to browse the web without falling victim to scams or viruses is important, especially in the workplace setting where loss of data could result in heavy costs.

In this market map, we have covered all of the key sectors in the productivity app industry:

• Office Suite – Productivity software most often comes bundled as an office suite, giving users a single login and integrated tools for documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and storage. Microsoft 365 remains the enterprise benchmark, while Google Drive and Workspace have secured significant share in both consumer and business markets.
• Word Processor – A core component of office software, word processors enable professional document creation. Microsoft Word continues to dominate, but Google Docs and Dropbox Paper showcase the shift toward real-time, cloud-based collaboration and integration with other apps.
• Note-Taking – Focused on capturing ideas quickly, note-taking apps are distinct from word processors. GoodNotes, Notability, and Obsidian emphasize speed and usability, while Notion, Evernote, and OneNote expand into collaboration and multimedia support.
• Presentation – Long a workplace staple for client pitches and internal updates, presentations remain led by Microsoft PowerPoint. Google Slides and Apple Keynote are strong alternatives, while Canva has disrupted the space with easy-to-use templates and styles that appeal beyond traditional business users.
• Spreadsheet – Spreadsheets have been slower to adapt to mobile than other tools. Microsoft Excel is still the standard, though Google Sheets has grown thanks to its web-first approach. Newer players like Airtable and Quip merge spreadsheets with databases and workflow management.
• Cloud Storage – Rising demand for mobile storage fueled services like Dropbox and Box, early leaders in the category. MEGA has built its brand on privacy, while TeraBox differentiated with a high-volume free tier of 1TB, reflecting how competitive the space has become.
• Email – Despite new messaging platforms, email remains central to productivity. Gmail, Outlook, and Apple dominate the market, while privacy-oriented providers such as Proton Mail and Tuta push encrypted communication. Cleanfox, Spark, and Superhuman carve out niches by offering smarter filters, spam blocking, and AI-powered productivity features.
• Calendars – Digital calendars have existed for decades but are evolving in mobile form. TimeTree, Howbout, and FamilyWall add collaborative scheduling for groups and families, while Supershift and Calendly streamline bookings and professional scheduling.
• To-Do Lists – Simple lists remain one of the most effective productivity strategies. Todoist, TickTick, and Any.do combine tasks with calendars and reminders, while Habitica and Tappsk extend into gamification and habit-building.
• Generative AI – A fast-emerging category transforming productivity. ChatGPT leads, joined by Gemini, Claude, Grok, and Meta AI. Perplexity emphasizes real-time search, and Grammarly applies AI to writing, clarity, and tone — showcasing how AI is reshaping core workflows.
• VPNs – Once a niche product, VPNs are now mainstream, enabling privacy, content streaming, and bypassing restrictions. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark dominate, while CyberGhost and Windscribe compete with accessible free-tier models.
• Antivirus – While less central on mobile, antivirus apps continue to protect against scams and malware. Players like Avast, AVG, and Norton 360 have repositioned as full security suites, bundling VPNs, ad blockers, and identity protection.
• File Readers – Both iOS and Android provide built-in file readers, but advanced users often turn to Adobe Acrobat Reader, CamScanner, or Notebloc Scanner for document scanning, editing, and annotation.
• Password Managers – Growing risks of phishing and data breaches have pushed demand for password managers. Bitwarden, 1Password, and LastPass lead the market, while Proton Pass and NordPass highlight privacy and zero-knowledge encryption.
• Authenticators – Two-factor authentication has become standard. Apple, Google, and Microsoft provide system-level tools, while Authy and 2Stable cater to enterprise and power users seeking advanced options.
• Screen Time – Apps that limit usage are increasingly popular. StayFree, Opal, and AppBlock help users manage distractions, while Forest and Focus Friend gamify productivity by rewarding time spent away from social media.

Download the Productivity App Market Map here to get a PDF landscape version, perfect for slides and presentations.  

The post Introducing the Productivity App Market Landscape appeared first on Business of Apps.

Consumer app revenue is surging and with it the pressure to find scalable, efficient growth. Yet most marketing budgets remain concentrated in just two platforms: Google and Meta.

Moloco’s latest report Performance through independence: Unlocking incremental app growth beyond Google and Meta addresses this disparity, exploring how user behaviour has evolved over the past few years and the opportunities these changes have created and continue to create.

The report reveals that consumer app marketers concentrate 88% of budgets in walled gardens at a time when they should be diversifying. Moloco’s data suggests that diversified media strategies can deliver up to 214% ROAS improvements.

The numbers show that users are no longer just on Google and Meta; user attention is shifting to more diverse app categories and growth can be found in sometimes unexpected places.

In the era of AI, hyper-personalization and increasing privacy demands, marketers can no longer afford to stick to the tried and tested. To succeed in the modern app ecosystem, meeting users where they are and speaking their language are key.

Key insights from the report:

• Consumer app marketers concentrate 88% of budgets in walled gardens: See why this imbalance doesn’t reflect where users actually spend their time
• Diversified media strategies deliver up to 214% ROAS improvements: Learn how expanding beyond Google and Meta drives measurable performance gains
• User attention is shifting to more diverse app categories: Discover the growing preference for gaming, productivity, and AI apps over traditional social media
• The independent app ecosystem reaches 2 billion daily users: Explore the massive reach that matches TikTok and Instagram combined
• High-value users convert across unexpected app categories: Find out why successful marketers are finding customers in diverse, seemingly unrelated apps

Access the full guide today.

The post Most marketers invest in walled gardens at a time when they should be diversifying appeared first on Business of Apps.

In-app purchase revenue from apps surpassed games for the first time in the second quarter of 2025, marking a major inflection point for the app economy.

Apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store generated $20.9 billion revenue in the second quarter, $300 million more than games. Game revenue has been mostly flat since the first quarter of 2023, while app revenue has increased 65.8 percent in that same time period.

App and game app store revenue 2016 to 2025 ($bn)

In comparison to the mobile game economy, with game developers continuing to rely on the same monetization solutions offered pre-covid, the app economy has changed significantly with the rise of subscriptions, commerce and in-app solutions.

Users have also become less fearful of making mobile purchases, which has improved the conversion rate for apps offering trials or one-month free promotions. In some app sectors, such as dating, cloud computing and video streaming, subscription prices have been raised without much push back from customers.

Add to that the growth of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, Suno and Perplexity, which have all generated over $10 million in 2025 according to AppMagic. ChatGPT on its own is the second highest grossing app of 2025 so far, behind TikTok, another app.

It’s not all doom and gloom for mobile games, which still generated over $20 billion in the second quarter. But the pendulum has shifted and, from the past three years of data, it is likely that apps will continue to generate more income than games.

The post App revenue surpasses games for the first time in Q2 2025 appeared first on Business of Apps.

BIGO Ads has once again passed the compliance certification of the IAB Tech Lab Open Measurement SDK (OM SDK), making it one of the programmatic advertising platforms worldwide to maintain this certification for five consecutive years (2020–2025).

As a dedicated industry standard leader, BIGO Ads is committed to building a transparent advertising ecosystem that is visible, measurable, and verifiable, providing a stronger, more efficient, and trustworthy foundation for collaboration between advertisers and developers across the globe.

OM SDK certification: The global industry’s unified standard and consensus

Developed by IAB Tech Lab, the OM SDK enables consistent collection of key metrics—such as ad viewability, impression measurement, exposure duration, and user interaction—via the Open Measurement Interface Definition (OMID) across mobile and web environments.

With native support for iOS and Android, as well as a JavaScript library for mobile H5 (WebView) scenarios, the OM SDK ensures broad cross-platform compatibility. Prominent third-party verification and measurement providers such as IAS, DoubleVerify and others can directly access OMID signals without necessitating additional SDK integrations.

Equally important, the OM SDK complies with Media Rating Council (MRC)–approved methodologies. This guarantees that exposure rates, viewable pixel percentages, and related metrics align with authoritative industry standards, delivering reliability and consistency to advertisers and publishers worldwide.

Five consecutive years of certification: Commitment to enhanced transparency

Since 2020, BIGO Ads has consistently maintained OM SDK certification for five consecutive years. This achievement goes beyond technical validation, demonstrating BIGO Ads’ long-standing commitment to building a verifiable, measurable and trustworthy advertising environment amid rising demands for transparency.

For advertisers: Data precision to enhance campaign effectiveness

A unified viewability standard allows advertisers to precisely identify traffic genuinely seen by users, effectively eliminating invalid impressions, optimizing budget allocation, and improving return on investment (ROI). At the same time, by resolving discrepancies between disparate third-party SDK metrics, advertisers gain consistent cross-platform measurement, improving both transparency and control across the supply chain.

Beyond impression tracking, the OM SDK integrates multi-dimensional data including impressions, clicks, and user interactions. It provides advertisers with comprehensive insight into ad delivery and user engagement, supporting robust campaign analysis and strategic optimization.

For developers: Leveraging OM SDK support to unlock commercial potential

For developers and platforms, standardized measurement of ad visibility improves transparency and verifiability, increasing advertiser confidence and attracting campaigns with higher budgets. The OM SDK also reduces integration complexity and cost by enabling one-time integration with multi-party verification, eliminating redundant SDK implementations and boosting technical efficiency.

By supporting OM SDK, developers can strengthen their platform’s competitiveness and gain the ability to quantify and verify ad quality, fostering greater trust and enhancing negotiating leverage in commercial collaborations.

A pioneer in building a transparent global advertising ecosystem

BIGO Ads is an all-in-one programmatic platform that helps apps and brands scale globally. Powered by advanced deep learning, we optimize user acquisition and monetization to deliver smarter targeting, better ROI, and sustainable growth.

Committed to industry standards and exceptional experiences for both developers and advertisers, BIGO Ads drives greater transparency and automation. Through sustained OM SDK certification and broad compatibility with leading measurement tools, we partner with brands worldwide to build an open, transparent, and trustworthy advertising ecosystem.

Connect with the BIGO Ads Team to drive efficient, transparent, and sustainable growth.

The post BIGO Ads achieves five-year streak in IAB Tech Lab OM SDK certification program appeared first on Business of Apps.

The global dating app industry generated over $6 billion in 2024, and is on track to hit $8.9 billion by the end of the decade at a compound annual growth rate of 6.2 percent, according to the 2025 edition of the Dating App Report.

More users from around the world are jumping on the online dating bandwagon, but the majority of revenue still comes from North America, specifically the United States. In 2024, 50 percent of revenues were generated in this region, with Europe providing 23 percent.

Dating app forecast revenues 2025 to 2030 ($bn)

Even though dating apps have been in a bit of a slump on the usage and downloads front, higher subscription pricing and newer payment models are pushing the total revenue for the industry higher. Tinder and Bumble, the two largest apps in terms of revenue and users, both stagnated in 2024.

Match Group, the owner of Tinder, Match, Plenty of Fish and several other dating apps, reported a 3.3 percent increase in revenues in 2024, its lowest growth percentage since 2018.

That said, Tinder is still the dominant dating app in terms of revenues, with 30% of all dating app revenues coming from it. Hinge, another dating app entity owned by the Match Group, generated $550 million revenue in 2024, a 38 percent increase on the previous year.

Over 300 million people use dating apps worldwide, with a growing percentage in Asia-Pacific and Africa. The average dating app user has approximately two apps that they access regularly.

Downloads for dating apps have declined since 2019, which does bode well for some of the larger apps as it suggests users are keeping them installed for longer. Smaller platforms, such as Feeld, PURE and Raya, are opening up the dating market to new experiences.

Want to learn more about the dating app industry? Our Dating App Report 2025 is packed full of charts and benchmarks to keep you informed.

The post Global dating app revenues exceeded $6B, North America drove 50% of the total appeared first on Business of Apps.

A comprehensive new study has found that music integration is now essential for app success, with 84% of users saying adding music to social content is a must-have feature.

The Music Impact Report, based on a U.S. survey, reveals that music has become a top priority for users when creating and sharing content, ranking even higher than traditional features like filters and editing tools. The findings show music directly impacts three key areas app marketers care about most: engagement, retention, and revenue.

Most striking for product teams, 69% of users surveyed said that they would pay for premium features if those features included access to popular music clips.

The report also explores how user expectations around short-form content experiences are rapidly evolving, with music now seen as fundamental rather than optional. It provides actionable insights on the personalization features users expect, including clip-level control, and demonstrates how access to popular music influences premium conversions.

Key findings include detailed analysis of why users prioritize music over other enhancement tools, how music drives measurable improvements in engagement and retention, and what specific music-related features users expect from modern apps.

The post New data reveals music’s critical role in app engagement and user growth appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit NYC is set to take place on 18th September 2025, bringing together over 300 app industry professionals for a day of networking and learning.

This year’s event features several new additions, including interactive boardroom discussions, a dedicated networking app, and an enhanced venue.

The summit will host 300+ app marketers and product leaders from major brands including The Weather Channel, Babbel, NBCUniversal, Scopely, Walmart, Lyft, and many more.

Attendees can expect insights from 30+ industry experts across four content stages, with CEOs and CMOs from companies like WeWard, Hopper, The Economist, and Fubo taking the main stage.

The event also includes specialized workshop zones, roundtable sessions, and a bustling exhibition area that’s already over 80% full.

Early bird tickets are available with savings of up to $500, though sales end next week. Visit the event’s website for more information and to save your spot today.

The post APS NYC returns September 18th with enhanced features appeared first on Business of Apps.

Privacy regulations and user expectations have fundamentally changed the mobile advertising landscape, creating both challenges and opportunities for app publishers who know how to adapt and capitalize in this shifting environment.

On September 4th, join Verve’s SVP & GM of Marketplace Aviran Edery alongside leading industry experts for Turning Data Into Dollars: App Publishers’ 2026 Guide, a live online event designed to help you navigate and thrive in this new privacy-first era.

Aviran brings deep expertise in programmatic advertising and marketplace dynamics, having helped shape Verve’s approach to privacy-safe monetization. He’ll be joined by Singular’s CMO Stephanie Pilon, ID5’s VP of Product Davide Rosamilia, and GeoEdge’s Head of SDK Alex Yerukhimovich. Together, the speakers cover the full spectrum of the mobile advertising ecosystem.

Now, you have an opportunity to join them as they unveil exclusive findings from Verve’s 2025 In-App User Privacy Report, based on survey responses from 4,000 mobile users, with year-over-year data tracking how attitudes have shifted since 2022.

What’s on the agenda:

• What users actually want in exchange for their data in 2025 and beyond
• How users’ views on data privacy have changed in the last 12 months
• The next wave of privacy-safe measurement and monetization
• Tactical plays from top apps rethinking personalization and value exchange

The event is taking place on September 4th, make sure to save your spot here.

The post Turning data into dollars [online event] appeared first on Business of Apps.

Web2App is booming – FunnelFox makes it easier for mobile apps to manage web-based payments with the industry’s first all-in-one web billing solution.

FunnelFox, a US-based startup pioneering Web2App technology, today announced the launch of FunnelFox Billing, the industry’s first all-in-one solution for managing web-based payments for mobile apps. Designed to help growth teams navigate the complexity of Web2App monetization and overcome infrastructure blockers, FunnelFox Billing unifies the entire web payment flow into a single interface – from checkout to chargeback protection. Early results show a 20-30% increase in payment success rates.

Market shift driving Web2App adoption

Web2App adoption is surging as mobile developers increasingly acquire users through web funnels where subscriptions are purchased on the web before users download the app. In 2024, Web2App adoption grew by 77% YoY, while user acquisition spend in this channel rose by 54%.

Momentum has been further accelerated following a landmark US court ruling that prohibits Apple from restricting how developers direct users to external payment options on the web. Developers can now embed web-based checkout flows directly inside mobile apps – unlocking web-based subscriptions, and bypassing App Store’s 15-30% commission in favor of 3-5% web payment fees.

However, transitioning to web payments brings its own set of infrastructure challenges – managing multiple payment providers, handling chargebacks and refunds that can trigger account bans, navigating complex routing and orchestration logic. Most teams juggle six or more disconnected tools to stitch together a functioning billing stack.

“One of the most common scenarios is a payment provider account being unexpectedly blocked. In these cases, orchestration is critical – it allows to seamlessly reroute the user to an alternative provider and avoid losing the transaction,” explains Andrey Shakhtin, Co-Founder and CEO of FunnelFox. “Improving conversion from checkout to successful payment requires a full stack of coordinated actions: using local providers, switching between them, supporting region-specific payment methods, and ensuring that the logic runs without interruption.”

Solving the complexity of Web2App monetization

FunnelFox Billing solves this problem with the first fully unified solution for managing web subscriptions in one place and orchestrating web-based payments, eliminating the need for a complex stack of disconnected tools. Through a single interface, it covers the entire web payment flow: from paywalls and checkout experiences to real-time routing, fallback handling, refunds, and chargeback mitigation.

With advanced features like revenue recovery, cascading payments, smart retries, and an extended CRM layer across all payment providers, FunnelFox Billing significantly reduces operational costs and risk while increasing payment success rates. In early testing, FunnelFox clients reported a 20-30% increase in successful payment conversions. This solution helps app developers streamline their payment infrastructure, boost conversion rates, and reduce the load on support teams through automation.

“The recent market shifts in the US and the Apple ruling create exciting opportunities, but also introduce new risks. Apple still doesn’t offer tools to streamline web-based payments, and that impacts not only revenue, but user trust. The payment stack is a critical point where “loyal” money is often lost”, said Andrey Shakhtin, Co-Founder and CEO of FunnelFox. “Our mission is to help growth teams scale their apps without infrastructure blockers. FunnelFox Billing is built to account for every possible revenue leak during the payment process, unlocking up to a 30% increase in revenue.”

FunnelFox Billing is now available globally.

Pioneering Web2App

FunnelFox was founded in 2024 by Andrey Shakhtin (a Web2App expert and former growth executive at Palta, Vivid Money, MuseScore) together with Adapty.io, a revenue management platform used by over 11,000 apps with $1.9B in tracked revenue. The two products are building a complementary ecosystem for app monetization. For example, following the recent Apple ruling, they jointly launched an in-app web paywall feature.

Capitalizing on a major market shift, FunnelFox has seen strong traction. The company has achieved 13x revenue growth over the past 12 months, serving clients globally, including Zing Coach, Shmoody, Facetune, Zumba, Paired, Lifesum, Reading.com, and many others. To date, FunnelFox has processed 3+ million transactions, generated $50+ million in client revenue with an industry-leading >140% ROAS, and supports over 500 app projects worldwide.

FunnelFox is the first no-code Web2App platform and is rapidly becoming the backbone of the global Web2App ecosystem. In the coming months, the company plans to strengthen its product offering, expand its client base in the US and globally, and build strategic partnerships to accelerate adoption across the app economy.

The post FunnelFox launches industry’s first unified web billing solution appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit returns to NYC on Thursday, September 18th and we’d love to see you there.

This is your chance to join over 300 app marketers and product leaders from the world’s leading apps and brands.

Apps, brands, and games confirmed to attend include The Weather Channel, Babbel, Scopely, Walmart, Headspace, FanDuel, Lyft, The Economist, Wattpad, Audible, Realtor.com, Etsy, SoundCloud, Ralph Lauren, Conde Nast, Tinder, Quizlet, DraftKings, Elevate Labs, Peloton, WeWard, HER, Reuters, TouchTunes, Abide, BetterSleep, Dow Jones, Sago Mini, Reckitt, DIRECTV, Back Market, Citizen, NBA, Gannett, DailyPay, The Atlantic, Poshmark, and Hopper.

Industry leaders including RevenueCat, Paddle, Appfigures, Reddit, Stream, Mintegral, T-Mobile Advertising Solutions, Adapty, Gummicube, MobileAction, Superwall, Alison, Vibe, FastSpring, and AppTweak will be showcasing their products and services at the conference.

App Promotion Summit NYC will feature sessions on user acquisition, retention, monetization, and emerging growth strategies, with speakers from leading apps and platforms.

The event provides an opportunity to connect and network with senior decision-makers across eCommerce, fintech, entertainment, health, gaming, and more.

If you would like to attend APS NYC now is the time to get a ticket as the Early Bird discount ends on August 22nd. You can also join us as a partner.

The post Who is coming to APS NYC 2025? appeared first on Business of Apps.

Meta Platforms, the operator of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, was responsible for 60 percent of all social app revenues in 2024. The company made $160 billion from advertising revenues in 2024, with $91.3 billion from Facebook and an estimated $66.9 billion from Instagram.

That makes them the two largest social apps by far in revenue terms, although YouTube is beginning to grow its business to be competitive with at least Instagram. In 2024, YouTube generated $36.1 billion from advertising and a further $14.5 billion from subscriptions, according to data presented in the Social App Report.

Social Revenues by App 2010 to 2024 ($mm)

TikTok was, for the second year in a row, the fastest growing social platform in the world. Its revenues grew by 42.8% in 2024, which it made primarily from advertising. Commerce, which TikTok has invested heavily in in South-east Asia, has become a larger pillar of the app’s overall revenue.

Smaller apps, such as Snapchat, Pinterest and LinkedIn, all reported revenue increases and accelerated growth. X, formerly Twitter, was the only social platform in the report to see its revenues decline in 2024, as Elon Musk’s microblogging site continues to struggle to win back advertisers.

Outside of revenues, Facebook was the most used social app with three billion monthly active users. WhatsApp had the highest daily engagement, at 84.1 percent, while TikTok had the highest average time spent per user at over one hour per day.

The focus is well and truly on AI by almost all of the social apps mentioned in the report, with the metaverse and artificial reality pushed to the background. Meta and Snapchat are still working on mixed reality, but have redirected resources to AI efforts. Smaller platforms, such as Snapchat and Pinterest, have looked to ChatGPT and other foundational model developers to create their own AI services, rather than pursue it independently like Meta and X.

Want to learn more about the social app market? Check out our report, with hundreds of charts and benchmarks on the industry.

The post Meta accounted for 60% of social app revenues in 2024 appeared first on Business of Apps.

App developers are abandoning one-size-fits-all pricing models as subscription fatigue drives the need for more sophisticated monetization strategies that account for regional differences and user psychology.

Speaking at App Promotion Summit London 2025, Jens-Fabian Goetzmann from RevenueCat presented data showing that 28% of users cancel seven-day trials within the first hour, with 60% churning within 36 hours. This early abandonment pattern has forced developers to rethink traditional subscription approaches in favor of multi-tiered systems that better match diverse user willingness to pay.

Regional purchasing patterns drive localization

RevenueCat’s analysis of global markets reveals stark differences in user behavior. North American users predominantly favor subscriptions, while East Asian markets show strong preference for one-off purchases and consumables. This has prompted apps to tailor not just pricing to local purchasing power, but entire payment models to regional preferences.

The company’s data from thousands of apps shows that 28% of users cancel seven-day trials within the first hour, with 60% churning within 36 hours. This early cancellation pattern has driven developers toward psychological pricing tactics that anchor digital purchases within higher-value mental categories.

Ten revenue growth ideas for 2025

Source: App Promotion Summit

Strategies for 2025

In the course of his presentation, Jens outlined specific strategies product owners might want to consider leveraging to boost app revenue.

He and his team recommend implementing multiple subscription tiers alongside consumable purchases to capture different customer segments, following Tinder’s three-tier model. Developers should localize pricing to reflect purchasing power and adapt payment models to regional preferences, with trials and consumables varying by market.

They also recommend utilizing Apple’s Advanced Commerce API to enable dynamic pricing and custom bundles previously impossible under standard App Store constraints.

RevenueCat also advocates psychological pricing tactics including mental accounting manipulation, aka positioning app purchases within higher-value categories like vacation expenses rather than digital goods. They also recommend leveraging effort investment through extensive onboarding or achievement systems to increase perceived value.

Jens advocates adopting gaming industry live operations for non-gaming apps, e.g. using time-limited content and seasonal events to maintain engagement. He also stressed the importance of using Apple’s consumption data features to combat refund rates, citing a 36% reduction case study.

