Q2 2025 marked a historic moment in the global mobile app market. For the first time, non-gaming applications generated more in-app purchase (IAP) revenue than games, accounting for 52% of total IAP spending. This represents a substantial increase from Q2 2019, when non-gaming apps contributed only 26% of IAP revenue. The overall mobile app market remains highly active, with total IAP purchases reaching $40.9 billion in Q2 2025, an 11.5% increase compared to Q2 2024. The growth in revenue is largely driven by non-gaming apps, while games contributed minimally, generating $19.8 billion, up only 0.7% from the previous year.
Q2 2025 Mobile Market Report
Platform Revenue Trends
iOS continues to dominate revenue generation in the mobile app market. Of the $40.9 billion earned globally through IAPs, iOS accounts for $28 billion. Even when excluding China, where Google Play is not available, iOS maintains a lead of $10 billion over Google Play. Despite this revenue gap, both platforms showed similar year-over-year growth, with iOS and Google Play expanding by 11.5% and 11.6% respectively.
In terms of downloads, the market remained relatively static compared to Q2 2024, with 36.6 billion installs. Non-gaming app downloads grew by 3.7% to reach 23.8 billion, while game installs declined by 6.8% to 12.8 billion. Google Play led in overall downloads, though it exhibited a negative trend in Q2 2025, whereas iOS, despite having fewer absolute downloads, continued to grow.
Q2 2025 Mobile Market Report
Mobile Game Market Dynamics
The performance of mobile games in Q2 2025 was varied across genres. Strategy games recorded the highest growth in IAP revenue, increasing by 23% year-over-year. Puzzle games followed with a 13% increase, and shooter games grew by 12%. In contrast, several popular genres experienced declines in revenue. RPGs decreased by 12%, casino games by 7%, simulation games by 15%, and action games saw the largest drop at 33%. If these trends continue, puzzle games are likely to surpass RPGs in revenue rankings.
In terms of downloads, strategy games were the only genre to grow, increasing by 5% compared to Q2 2024, largely due to the expansion of titles such as Kingshot. All other major genres experienced a decrease in downloads. These trends reflect a broader shift in user behavior, with non-gaming apps steadily capturing a larger share of both revenue and user engagement.
Q2 2025 Mobile Market Report
Top-Performing Titles
The leading games in revenue during Q2 2025 included Last War: Survival, Royal Match, Whiteout Survival, MONOPOLY GO!, and Honor of Kings. The top 10 revenue-generating titles remained largely consistent, with no new entries. In terms of downloads, Block Blast! led the market, followed by Garena Free Fire, Roblox, Subway Surfers, and Ludo King. Delta Force was notable for entering the top 10 at seventh place.
The games that demonstrated the highest quarter-over-quarter revenue growth were SD Gundam G Generation Eternal, Kingshot, and Seven Knights Re: BIRTH. In terms of download growth, Delta Force led for Q2 2025, followed by Cookingdom and Music Piano 7. These performance trends highlight the ongoing competitiveness of the mobile gaming market, even as overall growth in game revenue slows relative to non-gaming applications.
Q2 2025 Mobile Market Report
Implications for the Mobile App Market
The data from Q2 2025 reflects a gradual but significant shift in the mobile ecosystem. Non-gaming apps, including productivity, social media, entertainment, and lifestyle applications, are increasingly driving IAP revenue growth. The sustained expansion of these categories, combined with flat or declining growth in gaming installs and revenue, suggests a maturing market where monetization strategies beyond gaming are becoming more influential. Platforms such as iOS continue to benefit from higher per-user spending, while Google Play's download volume remains substantial, though its growth has slowed.
The trends observed in Q2 2025 also highlight potential opportunities for emerging sectors, including apps integrated with web3 technologies, which are beginning to gain traction in both revenue and user engagement. The overall mobile app market demonstrates resilience, with steady global spending and shifting user preferences that favor diversified app experiences over traditional gaming alone. Here are all the games mentioned:
- Kingshot
- Last War: Survival
- Royal Match
- Whiteout Survival
- MONOPOLY GO!
- Honor of Kings
- Delta Force
- Block Blast!
- Garena Free Fire
- Roblox
- Subway Surfers
- Ludo King
- SD Gundam G Generation Eternal
- Seven Knights Re: BIRTH
- Cookingdom
- Music Piano 7
