Singular: Mobile Ad Spend Surges 40% Year-Over-Year as Creative, Privacy, and Tariffs Reshape Performance Marketing

Q2 2025 Quarterly Trends Report reveals shifts in platform dynamics, ad network dominance, and the rising importance of creative quality

Singular, the mobile measurement partner (MMP) trusted by brands like Nike, Microsoft, and Rovio, released its Q2 2025 Quarterly Trends Report (QTR 7), offering data and insights into global mobile advertising performance. The report draws on billions in ad spend and trillions of marketing data points across verticals, regions, and platforms.

User acquisition is no longer enough. Retention, creative iteration, and precision measurement are now central to growth.”
— Susan Kuo, COO & Co-Founder at Singular

Despite macroeconomic uncertainty and growing regulatory complexity, global ad spend is up 40.3% year-over-year, signaling continued strength in the mobile ecosystem. Entertainment, Finance, and On-Demand apps led the way, while Gaming and Shopping saw relative declines—impacted, in part, by shifting consumer behavior and the effects of new U.S. tariffs on Chinese e-commerce advertisers.

“The Q2 data shows just how dynamic the mobile ad economy has become,” said John Koetsier, VP of Insights at Singular. “Advertisers are doubling down on high-value verticals like streaming, fintech, and mobility, while optimizing for a future where iOS monetization, privacy-safe measurement, and ad creative quality matter more than ever.”

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Key insights from the report include:

*iOS dominates revenue, Android dominates installs: Across nearly every vertical, Android captures the majority of installs, but iOS delivers the lion’s share of revenue, often by margins of 3:1 or greater.

*Tariffs reshape shopping ad spend: U.S. shopping app ad spend dropped nearly 45% YoY, coinciding with tariffs that disproportionately affected top-spending Chinese retailers.

*Rewarded ads gain momentum: Incentivized ad networks like Kashkick, Benjamin, and TyrAds are rapidly gaining share, with measurable impact on click-through rates and campaign performance.

*CPI, CPM – and, surprisingly, CTR – continue to climb: Global CPI rose 10.6% YoY, CPM jumped 14.5%, and IPM was up slightly at 4%. CTR also shot up at a surprising 37.6%, but we suspect that may be due to overly sensitive rewarded ads.

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*SKAN 4 adoption grows: Adoption of SKAdNetwork 4.0 surpassed 52% in May, marking a slow but steady shift toward more privacy-centric iOS attribution.

The report also features contributions from industry partners including Adikteev, InMobi, Appier, and Aarki, as well as a section on App Stickiness, a new metric linking user retention to long-term profitability. In verticals like gaming, a 10% increase in retention can drive up to a 90% increase in profit.

“User acquisition is no longer enough,” said Susan Kuo, COO & Co-Founder at Singular. “Retention, creative iteration, and precision measurement are now central to growth.”