Finally, he and his team recommend redesigning cancellation flows to offer alternatives like pauses and discounts, while implementing targeted win-back campaigns using personalized messaging.

Beyond traditional metrics

The post App monetization shifts focus to localization and psychological pricing tactics appeared first on Business of Apps.

Travel apps were responsible for over $1 trillion in value creation in 2024, with approximately 44 percent of all travel app bookings made via apps. These apps have become key in organising the various bookings that go into a successful trip, and there are plenty of apps available for each type of travel niche.

According to the Travel App Report, over 900 million people used travel apps in 2024. Since the pandemic, users are relying even more on apps to create their perfect experience, and the majority of online travel agencies have seen their revenues exceed 2019 levels.

In our market map, we cover all of the major subsectors of the industry with the top apps in each:

• Marketplace: Many travel apps now bundle hotels, flights, home rentals, car hire, and more into a single marketplace. Providers such as Booking, Expedia and TripAdvisor offer these services through their own subsidiaries and third-party partners. Google Travel takes a different approach, acting purely as a portal to other vendors and earning commission from each referral.
• Rentals: The short-term rental market has expanded rapidly over the past decade, largely driven by Airbnb and Vrbo. Newer platforms like Sonder, Sykes and Plum Guide have emerged with a more curated approach, offering stays tailored to specific styles or premium-market customers.
• Hotels: Some booking platforms remain focused on hotels. Hotels.com, HotelTonight, Agoda and trivago have partnerships with hundreds of thousands of properties, earning commission on each booking. ResortPass adds a twist, allowing users to access hotel amenities—like spas and cabanas—without staying overnight.
• Flights: Apps like Skyscanner, KAYAK and Kiwi specialise in finding the cheapest flight options, with tools to track fare trends and identify the most affordable travel days. CLEAR streamlines the airport experience by consolidating required documents in one app.
• Event Booking: For those travelling for entertainment, apps like Ticketmaster, StubHub and Eventbrite are go-to platforms for booking events. Meanwhile, GetYourGuide, Headout and Klook offer tickets to top attractions and guided tours in many major cities.
• Restaurant Booking: Finding great local food is a key part of travel. Apps like OpenTable, Yelp, Resy and TheFork help diners reserve tables while offering user reviews and ratings to avoid tourist traps.
• Taxis: Navigating a new city can be tricky, but taxi and ride-hailing apps make it easier. Uber is the most widely available, while Lyft, Bolt, FreeNow and inDrive serve specific regions where they are popular and reliable.
• Car Rental: Renting a car is another flexible option. Sixt, Turo and Avis offer vehicles of all types, while Zipcar uses a map-based system (similar to Lime and Bird) for hourly or daily car rentals.
• Planners: Organising a multi-stop trip can be stressful, but apps like TripIt, Wanderlog and Allyz help users plan day-by-day activities. Rome2Rio, Moovit and Roadtrippers assist with mapping out routes and identifying the best transport options.
• Maps: For finding your way, classic mapping apps like Google Maps, Waze and Citymapper provide directions and real-time data. AllTrails is ideal for hikers, offering curated walking routes and a community of outdoor enthusiasts.
• Trackers: Want to know where your flight is? Flightradar24, Flighty and FlightAware let you track flights in real time. Interrail and NextBus provide similar tracking for rail travel in Europe and buses in U.S. metro areas, respectively.
• Translation Tools: If you’re rusty on your language skills, translation apps like Google Translate, iTranslate and DeepL offer quick and effective help in real time.
• Money Transfer: Avoid hefty transaction fees abroad with services like Revolut, Wise and Remitly, which offer low-cost or fee-free international spending.
• Weather: Apps like The Weather Channel, AccuWeather and the Met Office provide accurate forecasts to help you pack appropriately and plan ahead.
• Luggage: To keep tabs on your bags, Airtag and Tile offer GPS-enabled tags with real-time tracking. If you need to stash your luggage while exploring, Bounce and StowYourBags help locate nearby storage options.

Download the Travel App Market Map here to get a comprehensive view of the market and all of the top apps. 

The post Introducing the Travel App Market Landscape appeared first on Business of Apps.

The partnership aims to boost the foundation’s HerVenture’s app’s reach among women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

Leading app growth agency Yodel Mobile by NP Digital has announced the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women as the latest partner in its pro-bono charity app marketing initiative. The partnership aims to enhance HerVenture, the Foundation’s free, award-winning mobile learning app designed to support women entrepreneurs.

Yodel Mobile will provide comprehensive App Store Optimisation (ASO) support, at no cost to HerVenture, to boost HerVenture’s visibility and conversion in the Nigerian app store, a key growth market for the app.

Developed by the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, HerVenture offers personalised, bite-sized business training on topics like launching a business, managing finances and eCommerce as well as access to a network of peers and local events, creating a strong community of female founders.

Their innovative approach makes business education accessible to underserved communities, aligning perfectly with Yodel Mobile’s commitment to supporting impactful products that drive social change.

Arazoo Kadir, Agency Growth Director at Yodel Mobile, said, “We’re excited to leverage our expertise to empower HerVenture’s mission of uplifting women entrepreneurs. Our charity initiative first launched in 2019 and reflects our dedication to levelling the playing field in the digital ecosystem, particularly for underrepresented communities. We’re proud to offer our expertise to drive app growth where it matters most.”

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Yodel Mobile through this generous initiative,” said Emily Scott, Director of Programs and Impact at the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. “Their support will be instrumental in helping us expand our reach and deepen our impact in Nigeria, where many women entrepreneurs lack access to traditional training and mentorship opportunities.”

This year’s initiative, which kicked off in June 2025, will run for six months. The ASO programme will focus on optimising HerVenture’s app store listing for the Nigerian market through tailored localisation, enhancing visibility and conversion in a region where the app has the potential to transform thousands of lives.

This partnership forms part of Yodel Mobile’s wider pro-bono programme, which includes two annual initiatives: one supporting charitable organisations, and another dedicated to empowering Black founders. Each year, a small number of purpose-driven apps are selected through an open call to receive expert marketing support. Past participants include Breast Cancer Care, My House of Memories, Legendary Rootz and UGeo.

Founded in 2007, Yodel Mobile specialises in full-funnel mobile marketing strategies, including app store optimisation (ASO), paid media management, retention, engagement and monetisation strategies. Now part of NP Digital, the agency has driven success for leading brands such as B&Q, UKTV, Afterpay, Yodel Delivery and TUI.

The past year has marked a period of significant momentum for Yodel Mobile, with rapid global expansion, major client wins, and global recognition, including the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025, App Marketing Agency of the Year 2024, Most Effective ASO Campaign 2023, and a spot on the Culture 100: Greatest Places to Work 2024.

The post Yodel Mobile joins forces with Cherie Blair Foundation for Women in charity app initiative appeared first on Business of Apps.

App success through innovative scaling

Source: App Promotion Summit

The post How Deezer grew 36% with one hand tied behind its back appeared first on Business of Apps.

The post APS NYC super early bird tickets ending on 25th July appeared first on Business of Apps.

TikTok’s revenue surged to $23 billion in 2024, captured in the latest edition of our TikTok App Report, making it the fourth largest social app by revenue behind Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

The majority of this revenue came from its advertising platform, which generated $17 billion in 2024. In-app purchases and commerce are the other two revenue pillars for TikTok, each generating over $2 billion for the app.

TikTok revenue by type 2018 to 2024 ($mm)

TikTok’s commerce division had another excellent year, selling over $30 billion in gross merchandize volume. This growth has come primarily from South-east Asia, where it has Indonesia’s Tokopedia to continue operating its ecommerce platform in the country.

Even with the threat of a ban in the US and other countries, TikTok continued to grow in 2024, adding 98 million users. It did not lose users in the US either, indicating that users do not see the warnings of Chinese government interloping as credible.

The situation in the US has not effected ByteDance’s valuation either, with the company’s value on the private market reaching $400 billion in 2024. It should be noted that the majority of ByteDance’s revenue and profit comes from the Chinese market.

Even with TikTok’s fate in the US market still in limbo, the app has carried on growing in all regions. We anticipate that revenues will surpass $30 billion in 2025, pushed ahead by its advertising platform and the continued growth of its ecommerce vehicle.

Want the latest benchmarks and app metrics on TikTok? Check out our full report here. 

The post TikTok reached $23 billion revenue in 2024, 42.8% increase on previous year appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit Berlin is calling for speakers to join industry leaders from Babbel, Flink, Bolt, Omio, Freeletics, and Vinted at this year’s premier app growth event.

The summit, taking place on November 27th at Hotel Adlon, brings together app marketers and product experts to share cutting-edge growth strategies and tactics.

We are now are seeking exceptional speakers with diverse backgrounds across the entire app ecosystem, from eCommerce and travel to finance and from user acquisition to product marketing and CRM.

Speaking opportunities range from main stage presentations to workshops, panels, and interactive discussions.

This year’s program focuses on six key themes: embedding AI in app marketing, world-class retention, user acquisition 2.0, channel diversification, product excellence, and revenue growth.

Speakers will have the opportunity to share their insights with the app growth community, supercharge their personal brand, and expand their professional network. Additionally, speakers will receive professional photos and video of their stage presentations.

Interested professionals can submit applications through the form to propose talks, workshops, or roundtable discussions.

The post Want to speak at App Promotion Summit Berlin? appeared first on Business of Apps.

App marketing teams are embracing a more pragmatic approach to data analysis, prioritizing business outcomes over statistical significance as industry leaders advocate for “data-powered” rather than “data-driven” decision making.

Speaking at App Promotion Summit London 2025, Simon Thillay, Head of ASO Strategy & Market Insights at AppTweak, outlined how marketing teams can make confident decisions even when statistical certainty remains elusive—a challenge that has long plagued App Store Optimization efforts.

The A/B testing disconnect

Thillay’s presentation addressed a persistent industry problem: why A/B test results often fail to match real-world performance after implementation. Using interactive polling with the audience, Thillay demonstrated how statistical uncertainty increases dramatically as confidence intervals widen, making decision-making progressively more difficult even when underlying performance differences may be minimal.

“Most of the time, we keep having results that don’t appear to match what we observe after we apply the winning result,” Thillay explained, drawing from eight years of experience in App Store Optimization and growth marketing.

The sensitivity analysis foundation

Before diving into complex statistical measures, Thillay advocated for sensitivity analysis as a first-line assessment tool. The method involves calculating how a single additional data point — one more impression or install — would change key metrics like conversion rates.

He showed how one install from four impressions yields a 25% conversion rate, but adding just one more impression could shift that rate to either 40% (if it converts) or 20% (if it doesn’t). This dramatic variation immediately signals when sample sizes are too small to support confident decision-making.

“That’s a great way to visualize how shaky the ratio you’re looking at is at the moment,” Thillay noted, while acknowledging the method’s limitations for high-traffic applications where thousands of daily impressions make rapid fluctuations more complex to assess.

Moving beyond P-values

While P-values remain useful for binary decisions about statistical significance, Thillay argued that confidence intervals provide superior practical value for marketing teams. Rather than a simple yes-or-no answer about significance, confidence intervals offer visual representation of uncertainty and enable planning around best- and worst-case scenarios.

The distinction proved crucial in a real-world Apple Ads example Thillay shared. With a current bid of $1 and 20% conversion rate yielding $5 cost-per-install, a CMO’s requirement for positive return on ad spend after one month (with $4 user revenue) would typically suggest lowering the bid to $0.80.

However, when factoring in the confidence interval showing conversion rates between 19-21%, the worst-case scenario could still result in $4.21 cost-per-install at the $0.80 bid level. By incorporating this uncertainty, the team could adjust to a $0.76 bid, ensuring profitability across the entire confidence range.

The incrementality challenge

Beyond comparing different time periods, Thillay addressed the critical question of separating genuine marketing impact from seasonal effects — what he terms the “incrementality” challenge. This involves creating baseline predictions that account for yearly seasonality, weekly patterns, ongoing growth trends, and specific events.

“When we talk about incrementality, we want to compare not the improvement we’ve seen, but rather say, what is the improvement we’ve seen that is an improvement we wouldn’t have seen if we hadn’t done anything,” he explained.

The methodology proved its value in analyzing Amazon Prime Video’s performance after adding Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour to their platform. Using AppTweak’s statistical calculator, the analysis showed a 22% increase in revenue estimates the day after the concert was added — an impact that could be clearly attributed to the content addition rather than seasonal variations.

Practical applications across marketing functions

Thillay detailed how these statistical approaches apply across various marketing scenarios, from evaluating in-app events and major updates to assessing Custom Product Page performance in Apple Ads campaigns. Importantly, he emphasized that finding non-significant results can be equally valuable for strategic decision-making.

In one case, a client experienced a significant drop in app average rating that correlated with decreased downloads. While the natural assumption pointed to causation, statistical analysis revealed the download decrease fell within expected seasonal variation ranges. This insight helped redirect resources toward both rating improvement and alternative growth strategies rather than focusing solely on review management.

The speed vs. precision balance

Perhaps most importantly, Thillay challenged the industry’s obsession with statistical significance, arguing that business context should determine acceptable uncertainty levels. Using another bidding example, he demonstrated how a seemingly large confidence interval (conversion rates between 50.4% and 69.6%) translates to much smaller practical variations at scale.

With 10,000 daily taps, the bid variation drops to just 1.5 cents, often negligible compared to the cost of delayed decision-making. “You don’t need to have statistical significance all the time,” Thillay emphasized. “You need to consider what’s the outcome, at what level you’re actually able to start saying: okay, it’s not perfect, but it’s good enough for us to make a decision.”

Tools and implementation

Recognizing that statistical expertise isn’t universal among marketing teams, Thillay advocated for leveraging online calculators and AI tools like ChatGPT for analysis support.

“You don’t need to know the math to actually use the statistics,” he noted.

The data-powered philosophy

Thillay’s presentation concluded with a crucial distinction between being “data-driven” versus “data-powered.” Rather than allowing data to make decisions automatically, Thillay advocated for using statistical insights to inform decision-making while maintaining focus on practical business outcomes.

“Focus on outcomes, not statistics,” he advised. “Statistics should inform your reporting and decision making, but the practical outcomes are what should determine how you make your decisions.”

This pragmatic approach acknowledges that even with sophisticated statistical analysis, App Store Optimization often reduces decisions to simple binary choices — keep current creative assets or change them — regardless of whether improvements are modest or substantial. The key lies in understanding what level of uncertainty teams can accept while maintaining competitive agility.

As mobile marketing becomes increasingly complex, Thillay’s framework offers a balanced approach: embrace statistical rigor where it adds value, but don’t let the pursuit of perfect data prevent timely, informed decision-making. The goal isn’t statistical perfection, rather better business outcomes through smarter use of available data.

Catch Thillay’s full session here.

The post ASO leader advocates ditching statistical perfectionism for faster growth appeared first on Business of Apps.

The 2025 edition of the Food Delivery App Report is now available, with key insights into the market and new data on how the industry and the many players in it performed in 2024. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Revenue Growth Continues Despite Market Maturity

• Global food delivery revenues rose 15.5% to $114.5 billion in 2024.
• The grocery delivery market also hit a new peak at $22.8 billion, recovering from its post-pandemic slump.
• Despite inflation and reduced freebies, users are still spending—though at a slower rate than the pandemic boom.

2. Emerging Markets Are Driving Growth

• South America saw 31.2% growth, led by apps like iFood, Rappi, and PedidosYa.
• South-east Asia jumped 20%, while India reached $3.3 billion with strong performances from Zomato and Swiggy.
• China remains the largest market globally, generating $40.2 billion in revenue.

3. Market Consolidation and Shake-ups

• Major shifts include DoorDash surpassing Meituan in market valuation ($100bn), and Uber Eats overtaking Meituan as the top-grossing single app.
• Grubhub, acquired by Wonder Group for 90% less than Just Eat paid, reflects falling valuations, especially for rapid-delivery startups.
• Consolidation is expected to continue, especially in Latin America and South-east Asia.

4. Profitability Is Finally Emerging

• After years of losses, DoorDash posted its first annual net profit at $117 million and Deliveroo also achieved profitability at £12.2 million.
• Uber Eats continued building on its profitability streak with $2.4 billion adjusted EBITDA.
• Others, like Just Eat Takeaway and Swiggy, remain in the red.

5. Changing Consumer Behaviour and App Usage

• User base surpassed 1.6 billion globally, but churn rates remain high across the industry — over 95% stop using apps within two weeks.
• App downloads increased by 7.4%, but are still below 2021 levels.
• Subscription models are growing: DoorDash leads with 22 million premium subscribers.

—

Read more about the food delivery app market in our new report, available here.

The post Five takeaways from the 2025 edition of the Food Delivery App report appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile video advertising faces challenges with measuring genuine user intent as click-through rates reach unprecedented levels, with industry analysis suggesting that accidental clicks may be driving a significant portion of app installs while authentic user engagement becomes more difficult to track.

Speaking at App Promotion Summit London 2025, Tomás Yacachury, Strategic Partnerships Manager and Supply Lead at Kayzen, presented findings showing that video ad click rates have increased from 10-20% around three years ago to over 80% today, especially on iOS — a trend he attributes to interface changes that may increase accidental interactions.

The accidental click challenge

According to Kayzen’s analysis of programmatic advertising data, these elevated click-through rates don’t necessarily indicate improved user engagement. In one case study using heatmap analysis, the company found that 75% of unintentional clicks concentrated around skip buttons drove 13% of actual app installs.

The trend stems from evolving practices across the mobile advertising ecosystem that have developed over recent years. Publishers have shifted from clickable CTA buttons to full-screen clickable areas while skip buttons have become smaller and harder to target accurately. Skip delays now vary across platforms, from three seconds on Chartboost to eight seconds on AppLovin, extending the period during which users might accidentally interact with ads.

iOS’s SKOverlay adds additional complexity by creating interactions that ad exchanges cannot directly track.

When high performance masks poor engagement

Heatmap analysis of interactive video ads revealed the stark reality behind these inflated numbers. While users intentionally clicked on call-to-action buttons and engaging creative elements, the overwhelming concentration of interactions occurred around skip buttons, generating accidental clicks that nonetheless drive attribution wins.

Kayzen’s analysis suggests that the majority of impressions will register some form of click interaction. This creates attribution scenarios where impressions with potentially accidental clicks may win attribution over other touchpoints that represent more deliberate user engagement, leading to what Yacachury described as cannibalization of genuine engagement.

Beyond the broken click

Kayzen’s response to this ClickStack challenge — Yacachury’s play on ‘needle in a haystack’ — involves interactive end cards that track granular engagement metrics beyond clicks, measuring session duration, scroll depth, quiz completion rates, and interaction timestamps. Early implementations show promise for identifying genuine user interest through progressive targeting sequences that don’t rely on potentially accidental clicks.

The findings highlight a fundamental challenge facing mobile app marketers today. When success metrics become divorced from actual user intent, campaign optimization may be chasing the wrong signals entirely. As the industry grapples with these inflated engagement rates, the search for authentic user signals has never been more critical.

Catch Yacachury’s full session here.

The post Mobile video ad click rates surge, raising questions about user intent appeared first on Business of Apps.

Not long ago, reaching audiences online was relatively simple: create an ad, place it, and watch it work.

But today’s digital landscape tells a different story. As the environment grows more cluttered and complex, with rising costs and shifting user behavior, what once worked is no longer enough.

Browsers present an alternate channel for brands to reach incremental users at scale, right from their start page.

VEVE has put together this guide to break down the vast universe of browsers, what makes them an effective touchpoint, and how brands can get started with advertising on them.

What’s in the guide:

• The business case for diversifying into browser advertising
• What makes browser inventory unique and incremental
• Frameworks to identify whether browsers are a good fit for your brand
• How the biggest brands are leveraging browsers to shorten the customer journey
• Real results: success stories, testimonials, and proven strategies
• How to get started with your brand’s first browser ad campaign

Download your copy of the guide here.

The post Top apps and brands are turning to browsers for new users appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit NYC has announced its 2025 agenda, featuring 30+ speakers across 20+ sessions. Taking place on September 18th at 360 Madison, the summit will cover everything around growing and scaling apps, with sessions on AI integration in app marketing, product-led growth, retention, user acquisition, revenue growth, and more.

This year’s expanded format includes four content tracks, featuring insightful talks, panel discussions, deep-dive workshops, and a new Roundtable Zone with interactive sessions for sharing app marketing insights.

Agenda highlights:

• Growth Beyond User Acquisition: How Hopper Leveraged its Product to Accelerate Growth – Makoto Rheault-Kihara, VP of Growth, Hopper
• Case Study: How we Supercharged ASO at Sago Mini – Colton Kaufman, Product Marketing Specialist, Sago Mini
• How can Celebrity Collaborations Scale Apps? – Yves Benchimol, CEO & Co-Founder, WeWard
• How The Economist App Became a Top Revenue Driver – Katerina Clark, Head of Optimizations, The Economist
• UGC vs AI Actors: Where to Invest? – Diogo Martins, Growth Marketing Manager, DraftKings
• How AI is Impacting Consumer Subscription App Growth – Phil Carter, Growth Advisor, Elemental Growth

The post App Promotion Summit NYC agenda is now live with 30+ speakers appeared first on Business of Apps.

Mobile app marketers are witnessing a seismic shift in campaign performance as artificial intelligence systems demonstrate the ability to deliver dramatic revenue increases without human oversight. New data from SplitMetrics, presented at App Promotion Summit London 2025, reveals that AI-powered optimization achieved a 55% increase in return on ad spend while maintaining identical budgets, marking a watershed moment for automated marketing.

“We’re seeing something unprecedented,” said Thomas Kriebernegg, AI Marketing Leader, General Manager at SplitMetrics, during his presentation to a room of spellbound app marketers. “The same input, the same money, but 55% more revenue. And crucially, no humans were involved in the optimization process.”

The breakthrough comes as mobile app advertising reaches a critical juncture, with marketers increasingly overwhelmed by the complexity of managing campaigns across multiple platforms while competition for user attention is intensifying by the day.

The performance breakthrough

The numbers tell a compelling story that extends far beyond a single success metric. SplitMetrics’ case studies showed AI systems consistently maintaining target cost-per-acquisition levels even as marketing managers became “more greedy” and repeatedly lowered their targets. AI technologies proved capable of adapting in real-time, never overstepping budget constraints while continuously improving performance.

But perhaps most striking was the volatility reduction. Traditional Apple Search Ads campaigns experience significant fluctuations in performance, requiring constant manual adjustments and monitoring. The AI-managed campaigns showed markedly smoother performance curves, eliminating the peaks and valleys that typically plague ASA campaigns.

One campaign tracked over several months revealed the AI system’s responsiveness to changing business requirements. As the marketing team repeatedly adjusted their target CPA downward, the system adapted seamlessly, maintaining performance consistency that would typically require a team of specialists working around the clock.

App growth and AI: Understanding the potential and limits

Source: App Promotion Summit

The always-on advantage: 60+ market signals processed every second

Picture this: while a human marketing manager checks their dashboard once or twice daily, an AI system processes 60 distinct market signals every second. Search popularity shifts, competitor bid changes, impression volume fluctuations, keyword performance variations – all feeding into decision-making algorithms that operate at machine speed.

“The data layer is where the magic happens,” explained Andrey Rekalo, Director of Data & AI at SplitMetrics. “We’re combining external market intelligence with proprietary performance data to create a real-time understanding of market dynamics that no human could possibly maintain.”

Importantly, this isn’t just about processing more information faster. The AI systems identify patterns across multiple data streams simultaneously, correlating search trend changes with competitor behavior, seasonal fluctuations with user acquisition costs, and historical performance with emerging opportunities. Where human marketers might spot one or two relevant trends, AI systems weave together dozens of signals into actionable insights.

The technical architecture resembles a sophisticated early warning system. Market shifts that might take human analysts days to identify and weeks to act upon are detected and responded to within minutes. Bid adjustments happen automatically, budget reallocation occurs in real-time, and strategic pivots execute without human intervention.

