The news: For the first time, revenues in non-gaming apps surpassed gaming app revenues worldwide as genAI, streaming, and social media led the charge in 2025, per Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2026 report.

The top markets for in-app purchase (IAP) revenues are the US, China, and Japan. US revenues reached $59 billion, more than double the other two combined.

Breakout growth in revenues:

• Social media global revenues reached $12.9 billion, 17% more than in 2024.
• GenAI assistant IAP revenues spiked 254% YoY worldwide to $4.33 billion, led by ChatGPT. In the US alone, genAI YoY revenue growth reached 185%.
• Microdrama revenues surged 115% worldwide, with Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam spending surpassing 600% growth YoY; the US was more moderate at 88%.

Apps with high revenue streams are populated with users ready to spend. Advertising in these environments will get brands in front of an impulse-buy audience.

Trendspotting: Social media wins by a landslide in time spent, but top growth YoY goes to genAI.

• Consumers worldwide spent 3.381 trillion hours on social media and social messaging apps in 2025. While significant, the increase YoY is just 5%.
• Time spent in AI assistant apps increased 425% worldwide YoY and 411% in the US. AI companion app time grew 40% YoY in the US, but didn’t break the top 20 worldwide.

Regardless of time spent, the top app by share of audience in the US across age groups is YouTube, which itself defies categorization as it falls under social media, streaming, connected TV (CTV), and more. Adult Gen Zers (18 to 29) and younger millennials (30 to 34) opt for Instagram and Spotify to round out their top three. Those apps are still imperative when planning ad strategies.

Implications for brands: With ChatGPT’s addition of ads, brands will be able to reach more consumers where they are on one of the top-growing apps in revenues, time spent, and downloads. However, its meteoric growth doesn’t mean advertisers should pivot budgets to an untested ad platform.

Plan ads in high-growth markets and target app demographics and geography to maximize return on ad spend (ROAS).