Digital’s surging growth can be attributed to the use of a wide range of devices, but the smartphone leads by far in rate of growth. Smartphone apps accounted for about 80% of all growth in digital media from June 2013 to June 2016, according to comScore’s latest Mobile App Report.
The study, based on measurement of comScore’s Media Metrix Multi-Platform reporting system and survey results from more than 1,000 smartphone users, also found that smartphone apps now represent nearly half of all digital media time and three out of every four minutes on mobile in aggregate.
While mobile app usage is growing among all age groups, the rate of growth, perhaps surprisingly, is highest (37%) among people age 55-64.
Meanwhile, tablet usage over the past year has dropped across the board, and the most (-35%) in the 35-44 age group.
Facebook and Facebook Messenger were the top mobile apps (in terms of unique visitors), followed by YouTube, Google Maps and Google Search.
It’s a different picture among millennials (age 18-34). The top apps, among those with more than 1.5 million users in that age group, were Yik Yak,PlayStation, Venmo, Twitch and Vine, MeetMe, GroupMe and Tinder.
