US iPhone users spent an average of $ 138 on apps in 2020, up 38% from the previous year, according to a report from analyst firm Sensor Tower. Last year, spending per user in Apple’s App Store saw the biggest annual growth since 2016, when it hit 42% year on year. According to the company, in total for the year, smartphone users spent $ 111 billion on applications for the iOS and Android platforms.

The Sensor Tower study analyzed how much US iPhone users spent on apps, including in-app purchases and in-app purchases. However, data from e-commerce apps and services such as Amazon and Uber were not counted.

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has brought many users to telecommuting and distance learning, spending more time at home and spending more on entertainment, including games and streaming services. Sensor Tower predicts this trend will continue this year due to the ongoing pandemic and health crisis, with consumer app spending expected to average $ 180.

In terms of the individual categories that saw the greatest gains, games took the first place. Mobile game spending per device grew 43% over the year. Consumers spent an average of $ 76,80 on games, up from $ 2019 in 53,80.

The Sensor Tower report was released on Thursday following a similar survey by App Annie. According to App Annie, app spending grew by 40%. It also shows a larger total spending, although it includes data from some third-party Android app stores in China.