Unless you become one of the 27 apps people use every month, you're not going to make it

With millions of smartphones sold every year, the chances of building a popular smartphone app might seem high. But the latest data on app usage patterns suggest otherwise.

According to Nielsen data, charted for us by BI Intelligence, the average number of apps US mobile users access each month has remained about the same at 27 apps over the past two years. People may be downloading more apps, but they're using about the same number as they always have.

But people are spending more time with the apps they love. The total amount of time spent on average per month in apps has jumped to over 37 hours, up roughly 63% over the past two years - showing once you become an everyday app, the upside is huge.

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