Claude · Claude Code · OpenAI · Google · Apple · TechCrunch
Mobile games still account for most of the new app rolls out worldwide as of Q1 2026
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The “utilities” category has also moved up to the number two slot, and the “lifestyle” apps category moved up from the No. 5 slot last year to now No. 3.
Key facts
- In April 2026 so far, the total number of app releases is up 104% across both stores compared to the same time last year, and up 89% on iOS
- According to a new analysis from market intelligence provider Appfigures, worldwide app releases in the first quarter of 2026 were up 60% year-over-year across both Apple’s App Store and Google Play
- Apple was also caught off guard by a malicious cryptocurrency app, a clone of Ledger Live, that drained $9.5 million in crypto from victims’ accounts
- That percentage was an even higher 80% when looking at the iOS App Store alone
Summary
Everyone said AI would kill apps. In April 2026 so far, the total number of app releases is up 104% across both stores compared to the same time last year, and up 89% on iOS. As Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Greg “Joz” Joswiak, quipped In a recent interview: rumors of the App Store’s death in the AI age “may have been greatly exaggerated.” These findings come amid concerns that the rise of AI chatbots and agents would ultimately see users turning away from apps, a theory that’s already being floated by those in the industry, like Nothing CEO Carl Pei, who is focused on building a smartphone for the AI era. OpenAI is even working on an AI hardware device with famed Apple designer Jony Ive. Appfigures’ data indicates that certain categories of apps are seeing more new releases than others.
Apple was also caught off guard by a malicious cryptocurrency app, a clone of Ledger Live, that drained $9.5 million in crypto from victims’ accounts.