This report aims to help mobile app publishers, marketers and developers better understand the latest shifts in user demand and competitive dynamics within the global mobile app market.
Overview: Global Mobile Apps Performance in January 2026
Several clear trends shaped the mobile app landscape at the beginning of 2026:
- NetShort increased ad spending, reclaiming the top spot on iOS.
- ChatGPT captured the Korean market, with usage time surging eightfold.
- Threads surpassed 400 million monthly active users, setting its sights on X.
- Google One’s early-year discounts drove strong sales, securing the revenue championship.
Top 20 Mobile Apps by Advertising Activity
First, let’s take a look at the January global mobile app advertising rankings:
- Reshuffling at the Top of the Short-Drama Sector: On iOS, NetShort surged to claim the No.1 position in ad placements, followed closely by DramaWave. On Android, Temu remained in first place, while leading short-drama platforms continued to rank highly across both operating systems.
- Online Literature Apps Continue to Scale Up: Novel Master and WebNovel once again entered the Top 20 on both platforms, further strengthening the presence of web novel apps in the advertising landscape.
- Diverging Performance Among Non-Content Apps: On Android, e-commerce platforms such as Temu and SHEIN maintained leading positions. In contrast, AI-related apps recorded relatively lower ad spending and did not break into the Top 20, highlighting differentiated competition compared with content-driven apps.
- Greater Diversity Beyond the Top 20: While the Top 20 global apps remain highly concentrated, the rankings beyond that tier are increasingly diverse. Several apps from other regional backgrounds have emerged, such as the globally positioned GPS Earth Map: Satellite View and the Korean short-drama platform VIGLOO, both of which have climbed to around the Top 40.
FreeReels Short Drama Ads: Creative Trends and Insights
The short-drama platform FreeReels recently ramped up its advertising efforts, driving a sharp increase in download rankings through its “free short drama” positioning. High-volume placements combined with strong content hooks contributed to its rapid growth in global markets.
Advertising Strategy Behind FreeReels
- Approximately 120,000 deduplicated Android creatives were launched in January, with 83.3% new creatives, reflecting fast-paced iteration.
- Ads covered 81 countries and regions, with a focus on Southeast Asia and South America. The top markets were the Philippines, Brazil, and Indonesia.
- More than 2,800 short dramas were promoted, including 22.4% newly released titles.
- The top-promoted series, Héroe de la Cuenta Regresiva, follows a classic power-fantasy revenge narrative.
- Leading creatives continued to rely on high-impact “face-slapping” clips, while some incorporated AI-generated opening animations to enhance viewer engagement. One such creative reached an estimated 130,000 impressions.
WebNovel Advertising Trends: January Performance Overview
WebNovel has consistently hovered around the Top 20 in the advertising rankings, while its light version, WebNovel Lite, recorded minimal ad activity. Below is an overview of its January advertising performance:
Key Advertising Insights：
- Around 86,000 deduplicated ads across both platforms, with 72.1% new creatives.
- Coverage in 82 countries/regions, led by the US, Canada, and Australia.
- English dominated ad copy (46.75%+), followed by Thai and Spanish.
- Video ads accounted for over 76.7%, mostly in 9:16 vertical format.
- Image creatives also performed strongly, especially those featuring werewolf and pregnancy-related themes.
GPS Earth Map: Satellite View Ad Trends: Video-Led Campaigns and Minimalist Brand Creatives
Let’s take a look at the out-of-Top-20 3D map app GPS Earth Map: Satellite View and its January performance:
- Around 28,000 deduplicated Android creatives were delivered in January.
- Ads covered 70 countries and regions, with the top markets being India, the United States, and Mexico.
- Nearly all active creatives were video-based.
- Top-performing creatives primarily featured horizontal brand-style videos, with a minimalist, PPT-like visual approach.
Top 20 Mobile Apps by Revenue
App Store Revenue Highlights
- ChatGPT saw explosive growth in South Korea in January, with total usage time reaching 3.4 billion minutes, up over 8× year-over-year, driving revenue growth and returning to No.1 on the App Store.
- Paramount+ increased its subscription price on January 15, 2026, following its Q3 2025 earnings announcement and ahead of major premieres, contributing to higher revenue.
Google Play Revenue Highlights
- Google One offered a limited-time 50% discount on 2TB and AI Pro annual plans until January 15, with family plans integrating Gemini, boosting subscriptions.
Top 20 Mobile Apps with the Maximum Downloads
App Store Download Leaders
- As of January 7, 2026, Threads reached 141.5M DAU on mobile, surpassing X again; monthly active users exceeded 400M.
- Temu surpassed 20.34M users in Poland (+12.6% YoY), becoming the country’s top e-commerce platform, overtaking Allegro.
Google Play Download Leaders
- In January, NetShort promoted over 2,200 dramas (+10.1% MoM), driving a surge in Android downloads and entering the Top 20.
Conclusion
January 2026 highlights the continued dominance of high-volume ad creatives, localized strategies, and data-driven monetization in driving global mobile app growth. Short-drama platforms led advertising activity with rapid creative iteration, while content and non-content apps showed differentiated performance across markets and platforms.
On the revenue and download side, subscription optimization, regional user growth, and sustained marketing investment played key roles in ranking improvements. Overall, success in 2026 increasingly depends on creative efficiency, localization, and cross-platform growth strategies across the App Store and Google Play.
For more mobile app marketing data, advertising insights, and download trend analysis, you can visit SocialPeta’s official website.
