The top mobile app market trends and predictions for 2025

The mobile app marketing industry has come to be defined by continuous transformation and continuous growth. In the face of challenges–regulations, frameworks, technological development, and more—our industry remains adaptable, perseverant, and robust.

Moving into 2025, Adjust is excited to continue transforming challenges into opportunities, together with our partners and clients. As the “privacy era” furthers the emergence and enforcement of laws globally, the urgency of next-generation measurement solutions, including the strategic use of AI and machine learning, will increase for app marketers.

In light of these shifts, we’re taking a closer look at what’s set to come this year. Read on for our key trends and predictions, and position your team, app, and business for sustained success.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will continue moving from promising innovations to essential tools for mobile marketers. As these technologies—and their implications in our workflows—mature, they’re primed to empower teams with more accurate insights and the ability to make lightning-fast, impactful decisions.

In a more complex regulatory environment, which varies by region, strategies need to be as flexible as they are privacy-conscious. Adopting diverse measurement frameworks and predictive tools will be key. 

As constraints on access to first-party data tighten, marketers are rethinking their approach to measurement and performance insights. Traditional methods, while an important part of the equation, are no longer able to provide the full picture, making the adoption of ML models critical to understanding marketing impact. Egor states:

“While the creative benefits of GenAI are significant—including enhancing the mobile experience—it cannot effectively address the measurement challenge. In 2025, facing increasing privacy restrictions while under huge pressure to justify ad spend and prove return on investment, performance-minded marketers will increasingly lean on machine learning models to see how well campaigns are performing, in real time.

By adopting ML models that use alternative data points to share insights about user engagement and conversion, brands can effectively understand and predict user behavior in privacy-compliant ways. 2025 will be the year for experimenting, testing and refining these models. Those who successfully navigate this will gain actionable metrics while setting new standards for measurement.”

Read more about incrementality and the future of mobile measurement.

Regulations on major players in the EU are opening new pathways for brands and apps to connect with users. With the emergence of alternative app stores (for the first time on iOS) and web-based storefronts gaining traction, revenue opportunities are expanding, and previous constraints are beginning to ease. Andrey states:

"Over the next year we’ll see alternative app stores and web stores truly scale. We’ve seen the groundwork laid in 2024 with the introduction of web-based stores and compliance with European regulations like the DMA. These new channels will allow brands to bypass traditional app stores, opening up fresh opportunities to drive revenue. The ability to sell directly to users via these new stores will be a game-changer for many companies."

Read more about the Digital Markets Act and Apple’s AdAttributionKit.

The trend of acquiring smaller but high performing companies to gain traction in new markets will continue. This M&A approach offers large businesses access to new user bases and regional insights, while allowing the local brands and apps to maintain their unique identities while benefiting from the backing of powerful parent companies. Andrey states:

“In 2025, I expect the app market will see a shift toward consolidation, with mergers and acquisitions becoming a key strategy for growth across the U.S. and Europe. As U.S. based companies reach a plateau in their growth, many turn to acquisitions as a way to restart the high-growth phase. This is especially apparent in Europe, where larger U.S. firms are acquiring regional apps with strong local user bases.

However, the rise of super apps, where one app dominates within regions, seems unlikely. Instead, these brands will stay separate but will be owned by a global parent company. These companies will focus on growth by acquiring apps that have the same business values in new markets where it's hard to localize themselves. This will be beneficial for those companies looking to leverage technology like GenAI, as it gives them an understanding of customer behaviors across a range of markets.”

Read more about localization and super apps.

Ready to take your app’s growth to the next level in 2025?

Reach out to your contact person or request a demo today to learn how Adjust is defining the future of mobile measurement.