The 90% revolution, or why AI won’t replace app marketers

Here’s the reality check that every marketing professional needs to hear: AI solves 90% of optimization problems, but that final 10% remains stubbornly human. And in an industry where marginal gains determine success or failure, that 10% matters enormously.

Consider, for example, what ChatGPT can and cannot do for App Store Optimization. Ask it to write product descriptions, and you’ll get solid results. Request multiple headline variations, and it delivers efficiently. But instruct it to optimize a Google Play long description while incorporating specific keywords, maintaining character limits, and preserving brand voice? The system struggles with this multi-layered complexity.

The same limitation applies to emotional campaign development. AI excels at generating functional copy but fails at creating the breakthrough ideas that drive viral adoption. It can brainstorm features but cannot solve fundamental product-market fit challenges. The technology augments human creativity rather than replacing it.

“Think of AI as a brilliant intern who never sleeps, never complains, but occasionally spills coffee on your keyboard instead of pouring it into your cup,” Rekalo noted. “Supervision remains essential.”

This creates an interesting professional evolution. Marketing roles are shifting from manual execution toward strategic oversight. Instead of spending hours adjusting bids and analyzing performance data, marketers focus on goal-setting, creative strategy, and interpreting AI-generated insights. The work becomes more strategic, less tactical.

Immediate opportunities

For marketing professionals wondering when this transformation will affect their work, the answer is now. The technology is already actively managing campaigns and delivering results.

The skills that become more valuable are strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and business objective translation. Technical campaign management skills remain relevant but shift toward AI system oversight rather than manual execution. Understanding how to effectively collaborate with AI systems becomes as important as traditional marketing expertise.

Marketing managers should begin experimenting with AI-powered optimization tools, starting with lower-risk campaigns to understand capabilities and limitations. The learning curve involves understanding when to trust AI decisions and when human intervention remains necessary.

Industry experts recommend developing AI literacy, i.e. a practical understanding of how AI systems work, what they can and cannot do, and how to maximize their effectiveness. This knowledge will increasingly differentiate successful marketers from those struggling to adapt.

The mobile app marketing industry stands at an inflection point. The 55% revenue improvements and operational transformations demonstrated at APS London suggest AI integration is fundamentally changing how app marketing works. For professionals willing to embrace this change, the opportunities are substantial. For those who resist, the competitive disadvantage may prove insurmountable.

The post AI delivers 55% revenue boost for app marketers appeared first on Business of Apps.

Join Yodel Mobile by NP Digital on Wednesday, 10th July at 3:30 pm BST for Cracking the Algorithm: How AI is Rewriting App Store Success, a free webinar designed to help you future-proof your ASO strategy in the age of AI.

AI is expected to grow at an annual rate of 36.6% through to 2030 [Grand View Research], transforming nearly every industry, including app stores. As Apple and Google increasingly rely on AI to power search, rankings, and recommendations, your ASO strategy must evolve too.

What will you learn?

This webinar explores how AI is transforming the world of App Store Optimisation. Yodel Mobile experts will uncover what’s changing in app store algorithms – from search intent to natural language processing – and share practical tips for adapting your ASO strategies in this new AI-driven landscape.

You’ll also learn how to leverage AI tools for smarter keyword research and discover actionable insights to boost visibility and drive more conversions.

Yodel Mobile experts will guide you through:

• How AI is reshaping App Store and Google Play algorithms
• Key changes in user behaviour and algorithm interpretation
• Tactical ways to evolve your ASO for 2025
• Tools and techniques to enhance keyword research and improve conversion rates

Who will you hear from?

You’ll be joined by leading ASO and app marketing experts from the Yodel Mobile team, who have supported hundreds of apps through growth and transformation:

• Igor Blinov, ASO Director at Yodel Mobile
• Nat Abell, Senior ASO Manager at Yodel Mobile
• Arazoo Kadir, Agency Growth Director at Yodel Mobile

Have questions? We’ve got answers.

We’ll wrap up the session with a live Q&A – your opportunity to ask anything and everything about adapting your app growth strategy for the future. You can even submit your questions in advance when you register.

Spaces are limited, so don’t miss your chance to gain an edge in a rapidly changing app store ecosystem. Register now.

The post Is your ASO strategy ready for the rise of AI? appeared first on Business of Apps.

Yodel Mobile by NP Digital, the award-winning app marketing agency, has today announced its partnership with Zenni Optical, America’s largest online eyewear retailer, to unlock mobile growth across the U.S. with a sharp focus on data-led decision-making and performance reporting.

Founded in 2003, Zenni Optical disrupted the eyewear industry with a bold mission: to make high-quality, stylish vision care affordable and accessible to everyone. Over the past 22 years, they have delivered on that promise, bringing affordable eyewear to millions worldwide and establishing itself as a leader in direct-to-consumer eyewear. 

Through a full-service mobile growth strategy, spanning App Store Optimization (ASO), user acquisition, creative strategy, and mobile consulting, Yodel Mobile will accelerate the growth of Zenni Optical’s mobile app and support its ambition to become the leading app-based eyewear retailer in the U.S. 

“Partnering with Zenni Optical is genuinely exciting for us,” said Mick Rigby, CEO of Yodel Mobile. “As a company that lives and breathes mobile growth, we immediately saw the opportunity in their app. We understand how complex it can be to turn data into actionable growth, and we’re thrilled to roll up our sleeves and help Zenni unlock the next phase of mobile success.”

Yodel Mobile’s support will span both iOS and Android.

Founded in 2007, Yodel Mobile by NP Digital is a specialist in full-funnel mobile marketing, offering services across App Store Optimization (ASO), paid media, retention and engagement, and monetization strategies. Acquired by NP Digital in 2025, the agency has delivered success for brands including B&Q, Gymshark, UKTV, Afterpay, Yodel Delivery, and TUI.

“We were very impressed with the Yodel Mobile team throughout the entire RFP process” added Amanda Beamish, Head of Performance Marketing at Zenni Optical. “It was evident they would be the right partner for us as they provided thoughtful and specific strategic recommendations that were really aligned with the needs of our unique business and goals.”

Over the past few years, Yodel Mobile has experienced a period of rapid growth, marked by global expansion, major client wins, and significant industry recognition, including being named as one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025, App Marketing Agency of the Year 2024, Most Effective ASO Campaign 2023, a earning a place in the Culture 100: Greatest Places to Work 2024.

The post Zenni Optical appoints Yodel Mobile to lead full-funnel mobile growth strategy appeared first on Business of Apps.

As mobile developers across global markets face increasing obstacles in Android app distribution, Progressive Web App (PWA) technology is gaining traction as a viable alternative to traditional channels such as app stores and APK downloads.

According to recent data from ROIBest, an infrastructure provider specializing in Android PWA deployment, developers are now re-evaluating their distribution strategies in light of unpredictable review policies, mounting commission fees, and installation friction caused by tightening system security.

Android app distribution: Limited options, rising costs

Across most regions, developers seeking to distribute Android apps typically rely on one of three options: Google Play and other app stores, direct APK downloads, or web-based H5 distribution.

Each presents its own challenges:

• App stores: While offering large user bases, platforms such as Google Play often operate under opaque policy enforcement and require a 30% revenue share on in-app purchases. Apps may be removed without warning, leaving developers without recourse.
• APK distribution: Security-related OS updates have made APK installation more difficult, with many users abandoning downloads due to repeated system warnings or trust issues.
• H5 pages: Though easy to access, H5 pages often lack offline support, brand presence, and the ability to retain users long term.

These pressures have prompted a shift toward PWAs, which offer greater control over both the technical and commercial aspects of app delivery.

What makes PWA a viable replacement?

PWA technology combines the flexibility of web development with the user experience of native applications. Unlike traditional apps, PWAs are accessible via a browser and can be added to a device’s home screen without requiring installation from an app store.

Key advantages include:

• No app store review: Developers can publish and update apps without undergoing approval processes;
• Reduced user friction: Users are not prompted with security warnings and can add PWAs to their device with a few taps;
• Offline functionality: Service worker caching allows the app to function without an internet connection;
• Developer-controlled payments: PWAs support native payment integrations, allowing developers to retain full revenue;
• Cross-platform reach: A single PWA build can run across Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS browsers.

ROIBest PWA permanent package: Addressing distribution realities

To support the growing number of developers turning to PWA, ROIBest has launched its Android PWA Permanent Package. The offering is tailored to developers in high-growth categories such as gaming, social apps, and short-form entertainment.

The solution includes a number of features designed to improve stability and return on investment:

• Smart traffic deduplication: Identifies and filters out repeat users across multiple ad channels to optimize spend;
• Exit intent triggers: Displays lightweight prompts when users attempt to abandon the landing page, improving conversion rates by up to 10%;
• Secure infrastructure: Employs domain isolation, code obfuscation, and a rotating pool of clean URLs to reduce the risk of ad platform flagging or malicious interference;
• Anti-hijacking protections: Ensures all user clicks resolve to the correct landing page using dynamic code segmentation;
• Integrated push recall: Enables time-based re-engagement campaigns for users who abandon the funnel or install the app without launching it.

Industry shift

With Android 14 and 15 rolling out rapidly, older app versions are increasingly prone to compatibility issues and heightened policy scrutiny. Developers facing repeated rejections or takedowns are now adopting PWA models to decouple from platform constraints.

“Many of our clients were looking for a more resilient framework after experiencing policy-related disruptions,” said a ROIBest product strategist. “PWA helps them maintain control of their distribution while improving long-term engagement.”

As adoption grows, experts say PWA may evolve into a standard for mobile web deployment, particularly in markets with high advertising competition and tight compliance regulations.

For more information about ROIBest’s infrastructure and PWA tools, visit roibest.com.

The post PWA technology emerges as a stable alternative amid Android distribution challenges appeared first on Business of Apps.

New data reveals massive untapped revenue opportunity as post-Epic Games legal changes enable alternative payment strategies.

Mobile app developers are leaving significant revenue on the table by focusing exclusively on in-app acquisition channels, according to new research presented at a recent Business of Apps online event. Data from payment platform Paddle shows that users acquired through web funnels have only a 15% overlap with those acquired on mobile platforms, indicating that 85% of a potential web audience remains completely untapped by mobile-only strategies.

The findings, shared by Lucas Lovell, VP of Product at Paddle, come as legal changes following the Epic Games v. Apple case have opened new possibilities for iOS apps operating in the United States to bypass Apple’s traditional 30% commission by directing users to web-based payment systems.

Major apps already capitalizing on web acquisition

Several high-profile companies have already begun leveraging web acquisition strategies to expand their user bases. Noom and Flo Health are among the notable adopters using web channels to reach new audiences while improving attribution capabilities that aren’t subject to Apple’s privacy restrictions.

“We’re very much in an experimentation phase,” Lovell said during the presentation. “Some companies are winning, some are still struggling to make it work.”

Early results show dramatic variance

Companies experimenting with app-to-web payment strategies are seeing wildly different outcomes, with results ranging from a 190% positive impact on average revenue per user to a 38% negative decline, depending on implementation approach.

SuperWall, a mobile paywall builder, reported a slight conversion dip but achieved a 20% increase in net proceeds for companies previously paying Apple’s 30% fee. Meanwhile, Stoic, a Paddle customer, experienced only a 5% conversion drop while achieving a 15% overall revenue increase.

The variance in results highlights that success requires more than simply adding a “pay on web” button to existing paywalls.

Beyond fee avoidance: Multiple strategic advantages

While avoiding Apple’s 30% commission initially attracts companies to web-based payment systems, many are discovering additional benefits that extend far beyond cost savings:

• Billing flexibility: Companies can offer complex bundling, special promotions, and flexible discounting impossible within App Store frameworks
• Improved cash flow: Revenue access within days rather than waiting a month or more for App Store payouts
• Customer relationship control: Direct communication with users and sophisticated retention strategies
• Attribution clarity: Web funnels aren’t subject to Apple’s privacy restrictions, enabling better ad optimization

“The web as a platform to monetize your customers is unrestricted in terms of the billing and pricing models that you can deploy,” Lovell noted.

Implementation challenges require strategic approach

Despite the opportunities, transitioning to web payments introduces significant operational complexity. Companies must suddenly handle responsibilities previously managed by Apple, including sales tax compliance across jurisdictions, fraud prevention, chargeback handling, and payment method localization for different markets.

“If you’re using traditional payment processors, all of that operational complexity will suddenly be your responsibility once you’re outside of the App Store,” Lovell warned.

However, the initial resource requirements remain manageable. According to Lovell, “a growth marketer paired with an engineer can sort of get this up and running within a few days,” though companies planning to scale their experimentation will need dedicated growth teams or specialized partners.

The post Mobile apps are missing 85% of their potential audience by ignoring web acquisition appeared first on Business of Apps.

ConsultMyApp and APPlyzer have joined forces to launch APPlyzer Chat. The world’s first conversational app marketing analyst, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4.1.

Designed to simplify and supercharge ASO, this innovative tool delivers real-time, expert-level insights in seconds. No dashboards, no endless charts. Just ask and get razor-sharp answers instantly.

Built on a foundation of ConsultMyApp’s industry leading ASO expertise, GPT-4o Turbo image analysis and APPlyzer’s global live data from over 150 countries, APPlyzer Chat is a must have research assistant for any app marketing team.

What makes APPlyzer Chat different?

Conversational intelligence: Simply type a question and get immediate, expert-level analysis from keyword strategy to creative feedback.

Real-time data access: No reliance on 48 hours delayed Apple Search Ads popularity data. APPlyzer’s unique search score model keeps you ahead of market shifts as they happen.

Cross-functional value: Whether you’re an investor, ASO specialist, creative manager, or senior executive, APPlyzer Chat provides fast, actionable insights to support smarter decision-making.

Instant, everywhere: No learning curve, no setup. Start chatting, and unlock expert ASO insight anytime, anywhere, on any device.

APPlyzer Chat’s key insights

App Store charts and rankings: Track leading apps by category, country, or device and view daily movements and ranking history.

Complete app metadata: Access official app details, including titles, ratings, and descriptions.

Screenshot and creative analysis: Analyse App Store visuals, design trends, and top-performing strategies.

Keyword and search performance: Monitor keyword rankings, search scores, and discover growth opportunities.

Competitive benchmarking: Compare your app’s performance with competitors and track new top-chart entries.

Historic trends: Explore up to 12 months of ranking and performance data to identify seasonal trends and market shifts.

With APPlyzer Chat, navigating the complexities of ASO becomes simple, fast, and effective. Welcome to a smarter way to grow your app.

Start your free trial of APPlyzer Chat now.

The post The power of ChatGPT comes to ASO with APPlyzer Chat appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit NYC, taking place at 360 Madison on September 18th, has announced its speaker line-up. The event will feature growth and product leaders from some of the world’s fastest-growing app brands.

The summit will showcase expertise across four content tracks through talks, panels, workshops, interviews, and roundtable discussions.

The speaker line-up includes:

Yves Benchimol, CEO & Co-Founder of WeWard, will represent the walk-to-earn app that has attracted over 20 million users across 29+ countries. WeWard works with 2,000 brand partners and has contributed to avoiding 588,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

Katerina Clark, Head of Optimizations at The Economist, brings expertise in SEO, conversion rate optimization, and content strategy. Under her leadership, The Economist’s app has achieved a top-three ranking globally in its category.

Makoto Rheault-Kihara, VP Growth at Hopper, leads product and growth marketing for one of North America’s most downloaded travel apps, which has surpassed 120 million installs and raised $600 million in funding.

Colton Kaufman, Product Marketing Specialist at Sago Mini, plays a key role in connecting product experiences with parental needs, supporting the growth of an app ecosystem that engages over 3 million monthly users across 100+ countries.

Phil Carter, Growth Advisor at Elemental Growth, brings 7 years of product leadership experience and now serves as a growth advisor and angel investor helping consumer subscription companies unlock their full potential.

Diogo Martins, Growth Marketing Manager at DraftKings, leads marketing efforts for the #1 lottery app in the US and works with product, creative, and data teams to fine-tune expansion strategies for new products and markets.

App Promotion Summit NYC is the place to hear from the world’s fastest growing app brands. More speakers and more details of the agenda will be announced soon.

Want to join them as a contributor? Apply here.

The post App Promotion Summit NYC speaker line-up goes live appeared first on Business of Apps.

While most apps focus on building their product and acquiring users, payment friction is quietly sabotaging their success. New research from Primer reveals that nearly half of growing app businesses rely on a single payment processor, leaving them vulnerable to account suspensions, frozen funds, and service outages that can halt operations overnight.

Primer’s comprehensive study of 150 high-growth companies found that 29% have experienced account suspensions, 34% have faced payment downtime, and many are bleeding revenue through failed transactions and inflated processing fees.

To address these challenges, Primer has released “Built to Scale. Blocked by Payments”, a new guide that transforms payment infrastructure from a blindspot into a strategic advantage. The report provides actionable insights on diversifying payment providers, optimizing conversion rates, and building resilient payment stacks that scale with app business growth.

What you’ll learn:

• The five most common payment mistakes apps make and how to fix them
• How payment performance impacts funding rounds and valuations
• Strategies that top-performing apps use to maintain control over their payment operations
• The risks of relying on a single provider and what leading apps are doing instead
• How payment friction erodes margins, stalls conversions, and kills momentum

The guide draws from real data across three major markets — the UK, Australia, and the US—covering high-growth sectors including fintech, gaming, travel, and digital services.

The post Payment failures kill growth as 94% of apps face infrastructure crisis within 12 months appeared first on Business of Apps.

The tectonic plates of mobile are shifting beneath our feet, and the app store duopoly is finally cracking. Epic’s legal victories against Apple, combined with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, have forced open alternative payment channels and app stores, creating the biggest shift in mobile monetization since the iPhone launched.

Major players like Amazon and Spotify are already sidestepping Apple’s 15-30% commission, while Epic Games has launched their own app store on EU iPhones. Early movers are capturing 15-30% revenue increases by avoiding platform fees, but implementation remains complex.

We are pleased to invite you to Web revenue unlocked: Your playbook for the new app ecosystem, an online event designed to cut through the noise and show you exactly how to capitalize on this historic shift.

Join Lucas Lovell, VP of Product at Paddle, as he breaks down how savvy teams are already extracting millions in additional revenue from these new pathways. With 9+ years of product experience, Lucas will show you the tactical playbooks driving real results.

The event is taking place on June 24th, so make sure to save your spot. This is a unique opportunity you won’t want to miss.

What you will learn:

Breaking down recent app store changes

The post How to capture millions in newly unlocked revenue [online event] appeared first on Business of Apps.

TeleStore, a new international marketplace for browser-based games and web applications, has officially launched. TeleStore aims to reinvent the digital marketplace by making it fair, flexible, and truly accessible for both developers and users from all over the world.

The heart of TeleStore’s philosophy is the commitment to developers and creators. The platform aims to simplify the process of launching and monetizing projects. Early adopters can benefit from a built-in promotional budget, giving their games or apps free exposure within the platform and a real chance to gain visibility without upfront marketing spend.

One of TeleStore’s key strengths is its commercial model. The platform fee is capped at just 15%, significantly lower than the 30% industry norm. Some developers can also count on a system of dynamic discounts, depending on the size and activity of their audience. On top of that, TeleStore ensures fast and smooth payouts, with no cash flow gaps. Developers can easily withdraw their earnings in cryptocurrency via the platform’s integrated crypto service partner.

TeleStore adopts best practices from the fintech world, offering a seamless and modern payment infrastructure. Users can top up their balance using bank cards or cryptocurrency. All internal transactions within TeleStore, such as in-app purchases, subscriptions, and other payments, use in-app points called TeleDollars. This approach makes the payment experience smooth, transparent, and convenient for both publishers and users.

While content quality and moderation are taken seriously, the platform avoids unnecessary red tape. TeleStore gives developers more freedom, focusing on creativity rather than bureaucracy. Importantly, the team understands how vital early-stage support is. That’s why TeleStore provides responsive, hands-on assistance throughout — from SDK integration to resolving technical or operational questions.

TeleStore is built on the idea of shared growth and mutual value: every contribution strengthens the ecosystem and generates stable revenue for the platform, developers, and partners alike. That’s why TeleStore welcomes not only content providers but also businesses and projects that have an active user base or a developer community. Through TeleStore’s partner program, these collaborators can earn in two key ways: by receiving a percentage of the revenue generated by new publishers they refer, and by earning a share of purchases made by their audience in apps on TeleStore. Both options allow partners to turn their existing networks and reach into a sustainable income stream.

TeleStore is just getting started, and now is the perfect moment for developers from all over the world to join, stand out, and grow alongside the ecosystem. Unlike older and more established platforms, TeleStore offers a simpler, more adaptable environment — from onboarding to monetization.

More than just a marketplace, TeleStore is a global space where creators get real support, visibility, and opportunities. TeleStore’s goal is to build a vibrant, developer-first community — and now is the ideal time to become a part of it.

The post TeleStore opens new opportunities for browser game and app creators appeared first on Business of Apps.

The app ecosystem is shifting, and the smartest marketers and developers are already adapting.

The app stores have been cracked open, creating exciting new opportunities for monetization, but also leaving many teams wondering how to adapt and capitalize in a rapidly changing landscape.

On June 24th, join Paddle’s VP of Product Lucas Lovell for Web revenue unlocked: Your playbook for the new app ecosystem, a live online event designed to help you navigate and thrive in this new era.

A product leader with over nine years of experience, Lucas has helped launch Paddle’s billing solution and now leads the company’s product strategy. Previously, he ran his own tech company for more than six years.

Now, you have an opportunity to join him as he breaks down recent changes to the app stores and how savvy teams are leveraging smarter billing strategies to boost app revenue.

Lucas will take you on a deep dive into App2Web and Web2App — two powerful monetization strategies reshaping how app businesses scale and convert. Whether it’s driving users from the app to a web checkout for lower fees and faster payouts, or converting them on the web before sending them into the app for better retention and billing flexibility, these tactics are delivering real results.

What’s on the agenda:

The event is taking place on June 24th, make sure to save your spot here.

The post Cracking the code to web revenue in the new app economy appeared first on Business of Apps.

Speaking at App Promotion Summit London 2025, Anton Volovyk reveals how his company went from viral success to spectacular failure — and back again.

The golden age of easy app growth is over, and artificial intelligence is both the problem and the solution. That’s the stark message from Anton Volovyk, co-CEO of Reface, the AI face-swap app that once dominated download charts with 250 million installs before having to grapple with the consequences of a major product failure that brought its momentum to a halt.

Speaking at App Promotion Summit London 2025, Volovyk laid out a brutally honest timeline of his company’s evolution — from accidental viral sensation to humbling market lesson to strategic AI app portfolio — that serves as a masterclass in surviving the new reality of consumer app growth.

The five-second rule that changed everything

Reface’s original success came down to one critical insight: users will tolerate exactly five seconds of wait time for AI-generated content, but not forty. When the company launched its follow-up app Restyle in 2022 — a video-to-video filter technology that Volovyk describes as “very innovative” for its time — that seemingly minor difference killed the product.

“We thought, okay, maybe it’s not a big problem, but we are in the market of fast AI entertainment,” Volovyk explained. “It’s like Haribo bears at the supermarket counter — an instant purchase. If a person needs to wait 40-60 seconds, it’s so much worse than five seconds, it’s crazy.”

The failure was particularly stinging because Restyle had all the hallmarks of success: impressive click-through rates on ads, celebrity partnerships (including Jared Leto), and cutting-edge technology that made Reface only the second company after Runway ML to offer consumer-focused video-to-video functionality. But users didn’t stick around.

“If we like something, it doesn’t mean the market likes it,” Volovyk admitted, describing how Reface “bet the entire company” on Restyle, pulling resources from their successful flagship app for what turned out to be a costly lesson in product-market fit.

