Report: Social Networking Apps Most Launched with the Shortest Sessions

A recent report by Localytics dived into current trends in app usage, and how their usage continues to eclipse that of desktops and laptops. Particularly, the study noted that the time people spend on apps rose to about 21% from last year, despite 20% of apps being opened only once. Dave Hoch, a business analyst for Localytics, prepared the report.

Figure 1

As seen in Figure 1 above, people spend the most time with music, health, and social networking apps. These behavioral patterns should come as no surprise, as more people would be inclined to open their music apps and keep them on the longest out of all the apps they have installed. Health and fitness apps come second for those who use their devices to track calories and steps taken, as well as their workout schedules. With Apple’s announcement that there would be pre-installed exercise apps in their new line of iPhones, the usage of health and fitness apps could increase.

Additionally, companies are considering making fitness apps a “standard” in smartphones “as hardware becomes more advanced and consumers demonstrate an interest in fitness tracking.”

Figure 2

One of the more telling aspects of the study was app engagement, pictured in Figure 2 above. Social networking apps like Facebook were the most launched by a wide margin per month, but they also happened to be where users spent the least time in. Hoch called this “snacking” behavior, as users tended to spend short bursts of time on social networking apps, but still accumulated more launches over a monthly period. Music had the longest session length out of all apps, which Hoch attributed to them being “commonly used during commutes and downtime.”

It should be noted that the different timeframes of engagement reported by Localytics reflect comScore’s recent report on smartphone market share. Facebook still remains the most downloaded app, followed by YouTube and a host of Google’s best known services. When considering how often social networking apps are being launched, being the most downloaded app in the market across all operating devices certainly plays a big factor.

Has your own app usage reflected the Localytics study? What other factors, aside from those mentioned in the study, might have contributed to changes in app usage and engagement? Let us know in the Comments below.

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