AppsFlyer has announced its annual analysis of mobile app trends, revealing how GenAI apps shaped consumer behavior and marketing strategies in 2025. The report showed that GenAI adoption accelerated across the global app ecosystem. As a result, installs rose 16 percent, while category spend reached US$824 million across iOS and Android.

According to the data, GenAI apps ranked among the fastest-growing categories of the year. They placed first on Android and fourth on iOS. This growth reflects their expanding use in creative tools, productivity platforms, and AI assistant experiences. Meanwhile, marketers increasingly aligned their strategies with this shift.

AppsFlyer also reported on AI agent usage for the first time. The analysis revealed how marketers are integrating AI into performance workflows. About 57 percent of AI agent deployments focused on technical automation, including configuration and data-integrity checks. In contrast, 32 percent supported business optimization initiatives.

Distinct patterns emerged across industries. Gaming marketers used AI agents to improve efficiency and protect margins. At the same time, retail and fintech teams relied on agents to scale traffic and transaction volumes. These findings point to an early but meaningful move toward supervised automation, where AI supports decisions while marketers retain oversight.

“Many marketers say they are still struggling to measure clear ROI from AI, yet the adoption curve tells a different story,” said Inna Weiner, VP Product, Data and AI at AppsFlyer. She added that GenAI apps are accelerating in consumer adoption, while marketers are increasingly deploying agents to simplify workflows and improve efficiency.

Beyond AI-driven changes, the report highlighted broader shifts shaping the app economy in 2025. Global user acquisition spending rose 13 percent to US$78 billion, driven entirely by iOS growth and higher investment from non-gaming apps. iOS user acquisition spend increased 35 percent, while Android spending remained flat.

Key findings reported in the analysis include:

• Remarketing spend grew 37 percent to US$31.3 billion, accounting for 29 percent of total app marketing investment, up from 25 percent in 2024.
• Shopping app investment rose 70 percent overall and 123 percent on iOS, driven by China-based ecommerce budgets that reshaped regional and category spending.

Overall, the report revealed that GenAI apps and AI-powered marketing tools are playing a growing role in the evolving mobile app economy in 2025.

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