Gen AI apps doubled revenue, reaching 1.7 billion downloads by mid-2025

Gen AI apps saw massive growth, with 1.7B downloads and $1.87B revenue in H1 2025.

: 2025 marked a significant surge for generative AI apps in the first half, as they achieved 1.7 billion downloads, doubling from their previous 1 billion mark in the latter half of 2024. These apps generated an impressive $1.87 billion in in-app revenue, compared to $932 million in H2 2024, showcasing tremendous growth. The time spent on these applications also skyrocketed, reaching over 15.6 billion hours across 426 billion sessions, indicating user engagement. Asia emerged as the fastest-growing market, leading in downloads with a 42.6% share, while North America dominated in terms of revenue share at 40%.

Generative AI mobile apps have seen dramatic growth between 2023 and mid-2025. According to Sensor Tower, global downloads of generative AI apps reached around 1.5 billion in 2024, marking a 92% increase compared to the previous year. Consumer spending on in-app purchases for AI tools like chatbots, art generators, and productivity assistants climbed to approximately $1.3 billion in 2024—an increase of 180% year-over-year, underscoring the shift from curiosity to regular usage.

By the first half of 2025, this momentum continued. Appfigures reported that gross consumer spending on generative AI apps rose over 37 times in just two years. In 2024 alone, AI apps generated more than $1.4 billion in revenue, with projections for 2025 surpassing $2 billion. Apps like ChatGPT, Lensa, and Ask AI were among the top-grossing, reflecting both the growing popularity and monetization success of the sector.

The broader AI mobile app market—including non-generative use cases—was estimated by Business of Apps to generate $4.5 billion in total revenue in 2024. Looking forward, this figure is expected to grow significantly, with the market projected to reach $156.9 billion by 2030. This includes spending on AI features in utilities, education, health, and creative platforms across mobile ecosystems.

Consumer adoption has also scaled rapidly. A mid-2025 report by Menlo Ventures estimates that generative AI tools are used by approximately 1.7 to 1.8 billion people worldwide, with 500 to 600 million active daily users. Despite the vast reach, only a small percentage of users pay for premium tiers, indicating large-scale freemium engagement and opportunities for further monetization.

Altogether, these trends show that generative AI apps have effectively doubled their revenue year-over-year and are nearing 1.7 billion downloads by mid-2025. This boom highlights not only a technological shift but also a fundamental change in how consumers interact with mobile intelligence, making Gen AI one of the fastest-growing app categories in history.

Sources: Sensor Tower, Appfigures, Business of Apps

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