14/12/2025
The mobile app marketing landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. According to Appsflyer Performance Index 2025 edition, in 2023 many companies cut their app install ad budgets by approximately 20 percent during economic uncertainty, forcing marketers to do more with less. By 2024, spending started to rebound, but with a sharp focus on efficiency. Every dollar now needs to show ROI.
At the same time, privacy changes like Apple’s ATT reshuffled the top user acquisition channels, and new platforms like TikTok surged in popularity. Looking to 2025, app marketers must navigate a world where Apple’s and Google’s ad platforms dominate, AI-driven optimization is key, personalized creative wins users, and retention is as important as acquisition. Let’s break down these major trends and how to master them.
1. Evolving UA Channels in a Privacy-First Era
The privacy shake-up has changed the game. Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) curtailed granular tracking on iOS, which in turn boosted some channels and hurt others. The big winner has been Apple Search Ads (ASA), the ads shown in the App Store. With less user-level data available to competitors, ASA’s advantage of context and intent made it the number one media source on iOS for app installs by 2024. If you’re marketing an iOS app, ASA is now nearly essential for visibility.
Meanwhile, Facebook and Meta Ads, once the king of app installs, had to adapt. Performance on iOS dropped post-ATT, but Meta improved its modeling and has now stabilized as the number two source on iOS in many cases. It remains very relevant, though not as dominant as before.
On Android, Google Ads never skipped a beat. It remains the top UA platform for Android apps and a strong contender on iOS as well, thanks to its reach across Search, YouTube, and millions of sites via AdMob.
Emerging players are rising. TikTok has exploded as a user acquisition channel. Its tremendous engagement, especially among Gen Z, has made it a top source of installs and in some cases the third largest globally by volume. However, volume doesn’t always equal value. Advertisers often find TikTok users need strong onboarding to retain. Still, TikTok’s influence can’t be ignored moving into 2026.
Other players like Snapchat, Twitter (X), and OEM app stores, including pre-installs and app recommendations on devices by manufacturers like Xiaomi, Samsung, and Oppo, are carving out their niches. Notably, ads from OEM channels now contribute a meaningful share of Android installs. One industry report noted that nearly 10 percent of non-Google Android installs came from OEM platforms in some regions last year, a share that continues to grow.
The takeaway is clear. You can’t rely on one channel. Successful app marketers spread their budget across three to five channels, balancing the major platforms like Google, Facebook, and ASA with secondary networks such as TikTok, Snap, and OEMs. In 2025, this diversification is crucial. It maximizes reach and cushions performance if any one source changes its algorithm or pricing.
Managing many channels can be complex, which is why our teams use our own Skipper Networks UA platform to run multi-channel campaigns from one place. The ability to compare performance and shift budgets in a centralized way is a huge advantage. The bottom line is that the UA channel landscape is more varied than ever, so embrace a multi-channel strategy and stay agile in allocating spend.
2. The Rise of Automation and AI in Marketing
With campaign complexity increasing, automation and AI have become game changers in mobile marketing. Rather than manual tinkering, top marketers in 2025 lean on machine learning to optimize campaigns in real time. Two big areas stand out.
Bidding and budget optimization have evolved significantly. Today’s ad platforms like Google and Facebook offer automated bidding strategies that use AI to hit specific goals. Instead of setting one static bid, marketers use tools like Google’s Target CPA or Target ROAS, which adjust bids auction by auction to achieve better results. Facebook’s Advantage+, formerly Automated App Ads, simplifies campaign setup and allows Meta’s algorithm to find the right users.
Beyond native platform tools, some marketers use third-party AI solutions to oversee optimization across channels. For example, Zoomd’s Albert.ai uses machine learning to manage campaigns across multiple platforms at once, including Meta, Google, TikTok, and more. It reallocates budget dynamically to whichever channel is delivering stronger performance. If Facebook installs become expensive while TikTok delivers cheaper, higher-quality users, Albert.ai can detect the trend and shift spend the same day, something a human might only identify after weeks of reporting.
Creative optimization and generation have also been transformed by AI. In 2024, many UA teams began using tools that generate multiple creative variations and test them rapidly. Some marketers saw significant gains by feeding AI their brand guidelines and allowing it to suggest new creative concepts they hadn’t previously considered. Even without generative AI, automation helps rotate creatives faster by pausing ads once performance drops below a defined threshold, reducing wasted spend caused by ad fatigue.
The benefit of automation is both efficiency and effectiveness. It’s like having an always-on optimizer making thousands of micro-adjustments that compound into better ROI. Human oversight remains essential to define strategy and interpret results, but allowing AI to handle the heavy lifting can significantly improve outcomes.
