Mintegral has released new data highlighting three major trends transforming the mobile app economy across Asia-Pacific: the rapid mainstream adoption of AI apps, the explosive growth of short-form drama content, and the rise of third-party Android stores as cost-effective user acquisition channels. The findings point to significant opportunities for developers and advertisers as mobile usage patterns continue to evolve.
AI-powered apps have moved firmly into the mainstream. In 2024, consumer AI applications reached 1.5 billion downloads and generated US$1.3 billion in revenue. Within this category, AI chatbots grew by 119% year-on-year, while AI art generators saw a 21% increase. A total of 16 generative AI apps surpassed US$10 million in in-app purchases, and 25 apps exceeded 10 million downloads, showing that users are increasingly willing to pay for AI-driven utility, creativity, and productivity features.
This shift signals a broader behavioural change. Developers focusing on solving real-world problems in areas such as productivity, finance, document management, and community building are gaining traction. At the same time, advertisers are reaching more conversion-ready audiences at scale, reflecting AI’s transition from a novelty to an everyday tool.
Short-form drama emerges as a global entertainment force
Short-form drama apps originating in Asia-Pacific are becoming a dominant mobile entertainment format, with growth rates ranging from 50% to 200% quarter-on-quarter since the third quarter of 2023. The monetisation model for these platforms is primarily ad-based, accounting for around 90% of revenue, while in-app purchases such as subscriptions and token top-ups make up the remaining 10%.
Indonesia has emerged as the largest market for short-form drama apps, representing 39% of global downloads. Other high-growth markets include Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, and Japan and South Korea, highlighting the format’s wide appeal and low customer acquisition costs. The format’s success demonstrates how entertainment trends born in APAC are now scaling globally.
For advertisers, this new category presents fresh engagement opportunities. Features such as daily check-ins, rewarded video ads, and task-based rewards are standard, offering performance marketers a range of levers to drive both reach and retention as users consume micro-episodes on mobile.
Third-party Android stores create new growth channels
While Google Play and the App Store dominate app distribution, third-party Android stores are emerging as high-potential alternatives for user acquisition. Platforms from Xiaomi, Amazon, Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, Huawei, and several Eastern European providers are becoming attractive options for advertisers seeking under-priced inventory and scalable reach.
Mintegral’s self-serve platform and SDK integrations enable advertisers to target, optimise, and monetise campaigns across these channels without additional permissions. Case studies from Amazon’s store show user acquisition costs as low as US$0.26 to US$0.42 per install, with daily installs ranging between 2,000 and 5,000 depending on app genre and bidding strategies. These channels are proving particularly effective for gaming, utilities, entertainment, and emerging short-drama platforms.
By leveraging third-party stores, marketers can avoid intense competition in traditional marketplaces and expand their reach while stabilising supply, particularly during periods of high demand.
Strategic steps for advertisers
Mintegral’s report also outlines practical steps advertisers can take to capitalise on these trends. It recommends adopting return-on-ad-spend (ROAS)-aligned bidding strategies to optimise for meaningful user actions, such as registrations and retention, instead of surface-level metrics. Creative automation tools, including dynamic creative optimisation and playable ads, can help teams iterate quickly and tailor content for AI-driven utilities and short-drama formats.
Expanding media plans to include third-party app stores is another key strategy, unlocking additional scale at lower costs. Marketers can further refine performance by whitelisting top-performing verticals and sub-channels as campaigns mature.
Mintegral operates as a global platform for user acquisition and monetisation, supporting over 100,000 apps. It delivers more than 300 billion ad requests and 1.2 billion impressions each day across sectors including gaming, utilities, entertainment, finance, and education.
