Predictions that previously suggested that artificial intelligence AI would make mobile applications obsolete are gradually being reversed. The new reality shows that AI is contributing to creating a wave of revival for app stores, especially the App Store.
According to data from mobile application market data and analysis company Appfigures, the number of applications released globally in Q1/2026 increased by 60% compared to the same period last year on both the App Store and Google Play.
The iOS ecosystem alone recorded a more impressive increase, up to 80%. As of April 2026, the total number of new applications has increased by 104% compared to last year.
Responding to previous concerns, Greg Joswiak – Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Apple, said that predictions about the "death" of the App Store in the AI era may have been exaggerated.
Previously, many opinions in the technology industry, including Carl Pei - founder and current CEO of Nothing, once asked whether chatbots and virtual assistants would make users leave traditional applications or not?
Along with that, trends such as smart wearable devices or environmental computing are also expected to replace the role of smartphones.
OpenAI even cooperated with legendary designer Jony Ive to develop AI hardware devices, showing its ambition to open up a completely new computing platform.
However, another scenario is happening when AI does not eliminate applications, but makes creating applications easier than ever.
AI-supported programming tools such as Claude Code or Replit allow even people without technical backgrounds to develop mobile applications.
This is significantly expanding the creative community, contributing to boosting the number of applications.
In terms of structure, mobile games still account for the largest proportion among new applications. However, groups of utility, lifestyle, productivity and health – fitness applications are growing strongly, reflecting the increasingly diverse needs of users.
However, this explosion also poses a major censorship challenge. Recently, Apple had to remove the Freecash application from the App Store for violating regulations, after this application once reached the top of the rankings for a long time.
A fake cryptocurrency application has also caused millions of USD in damage to users.
According to previous statistics, Apple has rejected more than 320,000 applications for spam or misleading, and blocked tens of thousands of fraudulent applications.
However, many technology experts, including the famous technology analyst, specializing in Apple's ecosystem - John Gruber, believe that the App Store needs a dedicated force to handle increasingly sophisticated fraudulent applications.
In fact, AI is bringing a paradox when it is both a driving force for growth and a management challenge. As the barriers to application development become lower, the market will continue to expand, but also requires platforms to improve control capabilities to protect users.