A recent example illustrates this well. A fintech app enabled automated campaign management and saw a 15 percent increase in conversions at the same spend, as the AI shifted budget into a few high-performing niche channels the team might have otherwise overlooked. The lesson for 2025 is clear. Make sure your marketing plan includes automation tools or features. Those who do will outpace those who rely entirely on manual optimization.
3. Personalized Creative Is King
With less precise ad targeting available due to privacy changes, creative and messaging often determine whether the right users convert. Leading marketers are focusing heavily on tailoring creatives to specific audiences and contexts. One size fits all doesn’t cut it – personalization in ads can significantly
boost engagement.
A clear example is generational targeting. Gen Z users have extremely short attention spans. Studies indicate an ad may receive only about 1.3 seconds of focus before they scroll away. They respond best to fast, entertaining content such as TikTok-style user-generated videos or memes. In contrast, Gen X and older users may spend more time reviewing details, captions, and trust signals.
Savvy advertisers adjust creatives accordingly. A shopping app might use fast-paced, music-driven videos on TikTok to capture Gen Z attention, while showing product features and reviews in a Facebook carousel to appeal to Gen X. Both ads promote the same app but use very different styles. This segmentation often leads to significantly improved results, with many companies reporting double-digit lifts in click-through or conversion rates.
Personalization also extends to context. An exercise app might promote “Start your day with a quick workout” in the morning and “Unwind with a relaxing yoga session tonight” in the evening. Location-based creatives that include city names or local language can further increase relevance. Users are more likely to install when an ad feels personal rather than generic.
Another major trend is authenticity. Users are increasingly wary of ads that feel overly polished or sales-driven. Ads that resemble organic content or influencer posts often perform better. This is why so many high-performing ads look like casual TikToks or Instagram Stories, featuring real people and informal filming styles. Many brands now partner directly with micro-influencers to create ad creatives, effectively turning influencer content into performance ads.
To master this trend, invest deeply in creative strategy. Plan multiple versions for different segments, test them continuously, and refresh them often. If possible, tap into your community for content such as testimonials or unboxing videos that can be repurposed with permission. In 2026, creative that connects emotionally will outperform perfectly targeted but generic ads every time.
4. Focus on User Quality and Retention
Acquiring millions of users means little if they churn quickly. With rising acquisition costs, the industry has shifted toward retaining users and maximizing lifetime value. This represents a major change from previous years, when user acquisition teams often operated separately from product or CRM teams.
Today, marketers are accountable for metrics beyond installs. Day 7 and Day 30 retention, average revenue per user, and ROAS now define success. Campaigns are evaluated based on quality, such as whether users remain active or complete purchases weeks after installation. This shift encourages marketers to target more precisely, even if it results in higher initial CPIs. Paying more for users who stay longer is usually more profitable than acquiring cheap users who churn immediately.
In-app engagement has also become part of the marketing responsibility. Growth teams contribute to onboarding flows, welcome experiences, and early engagement tactics to ensure users experience the app’s core value quickly. This can include tutorials, special onboarding offers, drip email campaigns, or push notifications. Some companies even launch limited-time events or beginner challenges specifically for newly acquired users.
Remarketing has surged as well. Apps are investing more in re-engagement campaigns targeting existing or lapsed users. According to the latest AppsFlyer index, while new installs grew only modestly, remarketing conversions increased by more than 20 percent year over year. Many apps now allocate 10 to 20 percent of their UA budgets to remarketing because reactivating users often costs less than acquiring new ones.
For 2025, the implication is clear. To truly master mobile app marketing, acquisition and retention must be treated as one continuous strategy. Marketing plans should include onboarding improvements, engagement flows, and downstream performance tracking by acquisition source. If users from one channel generate twice the lifetime value of another, that insight should directly guide budget allocation.
Growth today is not just about getting users. It’s about keeping them.
Conclusion
Mobile app marketing in 2025 is a balance of fundamentals and innovation. Understanding your audience, communicating value, and measuring results remain essential. At the same time, privacy-first platforms, AI-driven optimization, personalized creative, and retention-focused strategies now define success.
The most effective marketers allocate budgets across the channels that matter today while monitoring emerging opportunities. They let automation support smarter decisions, speak to users in ways that feel relevant and authentic, and invest in keeping users engaged long after the install.
By embracing these shifts, marketers can stay ahead of the curve and build sustainable growth in an increasingly complex mobile ecosystem.
