Mobile app usage hits 51% of all time spent on digital media
With users now spending 60 percent of their Internet time on mobile devices -- the majority of that within apps -- Pandora, Instagram, and Facebook are seeing a surge in mobile use.
Here's a stat that will make most people nod in agreement: time spent on mobile apps is at an all-time high and just keeps growing. But, breaking down the data piece-by-piece does carry some surprising facts -- such as people use Internet radio, social media, and photos far more on their mobile devices than on their PCs.
What's more, for the first time ever, time spent on mobile apps is higher than any other digital medium, coming in at 51 percent.
This new data comes from ComScore's latest mobile app report. The analytics company looked at roughly 10 billion minutes of user engagement on apps during the month of May.
Just a year ago, mobile platforms commanded 50 percent of users' total digital media time, and now that number is up to 60 percent -- the majority of that within apps.
According to ComScore, of all the app categories, digital radio is where people spend the most amount of time, with 96 percent of user engagement coming from mobile devices and Pandora leading that category. Coming in a very close second, also with 96 percent, was photos, which was led by apps like Instagram and Flickr. Other categories, like maps and instant messaging, were also overwhelmingly used on smartphones and tablets.
"While the mobile platform shift continues unabated, not every content category has experienced the shift at the same speed," ComScore wrote in its report. "Amazingly, but perhaps not altogether unexpectedly, a couple of important categories have shifted almost exclusively to mobile."
ComScore also points to the importance of growth in the social networking category, with apps like Facebook and Twitter. While only 70 percent of user activity comes from mobile, the category has seen huge increases in the last year -- total mobile engagement in this category has grown 55 percent and has accounted for 31 percent of all Internet growth since 2013.
"While social networking does not rank at the very top of this list among the most mobile-skewing content categories, it is arguably the most important," ComScore wrote.
