Mobile Marketing Trends & Benchmarks: A Review of the Singular Report
The report identifies key mobile marketing trends and benchmarks that have directly shaped marketer and publisher strategies throughout Q1 2026.
Singular, in partnership with industry collaborators, has released a global report on the mobile advertising market based on Q4 2025 results. The report identifies key mobile marketing trends and benchmarks that have directly shaped marketer and publisher strategies throughout Q1 2026.
According to experts, the market in late 2025 and early 2026 did not show rapid growth. Instead, it was defined by optimization and a sharp focus on preserving efficiency. The research shows global CPI rose +8.4%, while iOS CPI surged by a dramatic +44%. CTR and IPM both declined, and ATT opt-in rates fell once again.
This report is essential reading for mobile marketers and anyone managing performance budgets across advertising platforms and regions. Below, we break down the key figures and insights.
Global Ad Spend
Android continued to deliver user reach and volume, but when it comes to revenue growth, Apple’s ecosystem led the way. Across most verticals, iOS drove a larger share of monetization, even though the majority of installs remained Android-heavy.
Marketers doubled down on markets and verticals where performance was predictable and monetization proven. The top priority became focus over experimentation. According to the data, measurement precision and solid mobile analytics are now more critical than ever.
Global mobile ad spend in Q4 grew just over 4%, but the headline number masks more nuanced shifts. While ad budgets increased, total impression volume slightly decreased — signaling constraints rather than broad expansion.
- +13% – Android ad spend growth from Q3 to Q4 2025.
- −3.25% – iOS ad spend decline from Q3 to Q4 2025.
The Q4 spend increase was driven by competition, not by greater inventory supply — setting the stage for subsequent CPI inflation.
Ad Spend by Vertical
Overall mobile ad spend rose roughly 4% quarter-over-quarter, but it’s important to note that growth was not universal across all verticals.
Health & Fitness, Gaming, and On-Demand apps accounted for the majority of spend, reinforcing their role as growth drivers in an optimization-heavy environment.
Meanwhile, several verticals saw significant pullbacks: Utilities, Education, E-commerce, and others. However, this signals budget reallocation rather than market weakness. In a peak quarter, advertisers chose to fund verticals with proven monetization and predictable returns — even if that meant stepping away from cheaper but less certain opportunities.
Ad Spend by Region
Growth was concentrated in mature, performance-driven geos. Marketers doubled down where ROI is most visible to protect margins under optimization pressure.
Tier 1 East led by a wide margin with +25% QoQ growth, followed by the United States at +17%. These markets absorbed the bulk of incremental budgets.
Growth elsewhere was positive but more restrained: Tier 2 East, Tier 2 West, Japan, and China.
Tier 1 West and the rest of the world posted very modest gains, signaling a reallocation of funds toward higher-return regions.
Global Mobile Benchmarks
CPI rose 8.4% to $1.12, while CPM increased 4.6% to $2.88 — reflecting heightened competition for inventory as Q4 budgets ramped up.
At the same time, efficiency metrics softened. CTR dipped 1.3% to 4.5%, and IPM declined 3.5% to 2.56, indicating weaker user engagement and fewer installs per thousand impressions.
Advertisers paid more just to maintain scale, making creative quality, optimization speed, and measurement precision critical factors in protecting efficiency.
Key Regional Characteristics for App Promotion
United States – Expensive traffic with high monetization potential. Strong competition continues to drive CPI inflation. Optimization pays off in Travel, On-Demand, and Gaming.
China – Massive scale but a fragmented ecosystem. High variance in performance. Very low CPIs in select categories, but inconsistent conversion quality. Best approached selectively, especially for Gaming, Entertainment, and Utilities.
Japan – High-return market with high advertising costs. Most pronounced CPI inflation in Finance, Travel, and Gaming. Creative localization is critical for success.
Tier 1 West – Significantly cheaper than the US. Strong conversion rates and IPM. Utilities and Gaming show outstanding efficiency. A geo with excellent cost-quality balance for scalable growth.
Tier 1 East – Premium audience quality with better cost efficiency. Ideal for scaling without US-level CPIs. Gaming and Travel perform exceptionally well.
Tier 2 West – Cost-effective region for scalable growth. Low CPIs paired with good CTR and CVR. Well-suited for testing, expansion, and volume growth.
Tier 2 East – Massive install volume at low prices. Great for top-of-funnel campaigns and rapid experiments. Requires locally relevant creatives.
Rest of World – Cheap reach with mixed user quality. Effective for initial seeding. Requires tight optimization.
Share of Voice by Ad Network & Vertical
A diverse set of platforms plays meaningful roles across different verticals, highlighting how app marketers are increasingly building multi-partner acquisition strategies.
TikTok shows broad and consistent strength across all verticals — particularly in Utilities, Finance, Education, and E-commerce.
Apple Search Ads remains a cornerstone for high-intent acquisition, ranking among the top platforms for Education, Travel, E-commerce, Health & Fitness, and Finance.
Mintegral, AppLovin, and Unity Ads demonstrate leadership in the Gaming category.
Key Benchmarks from the Report
- Global app ad spend grew modestly, but the increase was concentrated in select verticals rather than broad-based.
- Android CPI spiked sharply by +16% in late 2025 — the steepest increase in over a year.
- Health & Fitness and Gaming accounted for the majority of ad budget growth.
- Tier 1 East and the United States captured most of the incremental ad spend.
- iOS continued to generate 70–90% of revenue across many verticals, despite a smaller share of installs.
Looking for more data? Read the SplitMetrics report on the global app market study for online shopping.