Growing and scaling AI apps

Source: App Promotion Summit

The new playbook for AI app success

That failure forced Reface to develop what Volovyk calls a more “normalized” approach to building AI consumer apps, one that treats artificial intelligence as a commodity rather than a competitive moat. The company now operates as an AI app studio with over ten products including a gamified food tracker (BitePal) and a tattoo design generator that hit #1 in the U.S. App Store’s Graphics & Design category.

The secret? Three rules that flip conventional wisdom about app development:

Build for the TikTok attention span

Apps must capture users within 1-3 seconds or lose them entirely. This means creating memorable mascots, distinctive visual elements, and instantly recognizable branding that can work across dozens of ad variations. BitePal’s raccoon character, for instance, is great for building brand recognition and can be used to easily generate multiple creative assets.

Build a creative testing lab

The most successful apps aren’t guessing what users want, they’re systematically discovering it through rapid experimentation. Reface treats each ad creative as a data point, using performance metrics to uncover unexpected user segments and pain points. Their approach: create vastly more content than competitors, fail faster, and let the data reveal which audiences actually convert.

Freemium still works, but differently

“We force ourselves with freemium to make actually good products so people use them knowing what they’re buying,” Volovyk explained. Rather than hard paywalls, successful apps let users experience core value before converting. This approach forces teams to build genuinely useful products while creating higher-quality subscribers who understand what they’re purchasing. The results are better retention and fewer refund requests.

The end of the AI monopoly

The broader challenge facing AI app developers is that their technology advantages are evaporating. What once required specialized teams and proprietary models can now be built using open-source tools.

“Two or three years ago, we were one of the few teams in the world that could create these kinds of models. Now it’s all open source,” Volovyk noted. “The AI revolution happened, and for us it was a big negative.”

This shift is forcing companies like Reface to compete on execution rather than innovation, treating AI as infrastructure rather than product differentiator. The winners will be those who can combine AI capabilities with deep understanding of user behavior, sophisticated marketing operations, and sustainable business models.

In the age of AI abundance, the apps that win will be the ones that master the decidedly un-sexy fundamentals of user acquisition and retention.

As Volovyk put it: “Some fundamentals are the same.” The difference now is that everyone has access to the same AI tools, so execution is everything.

The post AI is undermining traditional app growth models appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit Berlin is returning to Hotel Adlon on Thursday, November 27th, 2025, bringing together the app industry’s top marketing, growth, product, CRM and revenue leaders for a day of strategic insights and networking.

Attendees will learn from and connect with leading app marketers and product experts through an engaging mix of interactive workshops, talks, panel discussions, and roundtable sessions designed to share cutting-edge ideas, tactics, and actionable strategies that will drive app success in 2026 and beyond.

New features for 2025

This year’s event introduces several exciting additions to enhance the attendee experience:

The Boardroom will host high-level discussions on the major app growth topics shaping the industry today.

An Expanded Roundtable Zone will offer greater opportunities for attendees to interact and participate in focused discussions with peers and industry experts.

The Extended Drinks Reception promises an elevated networking experience, featuring DJs, stilt walkers, and the finest wines available to humanity.

A new Meetings Programme will help facilitate connections between attendees, ensuring participants can connect with the people they want to meet during the event.

Speaker and partnership opportunities

APS Berlin is actively seeking industry experts to join the speaker lineup. If you have transformative ideas, this is your chance to share them with an audience hungry for mobile insights. Apply to speak here.

Partnership opportunities are also available for businesses looking to connect with decision makers from the world’s leading apps. Companies can reserve a spot in the exhibition area or contribute to the event agenda. Become a partner here.

This year’s App Promotion Summit Berlin promises to be better, bigger, and brighter than ever. Don’t miss your chance to stay ahead of growth trends and build meaningful connections in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

The post APS Berlin is back on November 27th, 2025 appeared first on Business of Apps.

REPLUG, a full-service mobile app marketing agency, is proud to announce its official certification as a Certified Moloco Partner. This milestone marks a deepened collaboration between REPLUG and Moloco, a global leader in machine learning–powered performance advertising.

The certification reflects REPLUG’s commitment to excellence in programmatic advertising and its ability to drive scalable growth for mobile apps across verticals.

“Our certification with Moloco strengthens what we already do best at REPLUG: deliver real results through strategic, high-impact user acquisition,” said Lorenzo Rossi, co-founder of REPLUG, “we’re proud to be recognized as a trusted partner and excited for what’s ahead.”

To achieve this status, the REPLUG team underwent extensive training, successfully completing Moloco’s partner certification exam, which covered platform capabilities, machine learning strategies, and performance optimization best practices.

“At REPLUG, we focus on performance, not just promises. Partnering with Moloco equips us with the best-in-class machine learning tech to drive measurable results at scale,” added Luca Mastrorocco, co-founder of REPLUG, “this partnership reinforces our mission to stay ahead of the curve in the mobile industry.”

As a Certified Partner, REPLUG now offers clients exclusive access to deeper Moloco platform insights, tailored support, and more advanced tools to optimize programmatic campaigns and unlock new market opportunities.

“At Moloco, we believe in the power of great partnerships, so I’m incredibly excited to welcome REPLUG to our certified agency family,” said Mateo Delgado, Senior Director of Growth at Moloco, “they’ve shown a clear commitment to driving true incremental performance for their clients through our product, and I look forward to delivering continued impact together.”

With this partnership, REPLUG strengthens its programmatic advertising capabilities, giving clients smarter UA strategies, more efficient campaign setup, and better visibility into ROI, all while maintaining a human-first, performance-driven approach.

For more information, visit https://rplg.io/moloco-partner/ or explore REPLUG’s recent post on the partnership.

The post REPLUG becomes certified Moloco partner to strengthen programmatic app growth capabilities appeared first on Business of Apps.

web2wave, the platform that helps mobile apps create web-based quiz funnels to convert visitors into paying subscribers before they download, has integrated with payment orchestration platform Primer to address one of the mobile app industry’s most persistent pain points: payment failures.

The integration connects web2wave’s quiz-to-subscription funnels with Primer’s network of over 100 payment processors, creating an automated fallback system that routes payments through backup processors when primary ones fail. If Stripe goes down, Braintree automatically takes over. If that fails, Adyen steps in.

The timing isn’t coincidental. As more mobile apps shift critical flows like onboarding and payments to web-based funnels, payment reliability has become a make-or-break factor for revenue. When a payment processor fails during the crucial moment between quiz completion and subscription signup, conversion rates tank and potential revenue walks away.

“We’ve seen clients with hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue held back by their PSPs,” explains Igor Lyubimov, founder of web2wave. “This is a serious hit to cash flow, and in some cases, it wipes out their profit margins entirely.”

The challenges go beyond simple downtime. Different payment processors perform differently across regions, some refuse to work with certain business niches despite their legitimacy, and chargeback rates can trigger account suspensions that freeze funds and kill recurring revenue streams.

How the integration works

Apps build their quiz funnels through web2wave’s platform, and when users complete the quiz and choose to subscribe, payments automatically route through Primer’s orchestration layer. The system handles complex scenarios like subscription introductory offers, free trials, and international payment preferences without requiring additional development work.

For mobile app developers, this means enterprise-grade payment infrastructure without enterprise-level complexity. The integration provides access to regional payment methods, automatic retry logic for failed transactions, and the ability to maintain payment tokens even if primary processors block accounts.

Strategic implications

The partnership capitalizes on the growing trend of web-to-app conversion strategies. For web2wave, it removes a significant barrier to serving clients in restricted industries or challenging geographic markets. For Primer, it provides access to a growing segment of mobile app companies that need sophisticated payment routing without the overhead of direct enterprise sales cycles.

The partnership also demonstrates how payment orchestration is evolving from a nice-to-have for large enterprises to essential infrastructure for fast-growing startups that can’t afford payment-related revenue losses.

As mobile app companies continue to experiment with web-first monetization strategies, partnerships like this one suggest that payment reliability — not just payment processing — will become a key competitive differentiator in the space.

The post web2wave and Primer partner to bulletproof mobile app payment revenue appeared first on Business of Apps.

From May 20th to 22nd, over 2,000 mobile marketers, founders, product leaders, and growth practitioners descended on the MGM Grand for the latest edition of MAU Vegas. Attendance was up 27% from last year, and the energy matched the numbers: lively sessions, energetic discussions, and active networking from poolside to pitch deck.

Across dozens of talks and strategy deep dives, one thing became clear: there’s no single playbook for growth in 2025. But there are powerful patterns emerging.

Here’s a look at the key trends keeping app marketers buzzing right now:

Where growth, product, and AI collide

Today’s mobile marketers aren’t confined to just one role. They’re bridging product, brand, growth, and AI. Strategy today is interconnected, with teams expected to align creative testing with product development and lifecycle messaging.

The best-performing teams are blending roles and breaking silos. Growth is no longer a channel game, it’s an ecosystem play.

Creative is the new strategy layer

Creative was a dominant theme throughout the event, not as a final asset but as a discovery tool. The smartest teams are aligning ad creative with in-app experience, down to the exact onboarding screen with the highest LTV.

It’s no longer about matching assets to channels. Instead, teams are aligning creative with the user lifecycle and using it to surface what actually resonates. That alignment is only possible because more teams are breaking down silos, with UA, product, CRM, and brand now sitting at the same table, optimizing together. Creative has become the connective tissue.

Creative ≈ product ≈ performance. It’s one system now.

Tips and tricks from the experts

1. Identify the single onboarding path that leads to the highest lifetime value, and then reverse-engineer your store presence to reflect it. Every creative — ads, screenshots, previews, etc. — should communicate that one value proposition clearly and consistently. When the promise a user taps on is exactly what they experience first in the app, conversions compound.
2. Before scaling big, some teams are testing hooks using small-budget static image campaigns to validate messaging. Only the most resonant copy makes it into video or UGC formats, saving time and spend.

Attribution alone won’t get you there

Post-IDFA, attribution is no longer the full picture, rather it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Attendees stressed the shift toward incrementality testing, media mix modeling, and qualitative signals. The point isn’t to abandon attribution, but rather to combine it with context.

At the foundation of this shift is a reliable mobile measurement partner (MMP). Before scaling across channels — whether it’s Meta, TikTok, Reddit, or email — teams are doubling down on attribution infrastructure that filters fraud, ensures consistency, and builds confidence in decision-making. Without that base layer, optimization becomes guesswork.

Attribution is still essential, but only when it’s combined with context, quality, and control.

Community is now a growth engine

The strongest growth loops aren’t always built with paid media — they’re built with, by, and for people. From massive in-app communities to influencer-driven storytelling, more brands are leaning into identity and shared experience over raw impressions.

Whether it’s a 9-million-strong Facebook group or organic virality on TikTok, community is becoming a channel in its own right, one that builds momentum and trust that ads alone can’t replicate.

Underserved markets are high-intent opportunities

Tier-2 regions like Ukraine and Brazil remain fertile ground for verticals like fintech, VPNs, and utilities, especially as competition intensifies in core markets.

The formula isn’t complicated: translate your store assets, localize pricing, and surface region-specific pain points. Marketers leaning into these markets are unlocking a path to margin-rich, long-tail growth where bids are lower and demand is real.

Lifecycle is the new personalization

AI is expanding what’s possible with personalization, but the most effective teams are moving beyond surface-level segmentation.

They’re designing experiences around lifecycle moments, building for behavior, timing, and intent.

Users aren’t static personas; they’re constantly evolving, and the strategy needs to evolve with them.

Distribution is diversifying

Large platforms still play a central role in user acquisition, but they’re no longer the whole playbook. Growth teams are expanding beyond the usual suspects, finding performance gains in high-intent, community-driven apps and niche placements.

It’s less about spending more and more about showing up where relevance is highest.

MAU Vegas returns next year from May 19th to 21st. Between now and then, the ideas shared this year — cross-functional collaboration, creative-led product testing, and community-powered growth — are likely to keep defining the space. The old growth levers aren’t gone, they’ve just evolved.

For more strategies and learnings from MAU, check out VP of Strategy & Growth at MAU Vegas Angela Harar’s recap or watch Steve Young’s video debrief. Both sources and the many LinkedIn wrap-up posts I found were invaluable in putting this post together.

The post Inside the big ideas from MAU Vegas 2025 appeared first on Business of Apps.

App revenue is becoming increasingly complex, with marketers and product teams navigating a highly fragmented landscape. The ecosystem spans multiple platforms, regulations vary by region, and compliance isn’t optional.

On top of this, changes to Apple’s App Store in the aftermath of the Epic v. Apple ruling are creating new openings for experimentation, while at the same time introducing new friction. With the App Store reform, there is now rising pressure on developers to implement web payment solutions.

Web payments are fast becoming a central piece of the monetization mix as they promise flexibility, higher margins, and better data. However, getting them right requires rethinking acquisition, onboarding, and retention from the ground up.

At App Promotion Summit London 2025, Paddle CMO Andrew Davies outlined what a successful web-based app revenue strategy looks like today. He emphasized that web payments can be a powerful growth lever, provided that app businesses fully understand the intricacies of web payments and how to implement them effectively.

Web-to-app ≠ just quiz funnels

Many marketers still default to quiz funnels when launching a web-to-app strategy. They work. They’re fast to set up. But they’re far from the only option. Davies pointed to data from across Paddle’s customer base showing a wide range of high-performing web onboarding models, each tailored to different audiences, products, and verticals.

Boost revenue: Intelligent pricing and payment

Source: App Promotion Summit

Whether it’s content-first flows, dynamic landing pages, or progressive onboarding journeys, the takeaway is that flexibility on the web unlocks experimentation. And in a market where user attention is fragmented, having multiple paths to conversion is a competitive advantage.

Web revenue isn’t just about avoiding Apple fees

The conversation around web monetization often starts with platform fees, but that’s a narrow lens. According to Davies, the real upside lies in owning the full funnel. From audience targeting and ad performance to pricing, checkout, and churn management, a web-based journey gives teams control and visibility that app store environments typically restrict.

This control pays off. One Paddle customer reduced churn by more than 100,000 users in three months by redesigning their cancellation flow. Another used behavioural signals to upsell offers, significantly increasing user LTV. Web payments allow for smarter lifecycle strategies, ones that respond to how users actually behave, not how platforms dictate.

Scaling web brings “champagne problems”

The shift to web comes with its own set of growing pains. Apple’s new policies may allow more flexibility, but they also raise the stakes for compliance, localization, and infrastructure. As Davies put it, scaling outside the App Store means rebuilding parts of the payments stack that Apple previously managed for you.

From global tax remittance to local payment methods, selling through the web requires real operational depth. Davies warned that plugging in Stripe or PayPal is only the starting point. Businesses must think about price localization, currency handling, tax calculation, and regional UX norms, each of which impacts conversion and revenue.

These are solvable problems, but they demand attention. And they mark the difference between a tactical web funnel and a global web commerce strategy.

Final words of web monetization wisdom

A web-first revenue strategy isn’t just viable in 2025, it’s increasingly essential. It gives teams the tools to test, optimize, and personalize every stage of the user journey, from ad click to renewal.

Paddle is betting big on this shift. With $1.5 billion flowing through its merchant-of-record platform and $19 billion tracked through its metrics tools, the company is positioning itself as the go-to partner for apps building beyond the App Store.

Web monetization may not be simple, but with the right structure, it doesn’t have to be hard either.

The post Web payments are changing the rules of app monetization appeared first on Business of Apps.

ConsultMyApp, in partnership with Business of Apps, has just released a new guide for app-focused businesses struggling with outdated and poorly integrated MarTech stacks.

The guide addresses common pitfalls in modern MarTech setups, including bloated toolchains, siloed data, and ineffective integrations that can quietly erode ROI and hinder growth. It explains why AI alone isn’t a silver bullet, emphasizing the importance of clean data and solid infrastructure.

The MarTech Audit Guide offers a clear, actionable framework for auditing your current stack, identifying inefficiencies, and building a more streamlined, results-driven MarTech setup.

Written by David Murphy, the guide features expert insights from the ConsultMyApp team:

Sabrina Nelson, MarTech Services Director

Ryoma Nelson, Managing Director

Gareth Stewart, Content Strategist

Inside, you’ll find:

• How to spot the signs your stack is hurting performance
• The hidden costs of bad integration
• What a smart MarTech audit actually looks like
• Practical fixes tailored to team’s size and goals

This release comes as more and more mobile-first brands grapple with the complexity of their tech stacks and look for ways to streamline operations and improve campaign performance.

Built for marketers, growth teams, and product leads, the guide offers an actionable path to getting more from your stack.

Download your copy here.

The post Untangling the modern MarTech stack appeared first on Business of Apps.

User acquisition costs keep rising, but repeat orders refuse to follow suit. App store charts look full, yet a third of shoppers delete a retail app within a week. To tackle these pressing realities, App Promotion Summit London 2025 invited three brands that have fought through the noise and kept their installs buying.

Moderated by David Murphy, the panel featured three standout voices:

• Eugene Kuznetsov – Product Lead, Holland & Barrett
• Jessica Llarena – Mobile Shopping App Leader, Decathlon
• Jill Angus – Mobile Apps Marketing Lead, B&Q

After forty minutes of intense discussion, the trio ended up producing a practical playbook for success built around five priorities.

Make retention the first KPI

“Customers sacrifice space on their mobile phones to download an app,” Eugene said. In return they bring the highest purchase frequency and basket value.

Decathlon’s data mirrors the pattern: app buyers add more items per order and return sooner than web buyers.

Both brands now assess marketing spend by lifetime value instead of raw install volume.

Turn the shop floor into a growth engine

Fifty-two percent of Holland & Barrett’s app users first heard about it from store staff. Colleagues scan a QR card at the till, hand the phone back and let the customer finish the download while the receipt prints.

Decathlon offers select discounts exclusively to app members and places QR codes beside the shoe wall and at click-and-collect stations to encourage sign-ups.

The approach converts footfall into opted-in users without competing in crowded ad auctions.

Building value between purchases

Decathlon positions its app as “the key driver of loyalty and engagement” by rewarding more than spending. Users earn points for logging workouts or leaving product reviews and redeem them for vouchers or event invites. “We want users to feel like VIPs within the Decathlon environment,” Jessica summed up.

Holland & Barrett, on the other hand, is building a wellness hub: articles, podcasts, and one-on-one consultations.

By solving daily problems, each brand stretches the time users spend inside the app and lifts the rate of repeat checkout.

Send pushes that respect context

“Most of our push notifications are automated and based on contextual and behavioural events,” Jessica explained. A low-stock alert fires when a favourite item is about to run out, while workout streak reminders appear only on days the user usually exercises.

Holland & Barrett usually sends silent notifications first, letting the message appear inside a user’s app feed; once shoppers acknowledge the benefit, the app requests push permission. Seasonal icon swaps have also proved successful at reactivating lapsed users, although the brand closely monitors conversions to confirm whether curiosity clicks lead to more baskets.

Preparing for the personalized future

“An app simply can’t be a carbon copy of your website,” Jill warned. She expects recommendation engines to recognise mood from scroll speed and surface products accordingly, a technique that is already being tested by beauty brands.

Holland & Barrett is exploring AI agents that complete a purchase once preferences are set, while Decathlon is evaluating large-language-model suggestions for equipment bundles.

All three agree that first-party data governance must be sound before such features can go live.

Final words of eCommerce wisdom

Retail apps may be up against rising user acquisition costs and ever-higher customer expectations, but the ingenuity on display in London shows those hurdles aren’t insurmountable.

By weaving together store-floor acquisition, membership-driven loyalty, context-aware engagement, and a clear-eyed adoption of AI, today’s eCommerce leaders are more than keeping pace, they’re redefining what app success looks like in 2025.

The post eCommerce panel unveils five-point playbook for growth at APS London 2025 appeared first on Business of Apps.

“Points of Growth” is a podcast about the AdTech industry and its controversies, tools, and trends. Powered by Yango Ads.

Advertising is all about communication. Yet, people in the industry rarely sit at the same table to discuss what they work on every day. Well, now they can. In “Points of Growth”, advertising and monetization experts come together to share insights, ask big questions, and, believe it or not, find common ground along the way (maybe; we’ll see).

Tune in to these discussions to learn more about the state of the industry and fresh ways to increase revenue and grow businesses, locally and globally.

The first “Points of Growth” episode dives into ad tech and “the now.” What exactly is the adtech industry? Where is advertising headed? Which events have shaped the landscape as we know it today, and what are the key insights for 2025?

Listen to the “Points of Growth” podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music.

The post Yango Ads debuts “Points of Growth”, a podcast unpacking what’s next in adtech appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit is heading back to New York City on September 18th, and the agenda is still open for fresh voices.

Want to share the stage with app marketers and product experts from WeWard, The Economist, DraftKings, Hopper, and Reddit? There are some opportunities remaining, and we would love to connect with you.

There’s room for everyone: from eCommerce apps to travel and finance, from user acquisition to product marketing and CRM. We want to hear from exceptional speakers with diverse backgrounds across the entire app ecosystem.

There are many ways to get involved, ranging from main stage talks to workshops, panels and interactive discussions.

This year, the themes include:

• Embedding AI in app marketing
• World-class retention
• User acquisition 2.0
• Channel diversification
• Product excellence
• Revenue growth

Besides boosting your personal brand and expanding your network, you’ll walk away with pro photos and a stage-video reel.

Got an idea for a talk, workshop, panel or roundtable? Fill out the speaker form and stake your claim before the last slots disappear. See you in Manhattan!

The post Want to speak at App Promotion Summit NYC? appeared first on Business of Apps.

“Every year, we say it’s the hardest year to grow an app,” Flo Health CEO Dmitry Gurski joked to a packed house. “But after 16 years, I’m convinced: it really does get harder every time.”

These were the opening words of Gurski’s keynote address at APS London 2025, in which he delivered a candid and data-rich account of how he and his team built one of the world’s most widely used health apps.

He unpacked the thinking behind Flo’s long-term growth — from user lifecycle design to product-led retention — offering a clear-eyed view into what it takes to scale sustainably in an increasingly competitive app economy.

Inside Flo’s growth playbook

Retention is the foundation

From the very first version of the app, Flo showed unusually strong retention. Gurski emphasized that this wasn’t something added later through gamification or UX tweaks. It was, in fact, embedded in the nature of the product and its relevance to users’ daily lives.

If a product doesn’t show signs of stickiness early on, no amount of optimization is likely to change that in a meaningful way. As Gurski put it: “You can’t fake retention. If it’s not there in the MVP, it will probably never be.”

Category over competition

Flo didn’t create a new category. Instead, it entered one that was already fragmented and competitive. But that was the point.

A crowded category signals demand. Trying to invent a new market, Gurski warned, is often a sign that the market simply doesn’t exist.

Sustainable growth is a product of long-term usage, not quick wins

Over half of Flo’s revenue comes from users who installed the app more than a year ago.

Subscription tailwinds changed the game

In 2015, the idea of paying for an app still felt far-fetched. Today, Flo has 6M paying users, a shift Gurski credits to changing consumer habits and relentless onboarding optimization. One experiment alone increased trial conversions eightfold.

Retention unlocks word-of-mouth

Most of Flo’s early user growth came without paid marketing. App store algorithms and word-of-mouth discovery worked in its favor, but only because users kept coming back. Without strong retention, Gurski argued, organic growth simply isn’t sustainable.

Copying is underrated

Flo runs over 300 experiments at any given time, which is a luxury few startups can afford. But instead of chasing originality, smaller teams should look to established players for clues, Gurski advised. “Assume that what you see in leading apps is the result of thousands of iterations,” said Gurski, “start there.”

Investor metrics don’t always tell the full story

Gurski pointed out that many VCs misapply SaaS metrics to consumer subscription apps, missing the nuance of user behavior. He suggested net revenue retention as a better long-term indicator, since users often churn, return, convert late, or re-subscribe — all patterns that don’t show up cleanly in standard retention charts.

Want more insights? Check out the full video and watch Gurski unpack how Flo became a category leader — through lifecycle design, smart iteration, and long-term user value.

