Downloads switch to summer mode

In the summer, the number of downloads changes dramatically. Children have holidays, which means more games, adults have holidays, which means more travel, entertainment and … work.

The easiest way to see this shift over the summer is to use AppFigures’ Mobile Download Index, a free resource for developers that tracks downloads for top apps by country and category.

The chart above shows downloads in the US App Store right now compared to a month ago, as well as the top categories by how much downloads have grown.

Currently, the top 10 categories with the biggest change in download volume are:

1. Kids (6-8)
2. Games → Family
3. Travel
4. Entertainment
5. Education
6. Games → Racing
7. Navigation
8. Business
9. Food & Drink
10. Kids (9-11)

Nearly every one of these categories grew by double-digit percentages.

Four categories are dedicated to apps and games for kids. Since children do not go to school, parents keep their children entertained using mobile devices.

The education is also quite understandable since the school is closed and those who want to continue their studies need…you guessed it. Applications.

Adults also have more free time, which they use to travel and eat. It’s also understandable.

Finally, having a Business category here might seem like a mistake, but it’s not. This growth is common as adults who travel but still need work are ditching laptops and desktops in favor of lightweight apps they need to work right from their phone.

For this reason, productivity apps from Microsoft and Google are in demand every summer.

What does this mean for developers and publishers? If your app or game falls into one of these categories, now is the time to put more effort into promoting it. Whether it’s organic with ASO or paid with search ads, now is the time to scale it up.