Home Flurry: Mobile App Usage Begins to Far Outpace the Web Thanks to Facebook

Flurry: Mobile App Usage Begins to Far Outpace the Web Thanks to Facebook

When technology pundits say mobile is exploding, many people just shrug and say “of course.” Many people might not fully comprehend just how big mobile is growing and the enormous ecosystem that it now encompasses. Mobile computing through smartphones and tablets is growing four times faster than the PC and Internet evolutions of the 1980’s and 90’s. People are now using mobile apps more than the Web and the gap continues to widen.

In research done by mobile analytics company Flurry, users are spending 94 minutes a day with their mobile apps versus 72 minutes on the Web. Author Charles Newark-French attributes the drop to people using mobile apps to access Facebook more often than the Web. Can Facebook really have that type of affect on user behavior?

Facebook has a profound effect on Web usage. It has 800 million users with nearly 500 million active on a regular basis. The social network has the most downloaded app of all time with Facebook for iOS and Android. Facebook is the top among 14 – 44 year olds and, according to Flurry, its newest Messenger app was the most downloaded app in 100 different App Store countries at one point in 2011.

Flurry tracks anonymous sessions across 140,000 applications in its publishers network. That is roughly 14% of the entire app ecosystem. That gives us a large enough sample size to trust trends that Flurry reports.

Games are the top applications used by mobile consumers with 49% of time spent. Social networking is 30% with entertainment and news making up 7% and 6% respectively. This bodes well for companies like Facebook and social games maker Zynga. Neward-French notes that the session lengths of social and gaming apps are longer than that of other apps. People are using the apps more frequently for longer periods of time.

Expect the trend to continue. More people are connecting their lives to mobile devices and will expect that everything they can do on the Web will be on their smart devices. Think about your particular usage. When you are sitting on your couch at home or out and about on the town, are you pulling out your laptop and using a browser to check your Facebook or log into Pandora? Probably not when there is an easy alternative in your pocket that makes these functions accessible with the tap of the screen.

Have you noted your usage change since acquiring a smartphone or tablet? What is your go-to device for accessing information? Let us know in the comments.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.