Source: App Promotion Summit

In a market where paid growth is volatile and user attention fleeting, he made the case for something unglamorous but essential: building for longevity. Retention isn’t an add-on or a growth tactic. It’s the product. For teams chasing the next hockey-stick moment, Flo’s story is a reminder that compounding starts with staying power.

Explore all the APS London 2025 videos here.

The post Flo Health CEO shares blueprint for long-term app growth at APS London 2025 appeared first on Business of Apps.

AIBY, a leading American co-founding company in the mobile app industry, has announced the launch of EpicScale, a new publishing company dedicated to empowering app creators with comprehensive marketing and operational support.

By leveraging in-house resources, EpicScale offers solutions across key areas such as user acquisition, ASO, business intelligence, monetization, and creative production. Additionally, the publisher provides funding and may assist developers with the key steps they need to take to ensure a product meets applicable store requirements and policies, streamlining their path to a global market.

“We’re excited to introduce EpicScale, which embodies the expertise we’ve built over the years. Our goal is to enable developers to focus on their products while we take care of the marketing to help them thrive in today’s competitive landscape.”

Dmitry Lepeshko, VP of Marketing at AIBY

Among the publisher’s first projects was the promotion of RemoTV, a fast-growing app that has seen remarkable outcomes since partnering with the publisher.  “EpicScale is a strategic partner for us,” said a representative from the RemoTV app. “Their holistic marketing approach helped us grow our app revenue to $400K monthly from the ground.”

The launch of EpicScale marks a strategic move by AIBY to expand its presence in the consumer app market, which is a key part of the company’s long-term vision. Furthermore, EpicScale arrives at a pivotal time for the mobile app industry — Sensor Tower predicts that, by 2026, non-game apps will account for the majority of iOS spending. This shift highlights the growing demand for specialized publishing services that can help app developers navigate evolving market trends and seize new opportunities.

The publishing team is looking to expand its network and build strong partnerships with non-game mobile projects across a range of categories, including productivity, education, lifestyle, wellness, and health.

Discover all the details and apply on the official website.

The post AIBY launches EpicScale publisher for consumer app developers appeared first on Business of Apps.

In the dog-eat-dog world of apps, it’s no secret that effective user onboarding is crucial for retention and conversion these days. Applica’s latest guide, A guide to onboarding optimisation using JTBD and MaxDiff, offers a strategic approach to refining onboarding processes by focusing on user motivations and preferences.

Designed for product teams, growth marketers, and UX leads, the guide combines two underused but powerful tactics — Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework and MaxDiff surveys — to help you prioritize onboarding content and features based on real user needs.

This isn’t theory. It’s a tested system that combines empathy with data, used across dozens of apps to boost retention and deepen user relevance from day one.

Understanding user motivations with JTBD

The Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework shifts the focus from product features to the underlying reasons users engage with an app.

By identifying the specific tasks users aim to accomplish, developers can tailor onboarding experiences that resonate with user goals.

This alignment ensures that users immediately perceive the app’s value, which leads to better and deeper engagement.

Prioritizing features with MaxDiff analysis

MaxDiff analysis is a statistical method that helps determine which features or messages are most important to users.

By presenting users with sets of options and analyzing their choices, developers can prioritize elements that have the most significant impact on user satisfaction.

This data-driven approach ensures that the onboarding process highlights features that matter most to the target audience.

Real-world impact: The ASL Bloom case study

Applica’s methodologies have demonstrated tangible results. In collaboration with ASL Bloom, an app designed to teach American Sign Language, Applica restructured the onboarding process using JTBD and MaxDiff insights.

This led to a 15% increase in trial conversions and a 12% uplift in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), showcasing the effectiveness of a user-centric onboarding strategy.

Read more case studies here or here.

Key takeaways

• User-centric design: Prioritize user goals over product features to create meaningful onboarding experiences
• Data-driven decisions: Utilize MaxDiff analysis to identify and emphasize features that users value most
• Continuous optimization: Regularly assess and refine onboarding processes based on user feedback and behavioral data

For app developers and product teams aiming to enhance user retention and satisfaction, Applica’s guide provides actionable insights grounded in proven methodologies. By adopting a structured approach to onboarding optimization, apps can better meet user needs and achieve sustained growth.

Explore the full guide here: A guide to onboarding optimisation using JTBD and MaxDiff

The post Improving app user onboarding appeared first on Business of Apps.

The countdown is on, and the mobile growth crowd is heading west. MAU Vegas 2025 is just days away, and if it’s not on your radar yet, this is your final call.

From May 20th to 22nd, the MGM Grand will transform into the epicenter of the app economy as more than 2,000 mobile marketers, growth leaders, app investors, and product owners converge for three days of unmatched insights and high-stakes networking.

Bringing together top brands, breakout startups, and every major growth vendor under one roof, MAU Vegas is a must-attend for anyone serious about scaling an app in 2025 and beyond.

Business of Apps is proud to be an official media partner for this year’s event, and the line-up speaks for itself. Expect deep dives into user acquisition, retention and engagement, AI, monetization, and more led by some of the sharpest minds in mobile.

Whether you’re scaling your startup or optimizing a global growth machine, this is where strategies are shared and deals get done.

The agenda is packed, the rooms will be buzzing, and the connections made could shape your next big move. Don’t miss your shot to be part of the action.

MGM Grand Las Vegas
May 20th to 22nd 2025
Register now

The post MAU Vegas 2025 is just two weeks away appeared first on Business of Apps.

The AI app market is projected to be the fastest-growing category on both the iOS and Google Play stores over the next five years. Already, thousands of new apps launched this year feature generative AI at the core of their user experience.

At the high end of the market, chatbots and media generation tools are driving significant user growth, with revenue beginning to reflect the substantial investments made in recent years. Meanwhile, emerging generative AI technologies for video and music creation are poised to unlock even greater value, further accelerating the momentum of this rapidly expanding industry.

In our AI market map, we cover the core sectors that make up AI apps, highlighting the top apps within each sector:

• LLMs: The underlying models powering all of the generative AI experiences, with smaller apps licensing these models to cut down on development costs.
• General assistants: The key sector at the moment, with ChatGPT leading the charge in changing how people search for information on the web.
• Search: Some chatbots have taken it a step further by front-loading the experience with connected publication sources and more web 2.0 features.
• Virtual personalities: Ever wanted to speak to a celebrity or historical figure, now you can with virtual personality chatbots.
• Image: Photo editing and generation is the second pillar of generative AI right now, with lots of apps offering this feature.
• Video: Video generation could be the next pillar, though its fraught with complications due to the potential for fraud and misinformation.
• Music: The ability to create your own beats or use generative AI to enhance production is a nascent industry that could open up production to more people.
• Education: One of the first sectors to really transform with the use of generative AI, used as a homework helper and exam scanner.
• Health & fitness: The personalization of health and fitness can be achieved more readily with the use of AI, which several apps have added to their service.

Our market landscape is a comprehensive overview of the sector, with key insight into the top apps in each subsector. The map is available to download in PDF format for slides and presentations.

Download the AI App Market Map here to get a comprehensive view of the market and all of the top apps. 

The post Mapping the AI app ecosystem appeared first on Business of Apps.

The lights are flashing, the slots are spinning, and the mobile growth world is packing its bags — because MAU Vegas 2025 is just around the corner. Taking place May 20–22 at the iconic MGM Grand, this year’s edition promises three days of world-class content, high-stakes networking, and tactical insight across every aspect of the app economy.

And yes — we’re pleased to announce that Business of Apps is an official media partner of MAU Vegas 2025.

With 2,000+ attendees, top brands, breakout startups, and every major growth vendor in the room, MAU is where strategies get shared, connections get made, and deals get done. From UA and retention to AI, LTV, measurement, monetization, and beyond, the speaker lineup and agenda are built to help teams scale smarter in 2025.

Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
Dates: May 20–22, 2025
Learn more and sign up: Register here

The post Business of Apps joins MAU Vegas 2025 as official media partner appeared first on Business of Apps.

APS London 2025 has officially wrapped — and let’s just say, it was amazing. Held on 24th April at The Brewery, the summit gathered over 900 app marketers, product pros, growth wizards, and mobile mavericks for a day that was equal parts learning, networking, and industry magic.

This year’s edition broke records with 908 total registrations — and what a crowd it was. 74% represented apps or brands, with nearly half clocking over 1 million MAU, and a cool 6% operating at 10M+ MAU scale. These weren’t just any attendees: 70% were either budget holders or influencers. Not to toot our own horn, APS London 2025 was not just a knowledge-sharing event, but a high-stakes, strategy-shaping one.

Across seven buzzing content stages and more than 40 insightful sessions, 60+ expert speakers took the mic to unpack the now and next of mobile growth. From embedding AI in app marketing and privacy-enabled user acquisition 2.0 to world-class retention, product-driven growth, revenue growth, and channel diversification, this year’s APS was a masterclass in what’s driving the app economy forward.

Big names, bold ideas

Some of the sharpest minds in the app universe touched down at APS London. From Dmitry Gurski (Flo) to Barbara Schädel (The Very Group), Steve Toy (Memrise), and Evelina Gruzdzevičiūtė (NordVPN), the speaker lineup read like a who’s-who of growth leadership.

The attendee list was equally stacked, with powerhouse brands like Strava, Monzo, Decathlon, TUI, The Financial Times, Amazon, Bolt, the BBC, and more all in the room.

The networking energy was electric, to say the least. With over 3,100 new contacts made, 2,600+ messages exchanged, and 1,300+ discussions launched through the event’s dedicated app, APS London sparked real relationships. Only the future can tell how industry-defining these will be.

Additionally, over 900 trees were planted thanks to our partnership with Treeapp.

Attention, retention: Inside Flo’s opening address

The summit began on a high note with a keynote address from Dmitry Gurski, Co-Founder and CEO of Flo, one of the world’s most widely used femtech platforms. Gurski shared Flo’s evolution from a startup concept to a leader in women’s health.

A central theme of his keynote — and one that echoed throughout the day — was the role of retention as a growth engine. With Flo now seeing an even split between paid and organic traffic, Gurski underscored that sustainable growth is equal parts acquisition and building lasting value through product excellence and user trust.

Flo’s secret: High retention and huge TAM (Total Addressable Market)

Source: App Promotion Summit London 2025

“But how do apps grow organically in a privacy-conscious, post-IDFA world?” Gurski asked the audience. According to him, the answer lies in creating something people genuinely want to talk about. In his words, “word of mouth” remains one of the most effective drivers of growth, and it is fundamentally enabled by strong retention.

Trends and takeaways: What we learned

So… what did we actually learn after all the talks, roundtables, Q&As, and hallway huddles? A lot. But if we had to pin down the themes that dominated APS London 2025, it’d go something like this:

Retention is the main character

Post-pandemic and post-performance-bubble, user acquisition is no longer a silver bullet. From Flo’s opening keynote to NordVPN’s cross-functional deep dive, the message was clear: retention is what makes or breaks an app business. From onboarding to CRM to user journey optimization — it’s not a “nice-to-have” anymore.

Channel diversification is not optional

Marketers are moving beyond Meta/Google/TikTok and into a brave new blend of web-to-app, CTV, retail media, influencer partnerships, and even OOH. The goal is incremental growth that’s measurable and sustainable. This omni-channel mindset is quickly becoming a survival strategy in an ecosystem defined by constant privacy shifts.

Product-led growth is the new black

Sessions across the day (and some very lively roundtables) reinforced that personalization and retention aren’t marketing’s job alone. Product, UX, data, and dev teams are back in the spotlight, and the brands winning are the ones getting them to play nice. ContextSDK’s roundtable on on-device AI showed just how far real-time personalization has come.

MMM and measurement maturity are scaling fast

Kochava’s Gary Danks broke it down: if you’ve got five or more paid channels and at least $50–100K/month in spend, it’s time to think about MMM. With SKAN, AEM, and MMPs all evolving, marketers are leaning into mixed models and probabilistic attribution more than ever.

Next up? APS NYC and APS Berlin. If London’s any indication, we’re in for even bigger ideas and bolder conversations.

Videos from all the sessions will be going live soon — make sure to check them out.

The post APS London 2025 sets the stage for the future of app growth appeared first on Business of Apps.

Quantum Metric has released its latest industry report, The Mobile Benchmarks Report, offering a data-driven look into the current state of mobile customer experience. The report sheds light on a critical insight: when it comes to mobile, even the smallest delay can drive users away.

In a digital environment where expectations are higher than ever, the report highlights the growing need for brands to establish clear benchmarks for mobile performance. With most organizations lacking a standard for what “good” actually looks like, the risk of losing customers due to friction or slow load times remains dangerously high.

Drawing from real customer session data, the report identifies the most common (and costly) mobile pain points and provides actionable insights for improvement.

Key findings from the report include:

• The “frustration threshold”: the specific load time after which users are most likely to abandon an app/mobile site
• The top three conversion blockers in mobile checkout flows and how leading mobile-first brands are solving them
• Industry benchmarks for mobile speed, engagement, and abandonment
• Proven strategies from high-performing brands to boost mobile conversions
• Real-world case studies showing how optimizing mobile UX directly impacts revenue

With mobile traffic continuing to dominate the digital landscape, Quantum Metric’s new report aims to help businesses stop guessing and start optimizing with confidence.

The full report is now available for download here.

The post Quantum Metric reveals what’s really behind mobile abandonment appeared first on Business of Apps.

At HilltopAds, one of the top advertising networks since 2013, bloggers and influencers can monetize traffic from any social media or mobile app with a new Shortened DirectLink. This tool offers a streamlined, platform-friendly way for publishers, influencers, and marketers to monetize clicks from networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, TikTok, and others.

What is Shortened DirectLink?

The Shortened DirectLink is a compact version of the standard DirectLink, designed specifically to meet the limitations and requirements of social platforms. It allows users to share clean, concise links that look natural in posts, bios, and comments — all while generating revenue through HilltopAds’ global ad demand.

Key advantages

• Optimized for social media: The shortened format is less likely to be flagged or blocked, making it ideal for platforms with strict content policies.
• Higher engagement rates: Cleaner links typically result in more clicks, which translates to higher revenue potential.
• No technical barriers: Users can create a Shortened DirectLink directly from the HilltopAds dashboard, no coding or external tools needed.
• Full monetization capabilities: Despite its size, the link maintains access to HilltopAds’ premium ad feed, high CPM rates, and worldwide traffic coverage.

Who benefits?

This feature is especially valuable for:

• Content creators and influencers
• Social media page or group owners
• Affiliate marketers and community managers
• Anyone monetizing mobile apps or social media traffic

Availability

The Shortened DirectLink is now live and available to all HilltopAds users. By simplifying the process of sharing monetizable links across social platforms, HilltopAds continues to provide powerful solutions for modern traffic sources.

For users looking to convert social engagement into real revenue, the Shortened DirectLink offers a fast, reliable, and effective option.

To learn more about the shortened DirectLink, go to the HilltopAds blog.

Register with HilltopAds and start social media traffic monetization with the Shortened DirectLink.

The post HilltopAds introduces a new shortened DirectLink appeared first on Business of Apps.

The countdown is on for App Promotion Summit London, taking place at The Brewery on April 24th, 2025. This is your last chance to register — if you haven’t done so already — and attend the biggest app industry event of the year.

We’re also excited to announce that the official APS London Networking App is now live. Whether you’re attending to learn, connect, or grow your app business (or all three!), this powerful platform is your go-to companion for getting the most out of the event.

What you can do on the app:

• Network smarter: Browse the full attendee list and use smart filters — or let AI matchmaking do the work — to find and connect with the right people.
• Plan your path: With over 40+ talks, panels, workshops, and interactive sessions across seven stages, you can customize your agenda and maximize every moment.
• Schedule 1:1 meetings: Want to meet someone in person? Just pick the time, date, and location — your meeting will be added to your schedule automatically.
• Discover leading apps and agencies: Check out the profiles of top companies exhibiting at APS and bookmark your must-visits.

Last year’s app powered 4,000+ messages, led to hundreds of meetings, and created 1,000+ new connections. This year? We’re going even bigger.

Don’t miss your chance to build meaningful connections, gain insights from industry leaders, and take your app growth to the next level.

Download the APS London app now and get started.

The post Last chance to join us at APS London appeared first on Business of Apps.

The mobile industry thrives on innovation, and behind that innovation are the talented people driving it forward. Yet, despite growing diversity, women in mobile — whether in ad tech, app marketing, or gaming — are still underrepresented in industry conversations and within senior roles. According to Skillsoft’s Women in Tech Report, women only comprise about 25% of the tech workforce. There’s also a significant disparity in senior roles, with research by PwC finding just 5% of leadership positions in the technology sector are held by women.

Mobile advertising company Liftoff is launching a new monthly series, debuting here on Business of Apps, to help elevate and amplify the voices of inspiring women shaping the world of mobile apps and technology. Each month, the series will spotlight a rising star or leader from the mobile industry, who’ll discuss their biggest achievements, offer insights into the state of the industry, and guide others looking to take their career to the next level.

The series will highlight female experts from various facets of the mobile app ecosystem — including user acquisition, programmatic advertising, monetization, and more — from a diverse range of app categories, comprising everything from lifestyle and entertainment to education and news. The first article of the series is live now and focuses on Casie Jordan, Senior Vice President of Revenue Platforms at Liftoff.

In her article, Jordan discusses her past ten-plus years in mobile marketing, touching on her time at Twitter’s MoPub, where she launched and scaled MoPub’s Advanced Bidding, the industry’s first mobile app ads unified auction. She also discusses how app developers can balance monetization with their user experience and her thoughts on where AI and machine learning (ML) are taking mobile ad tech.

“At Liftoff, we strive to recognize excellence from all walks of life — be it newcomers who are just starting their career journeys or strong leaders with decades of experience,” says Taissia Belozerova, Head of Marketing at Liftoff. “This series is our way of celebrating the incredible women making a difference in mobile, providing them with a platform to raise their voices and ultimately inspire the next generation of leaders.”

Liftoff has spent more than half a decade highlighting the accomplishments of women in mobile, and this series marks the company’s latest initiative. Past efforts have included an extensive interview series with PocketGamer showcasing women’s impact on the mobile gaming industry, as well as numerous webinars and podcasts featuring discussions with female leaders on topics like career growth, industry challenges, and strategies for success.

The post Liftoff takes off with new series celebrating game-changing women in mobile appeared first on Business of Apps.

The advertising landscape is shifting fast, and Connected TV (CTV) is leading the charge. As audiences move away from traditional linear TV, marketers need to keep up with new channels, smarter targeting, and fresh creative approaches.

Smadex has released the CTV Guide — an actionable resource designed to help brands and advertisers tap into the full potential of CTV. Whether you’re building brand awareness or focused on performance marketing, this guide gives you the tools to succeed.

Here’s what’s inside:

• CTV, demystified: Confused by all the acronyms? Learn what sets CTV apart from OTT and traditional TV, and why this channel offers unique opportunities for both reach and performance.
• Winning strategies: Discover full-funnel CTV strategies to drive everything from upper-funnel awareness to lower-funnel conversions. The guide breaks it down by goal and audience type.
• Measuring what matters: Performance in CTV isn’t guesswork. Smadex walks you through the most important KPIs, including impression delivery, completion rates, and view-through attribution.
• Advanced targeting: From behavioral and demographic data to contextual, deterministic, and probabilistic targeting, the guide explores how to reach the right viewer, at the right time.
• Creative that connects: Get pro tips on crafting binge-worthy ad creatives designed to capture attention on the biggest screen in the house.

And that’s just the start. Stay competitive in the fast-moving world of digital advertising. Download the CTV Guide from Smadex and start building smarter campaigns for the connected era.

The post Navigate the CTV shift with smarter strategy, sharper targeting and standout creatives appeared first on Business of Apps.

AVOW, the award-winning global app growth company specializing in mobile OEM advertising, has released a new industry playbook designed to help fintech app marketers fast-track their user acquisition strategies.

Titled The Mobile OEM Advertising Playbook for Fintech Apps, the playbook delivers concise, insight-driven strategies for acquiring high-quality users through mobile OEM channels and alternative app stores across key global markets. With traditional ad platforms becoming more restrictive and saturated, fintech marketers are under pressure to find alternative, scalable channels that deliver real users, measurable results, and fraud-free performance.

Built for today’s fast-moving finance app ecosystem, the playbook is tailored to marketers in verticals like crypto, neobanking, trading, BNPL, payments, and digital banking, offering practical solutions for overcoming challenges such as rising acquisition costs, increasing platform restrictions, fraud concerns, and user trust barriers.

Unlike previous AVOW resources that offered broad overviews and tactical advice, this new playbook takes a sharper, execution-focused approach. It’s built to be fast to read, easy to apply, and highly relevant to performance-driven growth teams navigating complex ad environments.

What’s inside The Mobile OEM Advertising Playbook for Fintech Apps:

• Actionable growth strategies for reaching high-intent users through OEM-owned inventory
• Regional market insights from Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, and more
• Fraud mitigation advice from MMPs like AppsFlyer and Singular
• Mobile OEM partner contributions from Xiaomi, OPPO, and Transsion
• Real-world fintech case studies powered by AVOW’s mobile OEM network

The insights were shaped with input from AVOW’s OEM partners and leading attribution platforms, bringing multiple perspectives to today’s acquisition challenges.

The playbook positions OEM advertising not as a niche tactic, but as a core strategy for sustainable growth — giving marketers access to 1.5 billion daily active users across 86% of the global Android market. Through placements such as preloads, branded app stores, and push notifications, OEMs allow fintech brands to connect directly with high-intent users on-device — bypassing the oversaturation of traditional app stores.

AVOW’s approach also prioritizes transparency and performance. Through integrations with leading mobile measurement partners like AppsFlyer, Singular, Adjust, Kochava, and Branch, fintech advertisers can ensure accurate tracking, campaign optimization, and protection from fraud.

The goal is to equip fintech teams with a resource that prioritizes speed, scale, and strategic clarity.

“This isn’t just another whitepaper — it’s a hands-on guide for fintech growth leaders looking to future-proof their acquisition strategies,” said Robert Wildner, CEO and Co-Founder of AVOW. “We created this playbook to give app marketers the blueprint they need to tap into overlooked channels, scale efficiently, and outpace competitors.”

The Mobile OEM Advertising Playbook for Fintech Apps adds to AVOW’s growing collection of vertical-specific resources — following successful guides for gaming, ad formats, and organic uplift. With this latest release, AVOW reinforces its commitment to helping marketers in highly competitive verticals unlock smarter, safer, and more scalable growth strategies.

It’s a must-read for marketers aiming to gain a competitive edge and future-proof their app growth in an increasingly regulated and fragmented mobile advertising landscape.

Download the playbook here.

The post AVOW’s new OEM playbook opens new growth paths for fintech marketers appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit London returns to The Brewery on April 24, bringing together some of the brightest minds in app growth, product, and marketing. It’s one of the leading events in the space—and for good reason. This is where strategies are shared, frameworks are unpacked, and real stories of scaling apps are told, unfiltered.

Across seven dedicated content stages, attendees will hear from 60+ speakers delivering 35+ sessions, workshops, and roundtables. The agenda covers the full spectrum of modern app growth — from embedding AI in app marketing and privacy-enabled user acquisition 2.0 to world-class retention, product-driven growth, revenue growth, and channel diversification.

Seven stages, one goal: Smarter app growth

The event is structured to help you go deep where it counts, with content stages including:

Main Conference

Growth Zone

User Acquisition Zone

App Product & Engagement Zone

Roundtable Zone

App Talks

The Verticals Zone

Whether you’re focused on optimizing your funnel or expanding into new markets, there’s a session (or several) built for you.

