Downloads Are Going into Summer Mode - The Mobile Download Index
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Downloads change drastically during the summer. Kids are on vacation which means more games see more downloads, and more adults are also on vacation which means more traveling and more business downloads.
If you think that last one is counter intuitive keep reading and you'll see why I say that.
The easiest way to see this shift into summer is using the Mobile Download Index, a free resource for developers that tracks the change in download volume for the top apps across countries and categories.
Here's what downloads in the US App Store look like right now vs. 30 days ago, and the top categories by how much downloads grew:
Right now, the top 10 categories with biggest change in download volume are:
- Kids (6-8)
- Games → Family
- Travel
- Entertainment
- Education
- Games → Racing
- Navigation
- Business
- Food & Drink
- Kids (9-11)
Each of these categories are up double-digits.
Can you spot the groups here?
Four categories are about apps and games for kids. With kids out of school, mobile devices are how parents are keeping their kids entertained. Makes sense.
Education also makes sense as school is not in session and those who want to continue learning need... you guessed it. Apps.
Adults also have more free time, which they're using to travel and eat. Also makes sense.
Business at last may seem like a mistake but it isn't. This rise is common as adults who are traveling but still need to work abandon their laptops and desktops in favor of lighter versions of the apps they need to get stuff done right from their phones.
Microsoft's and Google's productivity apps see a summer bump every summer for that reason.
What does this mean for developers and publishers? If your app or game falls into any of these categories now's the time to put more effort into promotion. Be it organic with App Store Optimization or paid with Apple Search Ads, now's the time to increase it.
FYI - The Mobile Market Index is available for free to all developers tracking their apps with Appfigures.
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All figures included in this report are estimated. Unless specified otherwise, estimated revenue is always net, meaning it's the amount the developer earned after Apple and Google took their fee.
