According to new data from Appfigures, there was a significant increase in the number of new apps on the App Store and Google Play in 2026, which may be attributed to the opportunities provided by artificial intelligence tools.
In the first quarter of 2026, the number of new apps on mobile platforms, including the Apple App Store and Google Play, increased by 60% compared to the previous year. On the App Store, this growth was 80%. Specifically, in April 2026, new apps on both platforms grew by 104% compared to the same period last year, while on iOS it was 89%.
This boom in new apps occurs amid concerns that the growing interest in AI chats and agents could negatively impact the popularity of mobile applications. Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, a company developing smartphones for the AI era, expressed such concerns, mentioning that new computing platforms, such as smart glasses and ambient computing devices, could change user habits.
According to Appfigures, mobile games continue to make up the majority of new apps, but in recent months, productivity apps have entered the top five popular categories. 'Utilities' now hold the second place, while 'lifestyle' has risen from fifth to third. Apps for 'health and fitness' also made it into the top 5, indicating the influence of AI solutions like Claude Code and Replit on the growth of this segment.
The mass growth of new apps provides Apple with a variety of choices but also leads to some misunderstandings. This week, the company removed the award-winning app Freecash from the App Store for violating rules after successfully ranking in the top charts. Additionally, Apple faced issues due to a malicious app—a clone of Ledger Live—that stole funds totaling $9.
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