Agenda highlights

• Dmitry Gurski (Flo) will share how the team scaled from the outskirts of Minsk to 250M ARR and 75M MAU.
• Barbara Schädel (The Very Group) explores how a simple advent calendar idea became a powerful re-engagement tool.
• Ritwik Arya (Trainline) presents an ASA automation framework designed to scale global growth with smarter, faster decision-making.
• Angèle Lenglemetz (Cleo) brings insights from 73 million conversations to show how AI nudges and gamification can drive user habits and retention.
• Anton Volovyk (Reface) shares lessons learned from 250 million downloads and what it takes to grow AI-powered apps.
• Asya Kuznetsova (Wise) dives into referral programs and sustainable growth loops through product-led thinking.
• Steve Toy (Memrise) discusses how LLMs can address real user needs and where the real opportunities lie.
• Jess Parkijavan (The Premier League) leads a roundtable on what it takes to successfully launch and grow app products.
• Mykhailo Kudla (Bolt) reveals how performance-driven influencer partnerships helped them cross 1M installs in 15+ countries.
• Evelina Gruzdzevičiūtė (NordVPN) breaks down how cross-functional collaboration can unlock better A/B testing outcomes.

Come for the strategies, stay for the conversations

The best part? It’s not just about sitting through presentations—it’s a chance to ask real questions, learn from peers, and connect with others working on similar challenges in app growth and product.

App Promotion Summit London takes place 24th April 2025 at The Brewery, London. Registration is open now — save your spot here.

The post Learn how to grow and scale apps at APS London appeared first on Business of Apps.

ROIBest, the pioneer in progressive web app (PWA) solutions, is revolutionizing mobile advertising through its PWA technology. In an increasingly competitive ad environment, advertisers are under pressure to deliver better results with tighter budgets. By partnering with global demand-side platforms (DSPs), such as Kwai, ROIBest transforms how ads are built, delivered, and optimized.

Advertisers’ key challenges

As advertisers face the dual challenge of rising costs and underperforming campaigns—often due to slow landing pages, fragmented data, and inefficient workflows—ROIBest comes together with DSPs to address these challenges:

• Poor landing page performance: Slow load times and limited interactivity lead to high bounce rates, forcing advertisers to pay more for traffic that doesn’t convert.
• Fragmented data: Disconnected systems between DSPs and advertisers delay or skew conversion tracking, making it difficult to capture real-time user behavior and optimize ad strategies accordingly.
• Cumbersome ad creation: The traditional ad creation process is time-consuming, often causing advertisers to miss key traffic windows during game releases or trending campaigns.

“Advertisers need agility to keep pace with dynamic markets,” says ROIBest Marketing Manager, Rey Lyu. “Our PWA solution doesn’t just streamline workflows—it rebuilds the infrastructure for smarter, faster, and more sustainable ad placement.”

ROIBest enables hyper targeting and maximized ROI

ROIBest is the leader and pioneer in leveraging PWA technology to scale app growth. Its PWA solution delivers:

• Independence form app stores: Enable developers to bypass approval delays and app store fees to distribute apps.
• Universal compatibility: Reach 1/8 of Android devices globally, ensuring fast-loading ad pages and seamless user experience.
• Comprehensive ad account protection: ROIBest reduces unnecessary ad suspensions by redirecting 80% of user complaints to a self-managed channel, prevents 70% of false bans through page code obfuscation, and ensures faster reviews by inserting random characters to texts with AI.

ROIBest is transforming digital advertising with its Android PWA solution. By integrating systems with DSP platforms, ROIBest further enables advertisers to hyper-target demographics while minimizing wasted ad spend.

Smarter algorithms and better performance through data integration

ROIBest’s innovative PWA solution connects data across the entire user journey—covering ad impressions, conversions, and retention. By synchronizing this data with DSP systems, ads can be optimized in real time to drive unprecedented precision, stronger performance, and higher ROI.

Official channel for adding PWA assets to create ads fast

With Android PWAs delivered by ROIBest, advertisers can set up high-performance landing pages in just three steps through a DSP platform (Select your PWA partner > Enter the promotion URL > Complete creation)—boosting efficiency by over 60%. This is especially valuable for fast-paced industries like gaming and social apps.

ROIBest: A go-to PWA partner for global advertisers and developers

ROIBest’s PWA solution has benefited numerous global leading companies in social, gaming, utility, and short drama sectors, helping them drive higher conversions and lower costs. As major DSP platforms integrate the solution, ROIBest is building a more open and flexible Android ecosystem.

Get on board with ROIBest and stay ahead in the ad landscape.

The post ROIBest partners with DSP platforms to streamline app advertising appeared first on Business of Apps.

In 2024, Adsterra, a global advertising network, took a groundbreaking step by launching World AdTech Day — the first-ever dedicated celebration for professionals in the adtech industry. This initiative was created to recognize the contributions of experts who drive digital advertising forward.

On March 27, 2025, the celebration returned for its second edition, once again bringing together industry pioneers, innovators, and professionals from across the globe.

Explore all event details, promotions, and partner initiatives on the official website.

A new tradition for the adtech community

World AdTech Day has quickly established itself as a key event in the advertising technology landscape, providing an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the professionals who develop cutting-edge solutions in digital marketing.

This global initiative unites a diverse range of industry players, including:

• Advertising platforms
• Affiliate programs
• Hosting providers
• Analytics and tracking systems
• Marketing software developers

Industry leaders supporting #WorldAdTechDay 2025

This year’s celebration is backed by 23 companies committed to honoring adtech professionals. These partners include Adsterra, Binom, BeMob, EvaDav, CrakRevenue, CPV Lab Pro, Keitaro, RedTrack, Voluum, Galaksion, Push.House, ROIads.co, FatAds.co, 3SNET, Bloggersideas, Affmaven, Aff.ninja, Evamobi, Adxad, Mobidea, AffiliateMastermind, and more.

These companies host exclusive webinars, launch special promotions, and engage with the adtech community through social media using the hashtag #WorldAdTechDay.

World AdTech Day ethos

The advertising technology industry has grown into a complex and dynamic ecosystem that requires specialized expertise. World AdTech Day was created to recognize the skilled professionals who power this evolution, from media buyers and big data analysts to PPC managers and affiliate marketers.

By celebrating their dedication, this event shines a spotlight on the people who:

• Create seamless brand-consumer connections
• Develop innovative advertising solutions
• Enhance digital marketing strategies through data-driven insights
• Advance ethical and responsible advertising practices

How to get involved in the celebration

On March 27, 2025, adtech professionals from around the world are invited to showcase their contributions by posting on social media.

The content can feature:

• Behind-the-scenes moments from ad campaigns
• Innovative adtech projects or milestones
• Team celebrations or work highlights
• Industry-related memes or fun insights

To join the conversation, participants should use the official hashtags #WorldAdTechDay and/or #AddYourTech. After that, check out the Social Wall on World AdTech Day website to see your post featured there!

This year, there’s even a special merch contest by Adsterra to encourage creativity and celebration. More on that on the event’s official website.

A community-driven initiative

At its core, World AdTech Day is more than just a celebration — it’s a movement that unites the people behind the digital advertising industry. The day brings together thought leaders, developers, and marketers who dedicate their expertise to enhancing advertising technology and creating meaningful user experiences.

Adsterra: The force behind World AdTech Day

World AdTech Day is proudly spearheaded by Adsterra, a leading global ad network that has been shaping the adtech landscape since 2013.

Known for its smart advertising solutions and proprietary ad formats like Social Bar, Adsterra continues to drive industry innovation. The company’s Partner Care Program ensures that every advertiser and publisher receives specialized support, reinforcing its commitment to fostering sustainable and effective partnerships.

You can still join! World AdTech Day is a chance to celebrate achievements, connect with fellow professionals, and recognize the incredible advancements shaping digital advertising. The celebration is in progress, so there’s a chance to make your contribution to it.

The post World AdTech Day 2025: Twice as many partners as last year appeared first on Business of Apps.

Remerge and Adjust are teaming up with Google for an exclusive event about the impact of the Android Privacy Sandbox.

Think Outside the Sandbox will take place in London on April 10 at The Apartment at The Hoxton. Through presentations and in-depth panel discussions, some of the most influential mobile marketing minds will share their insights on what’s ahead for the industry — and how you can prepare for app growth in the privacy-first world.

Spots are limited, so secure your seat now and hear more on:

• The latest on mobile measurement and attribution
• Privacy-safe retargeting in 2025 and beyond — what works, what doesn’t
• SDKs, APIs, and the practical steps you should take now

This is the year’s top event for getting the inside scoop from the people directly involved in shaping the Privacy Sandbox ecosystem.

Don’t miss out — access the full agenda and registration form.

The post Join Remerge, Adjust, and Google for an exclusive Sandbox event on April 10th appeared first on Business of Apps.

Join Yodel Mobile on Thursday 3rd April at 2.30pm GMT for How to get your app featured on the App Store, a free webinar exploring how you can boost your app’s visibility.

Whether you’re launching a new app or looking to scale your current app, this webinar will offer actionable insights to help improve your app’s performance and drive downloads.

What will you learn?

During the session, our app growth experts will break down the proven strategies that drive success, offering expert insights into:

• How to submit your app for featuring consideration
• Best practices for ASO, design, and localisation
• Pro tips to maximise visibility and engagement

Who will you hear from?

• Arazoo Kadir, Agency Growth Director at Yodel Mobile
• Nat Abell, Senior ASO Manager at Yodel Mobile
• Jessica Spivey, Senior ASO Executive  at Yodel Mobile

Got burning questions about getting your app featured? We’ve got answers! In addition to the valuable insights you’ll gain during the webinar, we’ll be hosting a dedicated Q&A session.

This is your chance to directly ask our experts your most pressing questions. To make the most of this opportunity, you can even submit your questions ahead of time during the registration process.

Register now!

The post Discover the secrets of getting featured on the App Store appeared first on Business of Apps.

The clock is ticking for anyone planning to attend App Promotion Summit London 2025. Early bird tickets close this Friday, March 28th, with savings of up to £500 still on the table.

The event will bring together over 800+ in-person attendees, with 70+ speakers across 7 content stages covering app growth, user acquisition, retention, ASO, monetization, and more. It’s a one-day deep dive into the strategies driving mobile growth in a competitive market.

Alongside the content, attendees can expect high-quality networking with marketers, product leads, and growth teams from across the app ecosystem.

Secure your spot today and save up to £500.

The post APS London Early Bird tickets end this Friday appeared first on Business of Apps.

The mobile app industry is evolving fast, from AI automation to new monetization models. To stay ahead, you need to follow new trends, explore opportunities, and adapt to market changes.

Yango Ads has released the AdTech Trends 2025 Playbook, Mobile Apps Edition — a practical guide to app growth and revenue optimization, helping businesses navigate industry changes.

The playbook explores key shifts in adtech, including:

• Expanding in emerging markets: Countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, and Russia offer great opportunities for growth. Mobile adoption is rising, user acquisition costs are lower, and engagement and retention rates are high. Learn more about these markets and key strategies for success.
• Hybrid monetization: Relying on just one revenue stream is no longer effective. Discover how to combine ads, subscriptions, and in-app purchases to create a balanced monetization strategy.
• Open bidding: Traditional programmatic ad methods in mobile apps are becoming less effective. To improve competition and increase fill rates, publishers are switching to open bidding. This real-time auction lets multiple ad networks bid at the same time for an ad impression. The playbook explains how open bidding can boost revenue while keeping a great user experience.

And that’s just the beginning. Keep up with the competition — download the AdTech Trends 2025 Playbook and improve your app monetization strategy.

The post How open bidding and hybrid monetization are transforming mobile apps appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit London is set to return to The Brewery on April 24th, 2025. APS has become a cornerstone of the app industry, bringing together forward-thinking app growth leaders from around the world. This year will be no exception with over 800 senior app marketers, product strategists, and growth experts from leading global brands in attendance.

The Early Bird ticket sale ends next week. This is your chance to save £500 on your ticket.

Event highlights:

Top-tier attendees: Network with over 800 senior app marketers and leaders from industry giants, including Strava, Booking.com, Monzo, Taco Bell, King, Babbel, Decathlon, Wise, Jet2, Immediate Media, Blinkist, and more.

Expert speakers: Hear directly from CEOs, CMOs, and app unicorn leaders representing major brands such as Flo, The Premier League, Bolt, Wise, Xero, and The BBC.

Deep-dive workshops: Attend specialized sessions across 7 content stages, including focused workshops, intimate interviews, and industry-specific roundtables.

Networking opportunities: Leverage the custom APS event app to set up meetings, connect with peers, explore the venue, and engage with exhibitors seamlessly.

Exhibition nearly sold out: The bustling Exhibition and Marketplace area is already 90% booked, featuring the world’s leading user acquisition and app engagement platforms and agencies.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be part of an event that will help you learn how to grow and scale apps. Join 800+ in-person attendees and immerse yourself in a day of insightful sessions led by 70+ industry experts across 7 content stages and unrivalled networking opportunities and experiences. Secure your spot now.

The post 5 Reasons to join us at APS London appeared first on Business of Apps.

Looking to scale your app business and forge high-value connections? The Global Growth Meetup Berlin 2025 brings together top app developers, industry leaders, and growth strategists to explore cutting-edge tactics for navigating the evolving global app economy.

Set in the heart of Berlin, this exclusive event offers a focused environment to exchange ideas, gain expert insights, and uncover new opportunities for sustainable growth.

What to expect:

• Gain insights from industry experts on the latest UA trends
• Discover all about the evolution of rewarded advertising
• Hear from a panel of experts on strategies for app growth in 2025 and beyond
• Meet like-minded peers and experts for networking, idea exchange, and potential business partnerships

Date and location:

When: Wednesday, March 26, 4:30 PM
Where: Eve by Night Kitchen, Oranienburger Str. 32, 10117

Space is limited. Don’t miss your chance to take part in this unique opportunity to grow your network and expand your vision.

Reserve your spot here.

The post Level up your app game at the Global Growth Meetup Berlin 2025 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Yodel Mobile, the leading app marketing agency, has announced the appointment of Alexandra Stamp as Head of Marketing.

Stamp, who joins as the first senior marketing hire, brings a wealth of experience from leading agencies, including MHP Group, Croud, and Medialab. Most recently, as Head of Marketing at MHP Group, she focused on multi-channel campaigns, brand positioning and strategic partnerships to drive measurable business outcomes.

Founded in 2007, Yodel Mobile specialises in full-funnel mobile marketing strategies, including app store optimisation (ASO), paid media management, retention, engagement and monetisation strategies. Yodel Mobile has helped scale some of the world’s most successful apps across industries, driving sustainable growth through data-led strategies. Clients include UKTV , B&Q, The RAC, Breast Cancer Care, Yodel Delivery and TUI.

Stamp said:

“It’s hugely exciting to be joining Yodel Mobile on the back of a sustained period of impressive growth. It’s been a challenging 18 months for many agencies, but Yodel Mobile has flourished and continues to strengthen its position as a leader in app growth.”

Mick Rigby, CEO of Yodel Mobile, added:

“We are thrilled to welcome Alexandra to the team. Her expertise in data-driven marketing and her track record of delivering outstanding results make her the perfect fit for Yodel Mobile. As we continue to expand, her leadership will be instrumental in driving our next phase of growth.”

The past year has been a landmark period for Yodel Mobile, particularly in the US, where the company has seen significant expansion and client wins, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Auto Nation Gather and People Ready. Their innovative approach to app growth was recognised globally, earning them awards such as App Marketing Agency of the Year 2024, Most Effective ASO Campaign of the Year 2023, and the Culture 100 Award (greatest places to work) in 2024.

At the core of Yodel Mobile’s success is its proprietary Infinite App Growth Loop, a unique, holistic framework that optimises every stage of the user lifecycle, from acquisition to user advocacy. Powered by data, this ongoing optimisation growth loop ensures continuous improvement with each iteration, driving sustainable, long-term app growth for clients worldwide.

The post Yodel Mobile strengthens leadership, names Alexandra Stamp as first-ever Head of Marketing appeared first on Business of Apps.

As we enter 2025, the mobile marketing landscape remains a hot topic of discussion. Bold claims like “hypercasual games are dead” and “user acquisition is obsolete” continue to circulate alongside the intensifying competition between gaming and non-gaming apps for user attention and brand visibility. But what does the data actually say?

SocialPeta’s latest in-depth whitepaper, The ultimate guide for running better mobile marketing campaigns, unpacks key marketing trends from 2024, analyzing the shifts that shaped the mobile gaming and non-gaming industries.

The report reveals surprising insights, including:

The casual game genre still leads in advertiser and creative share, but RPGs have emerged as the most competitive genre in marketing.

iOS creatives are declining in the mobile gaming sector, yet their presence is increasing in the non-gaming space.

While the global mobile game market continues its recovery, the non-gaming sector has reached record-breaking heights.

With detailed data analysis and expert insights, this report is your go-to resource for optimizing 2025 marketing strategies and identifying new growth opportunities.

Download the full report here and stay ahead of the game.

The post Want to run better mobile marketing campaigns? appeared first on Business of Apps.

You’ve achieved impressive growth with your app – hitting key milestones in installs, active users, and lifetime values. But with scale comes new challenges: rising competition, increasing CPIs (cost per install), and the pressure to justify higher marketing budgets.

To address these challenges, Yodel Mobile has launched Unlocking sustainable app growth: The ultimate app marketing guide, a report designed for app businesses ready to scale efficiently while controlling acquisition costs.

Featuring expert insights from Appsflyer, Apptweak, and MobileAction, this guide explores proven strategies to help you navigate rising CPIs and sustain growth without overspending. If you’re looking to refine your approach to app marketing in 2025, this is for you.

 Who is this app marketing guide for?

This isn’t a guide for early-stage apps that are just launching or in the early growth phase of their product. Instead, it’s tailored for successfully launched businesses that are now focused on scaling efficiently whilst keeping acquisition costs low.

With many apps vying for attention, the app store marketplace is more competitive than ever. Standing out requires more than just increasing spending – it demands a smarter, more strategic approach to user acquisition.  The guide explores proven techniques to help you grow sustainably without dramatically increasing your costs.

Key challenges this guide solves

Scaling your app without acquisition costs spiralling out of control is a common hurdle for many businesses. This guide covers strategies to:

• Optimise paid and organic acquisition for cost-effective growth
• Adjust and leverage new app store tools for better audience segmentation
• Enhance creative performance and boost conversion rates
• Navigate privacy updates and refine attribution tracking, including how to optimise your SKAdNetwork

Enter the next phase of growth

This guide equips you with advanced strategies to scale your app, optimise spending, and maintain sustainable acquisition.

Download Yodel Mobile’s Unlocking sustainable app growth: The ultimate app marketing guide now to take control of your app’s growth!

The post Achieving growth and managing acquisition costs in 2025 and beyond appeared first on Business of Apps.

The biggest names in the app industry are gearing up for App Promotion Summit London 2025, taking place on April 24th at The Brewery. This year’s APS brings together 800+ app marketers and product leaders from the world’s top brands for a day of networking, insights, and growth strategies.

With bookings up 37% from last year, this year’s APS London is set to be the biggest and most impactful yet.

Industry giants in attendance

From fintech to fitness, eCommerce to entertainment, leaders from top-performing apps and brands are joining, including:

Shopping

Very, Auto Trader, Screwfix, Ocado, NEXT, Amazon, John Lewis, B&Q, Ryman, Naked Wines, TK Maxx, Levi Strauss & Co., Decathlon, PrettyLittleThing

Finance

American Express, Monzo, Tide, Emma, NatWest Rooster Money, CoinStats, Remitly, ClearScore, TotallyMoney, Cleo AI, TransferGo, Xero, Kuda, IG Group, Wise

Travel

Jet2, Holiday Extras, Trainline, Bolt, TUI, Skyscanner, Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Turo, FREENOW, Kiwi.com, The RAC, Haven

Games

King, Niantic, SEGA HARDlight, Tripledot Studios, Entain, Stillfront, Product Madness, Paddy Power Betfair, Marmalade Game Studio, William Hill, Trailmix, PokerStars

Education

Babbel, Dogo, Driving Test Success, tonestro, Learn To Master, Busuu, Headway, EF Hello, kitUP, Musopia, Drops, Blinkist, Memrise

Health & Fitness

Runna, Holland & Barrett, Adidas, Sweatcoin, Nutracheck, Flo, YAZIO, Arise, Simple, Fitify, Pixster Studio, The Body Coach, EvolveYou, Strava

Media

BBC, Financial Times, Channel 4, The Telegraph, Reuters, Paramount, Reach plc, Immediate Media

Food & Drink

Taco Bell, Mob, AB InBev, Flink

Why you can’t afford to miss APS London 2025

• Connect with app growth and revenue leaders across multiple industries
• Gain cutting-edge insights from top brands and industry experts
• Explore the latest strategies in user acquisition, retention, and monetization
• Network with peers, partners, and potential clients in an exclusive setting

Plus, for every ticket sold, a tree will be planted.

Tickets are selling fast — secure yours now here.

Want to sponsor or partner with APS London? Get in touch!

The post Who’s coming to APS London 2025? appeared first on Business of Apps.

ContextSDK has unveiled a new case study showcasing how Wizz, one of France’s top friend-finding apps, transformed user engagement and retention using real-world context data.

By leveraging ContextSDK’s advanced context-aware technology, Wizz optimized in-app interactions, leading to significant increases in conversions, revenue, and overall user satisfaction — all while maintaining a strong commitment to privacy.

Unlocking the power of context-aware engagement

The case study provides an in-depth look at how Wizz used over 200 real-world signals — including motion, device status, and time of day — to tailor user experiences in real time.

This innovative approach enabled the app to engage users at the perfect moment, resulting in remarkable outcomes:

• 81% increase in conversions by delivering offers exactly when users were most receptive
• 80% of potential sales achieved with just 20% of upsell attempts, demonstrating the power of precision targeting
• Higher engagement, retention, and loyalty through contextually relevant interactions
• Enhanced privacy-first strategies that improve app performance without compromising user trust

Why context-aware strategies matter

In an increasingly competitive app landscape, generic engagement tactics are no longer enough. Context-aware technology allows apps to move beyond static interactions and instead create meaningful, well-timed experiences that drive real results. Wizz’s success story demonstrates how understanding user context can turn passive users into loyal customers while maximizing monetization opportunities.

As mobile engagement becomes more sophisticated, brands that adopt context-aware strategies will gain a significant competitive edge. ContextSDK provides the tools needed to ensure every interaction is impactful, timely, and relevant, helping apps like Wizz thrive in a crowded market.

The post Maximizing app retention through context-aware engagement appeared first on Business of Apps.

Tenjin, a leading mobile measurement platform, is proud to announce it has joined Meta’s Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) program.

This partnership enables Tenjin’s customers to measure and optimize the performance of their mobile app campaigns across Meta’s platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram.

Christopher Farm, CEO and Co-Founder at Tenjin, said about the partnership:

“Integrating with Meta marks a major milestone in Tenjin’s journey to empower growing mobile publishers.  Meta has long been the go-to platform for mobile publishers launching campaigns, thanks to its simplicity and proven effectiveness. At Tenjin, we share a similar product philosophy: making complex processes simple and accessible. With Tenjin, Meta’s advertisers can rely on an efficient marketing analytics platform that makes their growth much easier. From intuitive first interactions with our dashboard to unique tools like DataVault, we are dedicated to simplifying mobile marketing analytics and driving success for our users.”

Prior to the announcement, Tenjin has been engaged with Meta piloting the integration, and inclusion of Meta ads into measurement reporting. During this period, Tenjin worked closely with select clients to test and refine the partnership, delivering measurable improvements in campaign performance.

One of these clients, Zplay, experienced first-hand the benefits of the Tenjin-Meta integration.

Jane Wang, Marketing Manager at Zplay, commented:

“Tenjin and Meta integration works like magic—it was truly plug-and-play. The quality of the data and the additional Meta features we’ve unlocked through Tenjin have elevated our user acquisition to the next level, enabling us to scale efficiently and achieve remarkable results.”

This partnership marks a significant step forward for Tenjin as it continues to expand its offerings and solidify its position as a leader in mobile measurement and analytics.

The post Tenjin joins Meta’s Mobile Measurement Partner program appeared first on Business of Apps.

Tappx has launched a new resource designed to help mobile media buyers improve the effectiveness of their ad creatives. The guide, The art of mobile media buying: From design principles to user acquisition fundamentals, provides in-depth insights into key design principles and best practices that can enhance engagement, increase conversions, and maximize return on investment (ROI).

With digital advertising becoming more competitive, creative design plays a crucial role in campaign success. This guide serves as a practical resource for marketers looking to refine their approach and develop ads that not only stand out but also drive real results.

Key insights from the guide:

Design fundamentals: Learn the essential principles of effective ad design, including balance, emphasis, and simplicity, to create visually compelling campaigns.

Platform-specific adaptations: Understand how to optimize ad creatives for different devices and digital environments to ensure maximum impact.

Avoiding common pitfalls: Discover the most frequent design mistakes that hinder engagement and how to avoid them.

Data-driven optimization: Learn how to use A/B testing and analytics to refine ad performance and improve ROI.

Audience-centric approach: Get insights into tailoring ad designs for different demographics, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers, to boost relevance and engagement.

Whether the goal is to increase app downloads, enhance brand awareness, or improve conversion rates, this guide offers valuable strategies for success.

Download your copy of the guide here.

The post The art of mobile media buying appeared first on Business of Apps.

Leading game publisher Mattel163 partnered with rewarded marketing platform Gamelight to drive exceptional growth for its popular mobile card games, UNO and Phase 10. Through its cutting-edge rewarded UA strategies, Gamelight successfully promoted these titles across key geographies, including the US, Japan, UK, Germany, and France, on both Android and iOS.

This case study focuses on Phase 10’s impressive success with Gamelight. Mattel163’s objective was to scale efficiently in key regions while ensuring sustained profitability, long-term growth, and engaged players.

The campaign and results

Using its AI-driven rewarded UA platform, Gamelight leveraged deep user insights — including behavioral patterns, gaming history, and demographic data — to identify high-value users and drive exceptional campaign performance. Gamelight’s targeted approach resulted in significant ROAS growth across all regions, ensuring profitability while maintaining cost efficiency.

Performance by region

• Europe (UK, DE, FR): Exceeded expectations by surpassing D7 ROAS targets by 151%, ensuring long-term profitability.
• Japan: Doubled ROAS from D7 to D30, delivering sustained growth and efficiency.
• United States: Achieved 284% ROAS growth from D7 to D30, showcasing strong scaling potential with highly engaged users.

Given these results, Mattel163 recognized Gamelight as a key driver of success:

“This is a highly valuable and premium advertising channel, offering precise and high-quality traffic. It demonstrates outstanding performance in terms of cost recovery and overall data results, especially in core regions of Europe outside the US. The professional cooperation and service from the channel make it highly promising for long-term collaboration!”

Leon Zhou, UA Team Leader, Mattel163

Industry recognition

Gamelight’s continued success is validated by its rankings in the AppsFlyer Performance Index, where it holds a Top 2 position for Casual titles in Western Europe, Japan & Korea, among other regions. Additionally, Gamelight has also been recognized in the latest AppsFlyer Performance Index as the Top 1 rewarded UA source globally across all genres, solidifying its leadership in mobile game marketing.

AppsFlyer Performance Index

Source: AppsFlyer

Conclusion

Mattel163’s partnership with Gamelight has delivered exceptional ROAS growth, doubling and tripling performance across key markets, with up to 284% ROAS growth in the US. This collaboration highlights Gamelight’s ability to scale efficiently, ensuring long-term success and profitability for top mobile gaming brands.

As the #1 rewarded UA platform, Gamelight continues to empower game publishers with data-driven insights, AI-powered targeting, and highly engaged users.

Want to achieve similar results? Explore the Gamelight dashboard and its unique features here. For inquiries, reach out to partners@gamelight.io.

The post Gamelight overdelivers ROAS for two Mattel163 mobile games appeared first on Business of Apps.

The Apptivate podcast has become a reference point for marketers around the world. Since 2018, Remerge has been joined by some of the biggest mobile leaders and influencers to discuss the hottest tech trends, from privacy developments, app growth strategies, and campaign measurement to AI, creatives, and brand messaging.

Now, you can get behind-the-scenes at one of the longest-running ad tech shows.

Remerge has unveiled the winners of its inaugural Apptivate For The Record Awards — a list of its best-performing and engaging podcast episodes from 2024. The categories include:

• Apptivate Influencers (the most listened-to episodes from 2024)
• Apptivate Trendsetters (the episodes with the highest social media engagement rate in 2024)
• Apptivate High Scorers (the most listened-to gaming-focused episodes from 2024)
• Apptivate Editor’s Pick (the episode with exceptional advice and takeaways)

Get your copy of the results, which also features audience stats from the show and a guide to the conversations you may have missed.

The post Remerge launches new award to recognize best-performing app podcast episodes appeared first on Business of Apps.

Yodel Mobile, App Marketing Agency of the Year 2024, has launched The Yodel Growth Loop, a monthly LinkedIn newsletter packed with the latest trends, expert insight and must-know updates from the world of app growth and marketing.

The newsletter, released monthly, is the ideal bite-sized content for app marketing professionals looking to level up their strategies. It includes updates across the Apple and Google ecosystems, along with tips for App Store Optimisation, Paid Media, Retention, and Revenue growth.

What to expect from the Yodel Growth Loop

In the first edition, we covered the evolving ASO landscape, Google Play’s latest updates and the growth strategies that are redefining mobile success in 2025.

Here’s a sneak peek at the insights from the February newsletter:

Apple’s Next Big Play: A dedicated gaming hub for iOS

Apple is levelling up mobile gaming with a brand-new gaming hub for iOS! This all-in-one platform will bring together App Store and Game Centre features, making it easier than ever to discover games, track leaderboards, take on challenges, and possibly even connect with friends via FaceTime and iMessage. While the launch date is still a mystery, one thing’s for sure – mobile gaming on iOS is about to get a serious upgrade! 

Read the rest of February’s insights here.

The inspiration behind the Yodel Growth Loop

Source: Yodel Mobile

What better way to pay tribute to our growth frameworks than by naming LinkedIn Newsletter series the Yodel Growth Loop? At the core of Yodel Mobile’s approach is our Infinite App Growth Loop, a dynamic framework designed to optimise every stage of a user journey, from acquisition and engagement to retention and advocacy. Unlike linear strategies, this loop ensures that every touchpoint feeds into the next, creating a cycle of continuous growth and refinement.

The Loop was brought to life through our work with B&Q, the UK’s largest home improvement and DIY retailer. By leveraging data-driven ASO strategies, SEO synergies, and seasonality-based optimisation, Yodel Mobile transformed their app presence, increasing the user base by 548% and boosting app revenue by 190%. Through ongoing iteration and strategic experimentation, we achieved sustainable growth, with the B&Q app now delivering the lowest ROAS across their marketing channels. Read the full case study here.

Subscribe to the Yodel Growth Loop LinkedIn newsletter today to receive your monthly app marketing insights.

The post Welcome to the first edition of The Yodel Growth Loop appeared first on Business of Apps.

MobileAction, a leader in App Store Optimization (ASO), app growth and mobile user acquisition, has unveiled its latest innovation with the release of its new ASO Intelligence tool — an advanced solution designed to make high-quality ASO insights accessible to all marketers and developers. With a flexible pricing model, the tool empowers indie developers, scaling startups, and enterprise publishers alike to maximize their organic visibility and optimize Apple Search Ads (ASA) strategies.

Launching on 19th February 2025, the ASO Intelligence tool introduces two new ASO plans, with additional offerings in development to further level the playing field for app marketers and developers. This marks a significant step in MobileAction’s ongoing mission to streamline the user acquisition process and integrate ASO with paid search strategies.

Breaking down barriers in ASO and user acquisition

Yekta Ozcomert, COO of MobileAction, emphasizes the company’s focus on creating a unified growth ecosystem for app marketers:

“We’re reevaluating how to streamline the entire user acquisition process. Our mission is to create a holistic platform that blends ASO data, paid user acquisition, automation, and intelligence in a way that’s easy for everyone.”

By merging ASO insights, paid user acquisition, automation, and intelligence, MobileAction’s new tool ensures marketers and developers can optimize their strategies with real-time data and in-depth analytics. The company has also teased additional ASO and ASA features on the horizon, solidifying its position as an industry leader.

Ozcomert continues:

“Organic and paid search are two sides of the same coin. We’re breaking down any silos that exist between these channels, helping app marketers get maximum returns on their marketing and product optimization efforts. High-quality ASO data should be accessible to everyone, not just companies with big budgets. We want to support starters or scaling companies in addition to maintaining our enterprise services.”

Flexible pricing plans to meet every need

To ensure accessibility for all, MobileAction is introducing affordable pricing plans for its new ASO Intelligence tool:

• Basic: Starting at $69/month, ideal for newcomers to ASO
• Pro: Priced at $239/month, tailored for growing teams looking to scale
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for comprehensive tools suited for large organizations

Alongside these plans, the ASO Intelligence tool features an upgraded user interface, offering a full ASO overview, advanced keyword tracking, localization insights, and a detailed app update timeline, making it easier than ever for marketers and developers alike to optimize their app growth strategies.

Looking ahead

Ozcomert reiterates MobileAction’s vision for a more inclusive ASO landscape:

“These plans are all about democratizing ASO — giving everyone from indie developers to large-scale publishers the organic search insights and tools they need to stay competitive. Our new ASO Intelligence module is designed not just for today’s giants but for tomorrow’s visionaries.

“We are eager to assist all our clients, both new and established, in achieving their app growth objectives. We value the opportunity to collaborate with them and celebrate their accomplishments. And that’s just the beginning: we’re also preparing more ASO and Apple Search Ads offerings, enabling app marketers to amplify paid search alongside organic discoverability in a unified platform.”

To facilitate a smooth transition for their freemium users, MobileAction invites all app developers and marketers, from seasoned ASO experts to indie studios, to explore the new ASO plans. Start your 7-day free trial today and use the “BOA30” promo code to take advantage of an exclusive discount on your first transaction starting today and begin your journey towards dominating the app stores.

With this launch, MobileAction continues to push the boundaries of app growth, App Store Optimization, and Apple Search Ads, ensuring that marketers and developers have the insights, automation, and support needed to thrive in an increasingly competitive mobile landscape.

More information on MobileAction’s new ASO Intelligence tool can be found here.

The post MobileAction unveils new intelligence product to democratize App Store Optimization and Apple Search Ads appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit London is back on April 24th, bringing together the biggest experts in app growth, AI-driven marketing, user acquisition, retention, and revenue scaling. This is your chance to learn from industry leaders, explore the latest strategies, and connect with top professionals shaping the app economy.

What’s new in 2025?

This year, APS London is bigger than ever, featuring:

7 content stages – covering every key aspect of app growth
70+ speakers – insights from top growth, marketing, and product experts
30+ sessions – including deep-dive workshops, interactive discussions, and case studies
NEW Verticals Zone – tailored insights for different app industry segments

Key agenda highlights

Here’s a sneak peek at some must-attend sessions:

Lessons Learned Growing an App Unicorn – Dmitry Gurski, CEO and Co-Founder at Flo
Organic User Growth with Referral Programs and Word of Mouth – Asya Kuznetsova, Senior Product Manager at Wise 
Paywall Optimization Reimagined: A Case Study – Tigran Mkrtchyan, Head of Digital Marketing at CoinStats
Scale Smart: ASA Automation Framework You Need for Global Growth – Ritwik Arya, App Marketing Manager at Trainline 
Lessons Learned Launching and Growing App Products – Jess Parkijavan, Product Manager at The Premier League
Accelerating Growth Through Marketing Partnerships – Mykhailo Kudla, Global Head of Marketing Partnerships at Bolt 
Scaling Smarter: How Innovation Fuels Long-Term App Success – Sherina Khalidi, VP of Performance Marketing at Deezer

Meet the expert speakers

APS London will feature some of the world’s top app growth and product leaders, including:

Giulia Saletto, Head of Performance Marketing and Growth at Tide
Steve Toy, CEO at Memrise
Tom Benn, Head of Customer Acquisition at Naked Wines
Barbara Schädel, Mobile App Lead Product Manager at The Very Group
Yagiz Ozyurek, UA Team Lead at Product Madness
Eugene Kuznetsov, Product Lead at Holland & Barrett
Alexa Coleridge Cole, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Xero
Lucy Rosier, Mobile App Growth Manager at BBC Studios
Irina Ashkenazy, Head of Growth Marketing at Sweatcoin
Georgina Andrews, Growth Marketing Lead at Kuda
Angele Lenglemetz, Senior Product Manager at Cleo AI
Anton Volovyk, Co-CEO at Reface

APS London is the place to gain cutting-edge insights, learn how to scale apps, embed AI in your marketing strategy, and maximize revenue growth. With practical case studies, expert-led discussions, and exclusive networking opportunities, this is the must-attend event for app marketers, product managers, and growth strategists.

Don’t miss out, save your spot today.

The post The APS London 2025 agenda is live: What to expect? appeared first on Business of Apps.

Nathan Hudson, CEO of Perceptycs and App Marketer of the Year 2024, alongside Andrew Davies, CMO at Paddle, will break down Web-to-App strategies and dive deep into the ins and outs of how they can help apps grow, reduce costs, and expand into new markets.

Whether you’re just starting out or already generating millions in revenue, these events are designed to help apps at every stage:

What to expect:

• Real-world case studies and successful Web-to-App strategies
• Actionable insights to improve conversion rates and ROAS
• Practical tools to test, measure, and optimize your Web-to-App funnel

The series will dive deep into the business case for Web-to-App, sharing proven playbooks and tools that top app-first companies use to drive revenue through the web.

The first session in the series will take place on Thursday, February 13th. If you don’t want to miss this opportunity to future-proof your app growth strategy, save your spot here.

The post Unlock app growth in 2025 with Web-to-App strategies [online workshop] appeared first on Business of Apps.

A new report from Jampp, in collaboration with Apptopia and M&C Saatchi Performance, highlights the power of creative ad strategies in maximizing return on investment (ROI) for shopping apps. The guide, “Profit by Design (Shopping Edition)”, explores how high-performing ad creatives drive higher engagement, conversions, and long-term growth.

The study emphasizes that compelling ad designs — incorporating the right formats, messaging, and interactive elements — are key to converting impressions into meaningful user actions. With multiple touchpoints in a user’s journey, a strong creative strategy can make or break the decision to install and engage with a shopping app.

Key insights from the report:

• Key regional insights into the state of shopping apps in 2024
• Emerging ad formats and features to test in 2025
• DOs and DON’Ts for optimizing creative performance
• Complementary growth strategies for sustained app success
• Expert contributions from Fetch, Magazine Luiza, and OTTO

With real-world examples and actionable insights, this guide equips marketers with proven tactics to expand their user base and increase sales through optimized ad creatives.

The post Creative strategy drives higher ROI in shopping apps, new Jampp report reveals appeared first on Business of Apps.

Join us in London on April 24th for a day of learning, networking, and growth.

As we gear up for what promises to be a year of strong growth and momentum for the app industry, we can’t wait to welcome you to App Promotion Summit London on April 24th. This will be our biggest-ever event with 800+ attendees and a plethora of ways to learn how to grow and scale apps and make authentic connections.

What’s more, we’ve already had registrations from leading apps including Strava, The Telegraph, Monzo, King, Babbel, Decathlon, and American Express.

This year, we’re also expanding our content stages. On top of our main stage, three specialist workshop zones, and a roundtable room, we’ve added ‘The Verticals Zone’ hosting industry-specific discussions and an ‘App Talks’ stage featuring exclusive interviews.

Keynote speakers will include CEOs, CMOs, and industry leaders from top app brands like Flo, The Premier League, Bolt, Wise, Xero, and the BBC.

Plus, our Marketplace is bigger than ever, connecting you with leading app platforms and agencies. And to make networking seamless, we’ve launched a dedicated App Promotion Summit event app to help you find and connect with the right people.

APS London 2025 is shaping up to be an unmissable event. Register today to save your spot.

The post App Promotion Summit London 2025: Here’s what’s new appeared first on Business of Apps.

TikTok has reclaimed its crown as the world’s most downloaded app, dethroning Instagram, which briefly stole the top spot in 2023.

It was a two horse race for most of the year, with TikTok ending on 773 million downloads and Instagram on 759 million, according to data provided by Appfigures and AppMagic. Both apps had higher total downloads in 2024 than 2023.

Most popular apps on iOS and Google Play stores 2024 (mm)

Sources: Appfigures, AppMagic

Instagram relies heavily on India for its downloads, the country was responsible for about 40 percent of total downloads in 2024. TikTok is banned in India, so cannot sap that large userbase. China, Indonesia, the United States and Pakistan were all responsible for over 10 percent of TikTok’s downloads in 2024.

The looming TikTok ban in the United States did not scare away new users, with downloads increasing by 13.5 percent on the previous year.

Facebook and WhatsApp, the two other social apps from Meta Platforms, rounded out the top four, with 571 million and 527 million downloads, respectively.

Other impressive climbers include Temu, which increased its downloads by 164 million in 2024. Temu has also faced criticism from the US, which is responsible for 14 percent of all Temu downloads in 2024, due to it avoiding import taxes by shipping in volumes under $800. This law has been amended by the US government, a direct response to Temu and Shein.

Instagram Threads also hit the top 10 on its first year with 322 million downloads. India, the United States and Brazil downloaded Threads the most in 2024.

ChatGPT barely missed out on the top 10, but was a top three downloaded app in the Germany, France and Italy.

In the games market, Roblox was the most installed mobile game in 2024, knocking Subway Surfers off the first spot, which it has held for over four years. Block Blast by Hungry Studio was the standout performer in 2024, and was top of the charts in the United States and United Kingdom.

The post TikTok reclaims title of most downloaded app of the year appeared first on Business of Apps.

App Promotion Summit is where the brightest app marketers and product experts come together to share the latest app growth strategies and tactics. This is your chance to join industry leaders from brands like Flo, Spotify, WeWard, DoorDash, CNN, AppsFlyer, Reddit, and the Premier League on stage.

We’re hosting events in London (April 24th), New York City (September 18th), and Berlin (November 27th) — and we’re looking for exceptional speakers from across the app ecosystem.

Whether you’re in eCommerce, travel, finance, health and fitness, user acquisition, or CRM, we want to hear your story. Our agenda includes a variety of ways to get involved, from main-stage talks to workshops, panels, and roundtable discussions.

This year’s key themes:

• AI in app marketing
• World-class retention
• User acquisition 2.0
• Channel diversification
• Product excellence
• Revenue growth

By sharing your expertise, you’ll elevate your personal brand, grow your professional network, and inspire the app growth community. Plus, you’ll leave with professional photos and videos of your stage presence.

Got an idea for a talk or workshop? Want to join a panel or lead a roundtable discussion? Fill out a speaker form or email Emily at emily@apppromotionsummit.com to get involved.

The post Are you ready to be the next app growth superstar? appeared first on Business of Apps.

The Finance App Market Map 2025 is now live and available to download. This infographic breaks down the finance app industry into its many subcategories and identifies the key players in each of these subcategories, providing a holistic overview of the sector.

The finance app market has been one of the areas that has seen the most app-focused activity from both incumbents and new startups. This has come in the form of near-field communication (NFC) and peer-to-peer payments, digital currency, mobile banking, zero commission stock trading and loans, and customizable and temporary insurance options.

These apps have been widely adopted, with over 2.5 billion people accessing finance apps every day, according to our Finance App Report. Trillions of dollars is processed everyday through apps, and the neobanks that at first were used for budgeting and everyday spend have become primary accounts for millions in the US and UK.

Governments and international corporations have pushed new standards, such as NFC, UPI in India, and PicPay in Brazil, with the intent of breaking down the barriers of access and giving more citizens a chance to use financial services.

The finance app sector has many subsectors, and some apps overlap in function by providing banking, payments, investments and other add-on services. In this market map, we have attempted to break down the sector into its distinct subcategories, and assign the key finance apps into their most prominent category.

Banking: Mobile-first banking services brought us out of the dark ages, with apps like Chime, SoFi and Current in the United States and Revolut, Monzo and N26 in Europe pushing forward data-driven features aimed at teenagers and young adults. Tide and Starling Bank have made these budgeting and mobile-first features available to business customers as well.

Budgeting: For the money conscious, there are several apps that prioritise keeping finances in the green through insights and restrictive actions. Cleo, Empower and Klover focus on providing cash a few days before payday providing additional flexibility with paying bills, while Splitwise and Finanzguru help users track bills and spending in a more efficient manner.

Saving: Putting aside a set amount each month can be difficult, but apps like Rocket Money, Albert and Monarch prioritize saving with helpful insights. Apps like Acorns and Plum automate the process of saving, by rounding up every payment made and putting the change into a savings account.

Payments: Sending payments to other people used to be a difficult process – especially in the United States – but apps like Venmo, Cash App and Zelle simplified the process by making it as easy as knowing the other person’s email or phone number. PayPal, Wise and Remitly offer cheap ways to send payments internationally, reducing the cost significantly compared to regular banks.

Buy Now, Pay Later: Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm have pushed forward a new form of credit that requires fewer checks than typical loan services, while also reducing the interest to zero percent in most cases. These buy now, pay later apps also have multiple ways to pay off the loan, providing further flexibility to the customer.

Investments: Robinhood started a tidal wave of interest in investing with its zero percent commission stock trading app, which made it much cheaper for retail investors to own and trade individual stocks. Apps like MoneyBox and Nutmeg offer much lower fees than typical brokerages through the use of robo-funds, which automate the management process of a fund.

Crypto: Binance, Coinbase and Kraken facilitate the trading of crypto altcoins on dedicated marketplaces with thousands of available coins and secure payment processing, while apps like Trust and Zengo offer a secure wallet to store and trade these coins.

Insurance: Insurers such as Lemonade, Root and Cuvva use the power of data to improve the insurance options available to customers, by offering personalized plans that can be more cost effective. These providers remove a lot of the red tape and hidden fees that plague the industry.

Credit Score: Managing your credit score use to be a difficult process, but apps such as Credit Karma, Kikoff and ClearScore have made the experience a lot clearer with actionable insights to improve scores.

Cashback: Apps such as Shopback, Fetch and PAYBACK enable users to get cashback, coupons and vouchers for shopping at retailers, while PayPal Honey searches the web for coupons available before an item is purchased.

Accounting and Tax: Getting tax affairs in order can be quite a hassle, but there are several vendors including TurboTax, TaxFix and TaxScouts that simplify this process. QuickBooks and Xero offer more holistic accountancy software on mobile.

That’s a wrap on our Finance App Market Map 2025. You can download the map as a PDF, which includes a landscape version for slides and presentations.

The post The Finance App Market 2025 Landscape appeared first on Business of Apps.

Intellifluence, one of the world’s largest warm contact influencer networks, is now home to over 250,000 influencers. Of those influencers, over 23,000 own or manage blogs, offering brands the ability to run social media and content marketing campaigns simultaneously.

Since 2016, Intellifluence has enabled over 36,000 brands to collaborate with influencers and bloggers all over the world and has introduced proprietary features such as Herd Worth, which estimates the dollar value of an creator’s entire audience.

This post was first published on intellifluence.com.

“One of the main things that sets us apart is the value we provide to both brands and influencers,” Andrew Evans, Head of Client Services, explained. “Influencers can join our network for free and we don’t take any percentage of their earnings, which can explain a lot of the growth we have enjoyed over the last decade.”

Evans also highlighted the added value brands enjoy as the network continues to grow at a steady rate: “As real, high-quality influencers and bloggers continue to join our platform, our brands will have an even easier time discovering the perfect candidates for broad or niche marketing initiatives.”

Intellifluence offers influencers the ability to earn money for referring friends and family by using their unique referral share links located within their profiles.

Influencer and podcast host Laura Pence Atencio lauded the network and opportunities provided: “I’ve created so many “extra paydays” for myself using Intellifluence, that I’ve lost count!”

The post Intellifluence surpasses 250,000 influencer milestone appeared first on Business of Apps.

The countdown is on for App Promotion Summit London 2025. Launch tickets for the premier app growth event will close this Friday, January 17th. This is your chance to become part of the event that will help you learn how to grow and scale apps.

APS London 2025 will make a dynamic return to the Brewery on Thursday, April 24th. Set to welcome over 800 attendees, this year’s summit will feature 70+ industry experts across seven stages and offer a full day of actionable insights, industry-leading content, and unparalleled networking opportunities.

Attendees can save up to £1,000 by securing their spot before the January 17th deadline.

Partnership opportunities are also available, providing a platform for connecting with decision-makers from the world’s leading apps. Businesses can choose to reserve a spot in the exhibition area or contribute to the event’s agenda.

To secure your launch ticket, visit the official APS London 2025 website.

The post APS London 2025 launch tickets end this Friday appeared first on Business of Apps.

Beyond Borders: Mobile Gaming Insights for Global Growth, a new interactive report by Moloco, reveals that mobile gaming app marketers tend to overfocus on large and well-established markets. By investing in a limited number of countries, marketers may be missing out on hidden opportunities in non-traditional markets, the report suggests.

Drawing on insights from thousands of mobile gaming apps, the report reveals where high-value users are located, how paid acquisition strategies can drive growth, and how opportunities shift across genres and operating systems.

Key findings include:

• 71% of mobile gaming app marketing spend is concentrated in just 10 countries, with the US alone accounting for 40%. The UK comes in second with 6% of the total spend, followed by Germany at 5%, and Japan at 4%.
• High-value users can be found across all markets and genres, with the top 10% of paying players contributing 70-85% of total in-app purchase revenue in each country.
• Paid acquisition strategies are key to finding these high-value users by understanding the dynamics between marketing costs, user value, and total revenue opportunity.
• Mobile gaming app marketers in China are leading the way in diversifying global marketing spend and growth.

Tom Shadbolt, Senior Insights Manager at Moloco, said:

“This research intends to inspire marketers to think outside of their comfort zone. The hyperconcentration of advertising spend in a few countries creates a huge opportunity to uncover high-value users in new global markets that can be unlocked through targeted user acquisition strategies. Perhaps there is some bias that is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy as marketers focus their spend too narrowly. The key learning from this research is that marketers may be missing out on opportunities to capture users of value and that constant experimentation of new audiences is essential as global markets evolve.”

Methodology:

For this research study, Moloco’s data scientists used performance data from thousands of mobile gaming apps, focusing on those that monetize primarily through in-app purchases (IAPs). Data was collected from 195 countries, and more than 4,000 gaming apps across key mobile gaming genres were analyzed. Data from data.ai, a Sensor Tower company, was also utilized.

To access and download the full report, visit Beyond Borders: Mobile Gaming Insights for Global Growth.

The post 70-85% of IAP revenue in gaming apps is driven by the top 10% of paying players appeared first on Business of Apps.

MobileAction has announced a significant expansion of its Apple Search Ads ecosystem, integrating Skai‘s (formerly Kenshoo) Apple Search Ads business into its platform. The partnership positions MobileAction as a premier Apple Search Ads partner, offering app developers and marketers a comprehensive suite of tools and support for user acquisition and growth.

This strategic expansion enhances MobileAction’s capabilities, enabling it to deliver deeper insights and more robust solutions tailored to the needs of the app marketing industry. By incorporating Skai’s expertise and customer success team, MobileAction aims to provide unparalleled value across the entire lifecycle of Apple Search Ads campaigns.

Strengthening the MobileAction ecosystem

Aykut Karaalioglu, founder and CEO of MobileAction, said about the partnership:

“We’re thrilled to welcome Skai’s Apple Search Ads clients and customer success team to the MobileAction family. We offer a comprehensive ecosystem for app developers and marketers to achieve their goals – no matter where they are in their journey. This strategic partnership expands our Apple Search Ads business significantly. It cements our standing as the largest Apple Search Ads partner, empowering us to deliver even more innovative solutions and drive tangible growth for our customers.”

Skai’s existing client base, which includes leading global brands, will gain access to MobileAction’s advanced tools, insights, and experienced team of app marketing professionals. With this enhanced support network, MobileAction is well-positioned to help clients optimize and scale their Apple Search Ads campaigns.

A Commitment to innovation and growth

Yekta Ozcomert, co-founder and COO of MobileAction, commented:

“The driving force behind this acquisition is to bring more value to app marketers and developers looking to fully capitalize on the power of Apple Search Ads. We’re committed to providing round-the-clock support, seamless onboarding, and continued innovation. Our combined expertise will undoubtedly transform the experience for our expanded client base and deliver better, faster results in the ever-evolving app marketing space.”

The integration of Skai’s Apple Search Ads business underscores MobileAction’s commitment to setting new benchmarks for the industry. As the team focuses on delivering exceptional outcomes, customers can expect enhanced tools, richer insights, and unmatched support to navigate the competitive landscape of app marketing.

For more details, visit the MobileAction blog.

The post MobileAction completes partnership with Skai, cementing its position as the leading Apple Search Ads platform appeared first on Business of Apps.

Going into 2025, the app industry is on the cusp of a new wave of sustained progress.

At APS London on 24th April, we will be exploring the key trends driving app growth in 2025 with a range of talks, workshops, panels and roundtables (with plenty to get your teeth into).

Are you ready for the new app growth frontier?

Embedding AI in App Marketing – take your AI workflows to the next level and learn to apply AI across the app growth funnel

World Class Retention – understand the latest onboarding, activation, user journey and engagement tactics and strategies

User Acquisition 2.0 – Adopt privacy-centric strategies by leveraging first-party data and optimising for accurate attribution with the use of AdAttributionKit and Privacy Sandbox.

Channel Diversification – tap into the power of CTV, Web2App, OEM, OOH and retail media to maximise exposure and engage diverse app audiences

Product Excellence – creating an exceptional product experience including a seamless user journey, intuitive design and the use of user feedback, prioritising UX and user satisfaction.

Revenue Growth – optimize subscriptions and paywalls with the best pricing models, methods to reduce churn, and approaches to maximise LTV

Learn from app growth experts

We are excited to share that we have speakers confirmed from The Premier League, Wise, Memrise, Sweatcoin, Cleo AI, Trainline and Holland & Barrett.

In addition our keynote 2025 speaker Dmitry Gurski, CEO of Flo the 73m MAU will be sharing his lessons learned and insights on the main stage.

Partnership opportunities at APS London 2025

Do you want to connect with decision makers from the world’s leading apps in an environment that leads to authentic relationships? Get in touch to reserve your spot in our exhibition area or contribute to the agenda.

Launch tickets

We’re really looking forward to seeing you. Heads up, launch tickets end on 17th January 2025.

The post Explore app growth trends for 2025 appeared first on Business of Apps.

Data from the Influence of Music report underscores music’s significant impact on mobile app performance. According to Feed.fm’s new report, 76% of users are more likely to download an app if they can choose the music they hear.

76% of users are more likely to download an app if it allows them to choose the music they listen to, highlighting the importance of personalization in today’s competitive app market.

What’s more, 64% spend more time in apps that feature their favorite tracks. These findings highlight the growing importance of personalized music experiences in boosting user satisfaction and driving app engagement and retention.

When 64% of users spend more time in apps featuring their favorite music, it becomes evident that functionality alone isn’t enough — users value the overall experience.

The report draws on a comprehensive survey of US mobile app users aged 18-55, spanning industries like fitness, gaming, and entertainment. It further reveals that apps offering recognizable, popular music gain a competitive edge, with nearly 65% of users preferring apps with well-known songs over those with generic soundtracks.

Beyond user acquisition, music also enhances emotional well-being. Whether it’s boosting motivation during workouts or making the overall experience more enjoyable, the right music elevates users’ interactions with the app. In fact, 73% of respondents report that music improves their emotional state. In other words, adding music to an app is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s essential.

Customizable music options, such as letting users select genres or tracks, not only create deeper emotional connections with users but also help apps stand out in a crowded mobile marketplace. For app marketers and developers alike, these insights offer actionable strategies to boost session lengths, downloads, and retention.

To explore Feed.fm’s Influence of Music report in greater detail and access recommendations tailored for fitness, gaming, and entertainment apps, download the report here.

The post 76% are more likely to download an app with customizable music appeared first on Business of Apps.

The Health & Fitness App Market Map 2024 is now live and available to download. This infographic categorizes the health and fitness app sector into distinct subsectors and identifies the key players in each subsector.

With over 600 million users and $4.4 billion revenue, the health and fitness app sector is a popular category with lots of room for growth. While it has seen a slight downturn since the pandemic, many of the health and fitness habits picked up during that time have remained a part of people’s lives.

Quite a lot of the key apps in this sector are still startups and independent, such as Strava, AllTrails, Flo and Oura. It is also a low-cost app sector, as indicated by development houses such as Leap Fitness and Enerjoy operating several dozen popular health and fitness apps.

At the same time, plenty of users are accessing single feature apps instead of using a platform to track everything, as shown by the popularity of apps like MySwimPro, Yazio, and Sleep Cycle. This makes potential consolidation of the market into a few platform apps unlikely, as users are looking for targeted services.

The sector can be broken down into three main pillars: health, fitness and wellness. It can then be broken down further, for example fitness into activity tracking and workouts, health into calorie counters and fasting, and wellness into meditation and sleeping.

• Platforms: All-in-one tools like Apple Health, Google Fit, and Samsung Health track metrics via connected devices. Apps like Fitbit and Oura integrate with wearables for more targeted insights.
• Activity Tracking: Apps such as Strava, AllTrails, and Nike Run Club foster fitness through tracking and social engagement. Personalized training plans are offered by Apple Fitness+, Coopah, and MySwimPro. Reward-based exercise apps like Sweatcoin and WeWard sustain motivation.
• Health and Weight: Apps like MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, and Yazio help track calories, while guided programs like Noom, WeightWatchers, and BetterMe combine check-ins and fitness routines.
• Fasting: Apps like Fastic and Zero support intermittent fasting by tracking schedules and rewarding consistency.
• Workout and Gym: Home workout apps like 8fit, FitOn, and JustFit offer plans without equipment. Muscle Booster, Gymverse, and Fitbod provide gym-based routines.
• Women’s Health: Tools like Flo and Clue focus on period and pregnancy tracking. Apps such as Nanit and Wonder Weeks provide insights for baby care.
• Meditation: Wellness leaders Calm and Headspace offer guided meditations, music, and sleep aids to reduce stress and improve well-being.
• Sleeping: Apps like Sleep Cycle and ShutEye analyze sleep patterns and offer strategies to improve sleep quality.
• Self-Care and Habits: Self-care apps include Finch, Fabulous, and Me+ for habit planning, while Mental combines fitness and therapy for holistic wellness.

To download the Health & Fitness App Market Map 2024 as a PDF check out the link.

The post The Health and Fitness App Market Landscape appeared first on Business of Apps.

At Business of Apps, we are proud to unveil App Leaders 2024 — our annual spotlight on the individuals driving growth, innovation, and transformation in the app industry. These trailblazers consistently push the boundaries of what’s possible, from advancing ASO and user acquisition to redefining engagement and retention strategies.

This year’s App Leaders include a diverse range of professionals: from the C-suite executives of some of the world’s leading brands, apps, and service providers, to directors spearheading motivated teams, all the way to consultants, marketers, and developers solving the app industry’s toughest challenges.

In 2024, we featured a total of 44 exceptional individuals. Today, we take a moment to look back and celebrate their outstanding achievements and the impact they’ve made on the ever-evolving app landscape.

The 2024 App Leaders

• Günay Aliyeva, Co-Founder at Gamelight
• Ryan Angerami, Head of App Dev at Reddit
• Sue Azari, eCom Industry Lead at AppsFlyer
• Yves Benchimol, CEO & Co-Founder at WeWard
• Melissa Bohlsen, CMO at AVOW
• David Brown, Founder & CEO at Grohaus
• Jenniffer Camacho, Mobile Product Lead at Nespresso
• Phil Carter, Founder & CEO at Elemental Growth
• Megan Dean, Strategic Growth Director at Yodel Mobile
• Elizabeth Devine, App Growth Consultant at AppTweak
• Stacy Earl, Head of Marketing and Retention at KashKick
• Florian Elmies, Co-Founder at Gamelight
• Eric Futoran, CEO & Co-Founder at Embrace
• Jessica Gotti, Head of Performance Marketing at Paired
• Thomas le Hardy, VP Marketing & Growth at Tonsser
• Rodolphe Helderwerdt, Head of Marketing at Tandem
• Evelin Herrera, Head of Growth at Appvertiser
• Alejandro Hernandez, CRM Manager, Engagement & Loyalty at Babbel
• Janie Ho, Former Deputy Editor, Growth & Audience Development at New York Daily News
• Ioana Iordache, Head of Retention at Blacklane
• Ben Jeger, VP EMEA at Moloco
• Anastasiia Karlova, Head of Marketing at PlantIn
• Sherina Khalidi, VP Performance Marketing at Deezer
• Kevin Kinnison, Client Partner Lead at Adjust
• Taras Kiseliuk, CEO at ClickDealer
• Frederik Lanwer, Head of Customer Success, Europe at Adjust
• Tobias Lüder, Head of CRM at Delivery Hero
• Diogo Martins, Senior Manager, User Acquisition at DraftKings
• Steve Massaro, VP of Partnerships Headlight
• Mark Menery, VP, Global Head of Sales at Dataseat (Now Part of Verve)
• Talha Mumtaz, Growth Manager at Phiture
• Lomit Patel, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Tynker
• Vijay Ram, Head of Technology at ASOS
• Shamanth Rao, CEO at RocketShip HQ
• Saif Rasheed, Fractional Head of Growth at By Rotation
• Jeremiah Runser, Head of Marketing at Sandboxx
• Paul Sakhatskyi, Head of Product Marketing at Readdle
• Nicoline Strøm-Jensen, Head of Program Management at Adjust
• Jeff Sue, General Manager of Americas at Mintegral
• Ariel Sultan, Product Marketing Manager at Adobe
• Yaron Tomchin, CEO at Mobupps
• Steven C. Toy, CEO at Memrise
• Vitaliy Urban, CEO at Moonly
• Asaf Yanai, CEO at Alison.ai

As we close this year, we’re already looking ahead to 2025 — eager to discover and feature the next wave of innovators and leaders who will shape the future of the app industry.

The post App Leaders 2024: Celebrating innovation and excellence in the app industry appeared first on Business of Apps.

Discover why Telegram ads, PropellerAds’ new advertising format, is a revolutionary traffic source you should leverage in your campaigns right now.

PropellerAds has announced the launch of a new advertising format: Telegram Ads for Mini Apps. This innovation offers affiliates a fresh opportunity to tap into Telegram’s rapidly growing audience. This isn’t the usual run-of-the-mill traffic source; it’s a game-changing goldmine that enables affiliates to enjoy quality engagement and higher conversions from Telegram Mini Apps, which have become popular among users recently.

Telegram ads from PropellerAds: why is it the real deal?

Telegram Mini Apps represent a unique traffic source—one that combines affordability, high engagement, and scalability.

Unlike traditional traffic sources, which are often crowded and capital-intensive, this new format allows affiliates to connect with over 500 million users interacting with mini apps for various purposes, such as making transactions, shopping, gaming, and much more, every month.

PropellerAds found a way to let marketers seamlessly integrate their sponsored content into Mini Apps, displaying their offers to super-engaged users in a manner that motivates them to take action.

PropellerAds sponsored content integration into mini apps

Source: PropellerAds

While traditional Telegram ads (those offered by the messenger itself) as well as platforms like Google Ads Library and Meta are saturated and expensive, this new traffic source is fresh, cost-efficient, and laser-focused on engagement. It feels like leaving an overcrowded highway for a traffic-free express lane.

Here are a few reasons why PropellerAd’s new ad format is a game-changer:

• High Engagement: With Click-Through Rates (CTR) of 10-30% and Conversion Rates (CR) of 10-20%, Telegram Ads significantly outperform traditional display ads.
• Affordable Costs: The Cost Per Click (CPC) is as low as $0.06, offering incredible value for money.
• Diverse Niches: It’s perfect for different verticals, including gaming, health, finance, crypto, etc.

For affiliates looking to take their marketing campaigns to newer heights, here’s how to get started:

• Navigate to the PropellerAds website and start a Telegram Ads campaign

A quick tip: Keep the creatives native. Use clean visuals and snappy copy that blends into the platform’s minimalist vibe. Alternatively, you can rely on the platform’s ML-generated ones! 

• Nail your targeting: PropellerAds offers advanced targeting options to ensure your ads hit the right spot. You can target your audience based on platform, OS, browser, browser language, connection type, and more. Plus, zone white and black listings are available!
• Scale like a pro: After cracking Telegram Ads’ code, gradually increase your budget, test new offers, and watch conversions skyrocket.

Indeed, Telegram Ads in Mini Apps are fresh, powerful, and packed with potential for anyone ready to learn and leverage them.

Regardless of what vertical or sector you’re working with, Telegram Mini Apps traffic is your ticket to success.

Launch your campaigns with PropellerAds and embrace the best traffic revolution.

The post PropellerAds introduces Telegram Ads – a new ad format for affiliates appeared first on Business of Apps.

The highly anticipated App Growth Awards 2024 took place on December 5th, recognizing exceptional achievements and innovation in the global app industry. Held at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, the event brought together industry leaders, visionaries, and rising stars to celebrate success across various categories.

This year’s awards featured a remarkable line-up of entrants who have all redefined excellence in their respective domains, driving growth, innovation, and creativity in the app ecosystem. An independent panel of judges, including representatives from the likes of Omdia, CCS Insight, Roku, Public, Sixt and more, evaluated over 200 entries to crown the winners.

So, without further ado, here are this year’s winners:

• App Growth Innovation: Purchasely’s Funnel Optimization in No Code
• App Marketer of the Year: Nathan Hudson, Perceptycs
• App Marketing Agency: Yodel Mobile
• App Marketing Platform: Appier
• App Store Marketing Campaign: ConsultMyApp & Macy’s
• Education App Campaign: Achieving High-Impact User Growth in Core Markets – Babbel & Thing02
• Entertainment App Campaign: HubX & UGC Ninja – Becoming Number 1 on TikTok
• Fastest Growing App: Localboss
• Finance App Campaign: AdQuantum’s Transformative Impact on GoMining
• Growth Team of the Year: Zigzag Puppy Coach
• Health & Fitness App Campaign: DocMorris’ Fully Digitalised Redemption Process
• Mobile Games Campaign: WeWard – Global Walk Cup 2024
• Retention Campaign: Kuda
• Revenue Optimization Campaign: Crea & madduck
• Social & Influencer Campaign: Ramped – Unlocking Growth in Hard-to-Reach Markets
• UA Manager of the Year: David Vargas, SplitMetrics
• User Acquisition Campaign: Tappx & Cooltra – Unlocking Success with Media Buying
• Outstanding Contribution: Moritz Daan

Big thanks to all of the entrants, finalists, judges, and winners. As always, the calibre and range of entries this year was amazing and every single entry deserves praise for their achievements over the past twelve months.

As we celebrate this year’s successes, we’re already holding our breath for next year’s event, eager to see the innovation and excellence that 2025 will bring.

The post App Growth Awards 2024 Winners Announced appeared first on Business of Apps.

Entravision, a leading media and advertising technology company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jamil Downey as Vice President & General Manager, Americas for its mobile advertising and connected TV technology platform, Smadex. Reporting directly to Chief Revenue Officer Phil Gontier, Jamil will lead Smadex’s US expansion strategy, building on the division’s robust growth trajectory while leveraging Entravision’s extensive market presence and deep-rooted industry relationships to accelerate success.

Jamil brings a wealth of expertise from his tenure at Apple, where he spearheaded high-impact initiatives within the Apple Search Ads division. His exceptional leadership and strategic insight will be instrumental as Smadex continues to strengthen its reputation as a leader in programmatic advertising.

In his new role, Jamil will oversee strategic growth initiatives across the Americas, with a primary focus on the US market. Collaborating closely with the CRO and executive leadership, he will build on Smadex’s successes and drive broader adoption of its innovative ad solutions.

“As Smadex continues to execute on its ambitious growth plan, we are thrilled to welcome Jamil as the leader of our Americas team,” said Phil Gontier, Chief Revenue Officer at Smadex. “Jamil’s experience, strategic mindset, and deep industry knowledge make him the perfect choice to lead and accelerate our expansion. We are looking forward to the value he will bring to our team, clients and partners.”

Smadex continues to deliver exceptional revenue growth, significantly outpacing industry benchmarks. This performance reflects our commitment to innovation and delivering customer success. Jamil’s appointment underscores our dedication to sustaining this momentum and further solidifying Smadex as a leader in mobile and connected TV advertising.

“I’m excited to join Smadex at such a pivotal time of growth and opportunity,” said Jamil Downey, VP & GM, Americas at Smadex. “Smadex’s commitment to delivering impactful advertising solutions perfectly aligns with my vision for growth and innovation. I look forward to collaborating with the talented team to help accelerate success in the US market and beyond.”

Jordi de los Pinos, Founder and CEO of Smadex, also expressed his excitement about the appointment:

“Bringing Jamil on board is a significant step forward for Smadex as we expand our US presence. Jamil’s proven track record and expertise in driving high-growth initiatives will be instrumental  in taking Smadex to the next level. We are confident his leadership will make a lasting impact on our business.”

Entravision’s Smadex division continues to lead the way in mobile advertising innovation, delivering unparalleled solutions to brands domestically and internationally.

The post Entravision’s Smadex welcomes Jamil Downey as VP to drive US expansion appeared first on Business of Apps.

The highly anticipated App Promotion Summit London is set to make a dynamic return to The Brewery on Thursday, April 24th, 2025. The summit will unite app marketing, growth, product, CRM and revenue leaders to share cutting-edge tactics and actionable strategies to grow and scale apps in 2025.

This year’s event promises an unparalleled opportunity for attendees to learn and network with top-tier app marketers and product experts. Featuring interactive workshops, engaging talks, panel discussions, and roundtable sessions, APS London 2025 is designed to spark innovation and foster collaboration.

2025 Keynote Address: Dmitry Gurski, Co-Founder & CEO of Flo

We’re also excited to announce that Dmitry Gurski, Co-Founder & CEO of the trailblazing health app Flo, will be the event’s keynote speaker. Flo’s meteoric rise, including its recent $1 billion valuation, stands as a testament to the transformative potential of apps in today’s market. Gurski will share insights from Flo’s journey, offering invaluable lessons for app developers and marketers.

Call for Speakers

Are you an industry expert with pioneering ideas and actionable insights? APS London is currently accepting speaker applications. Join an exceptional line-up and take the stage to inspire and educate our community of app innovators.

Partnership Opportunities

APS London offers unparalleled opportunities for partners to connect with decision-makers from some of the world’s leading apps. From showcasing your solutions in the exhibition area to shaping the conversation through agenda contributions, this is your chance to build authentic, impactful relationships. Get in touch to reserve your partner spot.

Don’t miss the chance to be part of APS London 2025.

Secure your ticket today.

The post APS London is BACK appeared first on Business of Apps.

Re-engaging iOS users remains one of the most effective ways to generate in-app revenue,  even after the rollout of Apple’s ATT framework. This audience has a higher life-time value (LTV) rate than Android users right now — and savvy mobile marketers are reaping the rewards.

Data shows that 50% of apps increased their overall advertising investments on iOS between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024. As 2024 progressed, AppsFlyer witnessed a 38% jump in advertising spend allocated to iOS remarketing campaigns, compared to the same period in 2023.

Learn more about the iOS re-engagement revival

Remerge, a demand-side platform (DSP) for global brands, and AppsFlyer, a leading Mobile Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP), have teamed up for a new report that analyzes the latest ad tech industry data and pinpoints what mobile marketers must consider when planning their 2025 strategies.