Global Mobile Apps in May | NetShort dominates the charts, Tinder revenue exceeds Disney+
SocialPeta sorted out the top 20 global mobile Apps by advertising, revenue, and download in May 2025, hoping to be of assistance to more people in the mobile app industry who are trying to understand the changing trends of the global mobile market.
The overall performance of global mobile apps in May:
● [NetShort] strives to be the best short drama and starts to dominate the charts
● Instagram downloads surge for months as celebrity gossip continues
● Indian local short drama platform [Kuku TV] enters the top five in downloads
● Dating app revenue surges, Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble are on the list
Top 20 Mobile Apps by Advertising
First, let’s take a look at the May rankings for global mobile app advertising:
The list showed a significant reshuffle and strategic focus, and the competitive landscape of the top players was further differentiated. NetShort retained the top spot, while ShortMax under ShortTV Limited fell out of the top three. Singapore New Reading Technology PTE adjusted its launch strategy, and its GoodNovel surpassed GoodShort and jumped to fifth place. In the short drama field, resources are concentrated on the top products.
Outside the list, there are also many small and medium-sized manufacturers who are quietly making efforts. For example, the short drama platform [StarShort], which was just launched on iOS this year and is currently ranked 38th on the iOS total launch list; and the reading platform [DreamNovel], which was launched in Thailand in February, both have obvious momentum in their sprint.
First, let’s take a look at [NetShort]:
NetShort from NetStory PTE LTD invested in more than 14,500 short dramas in May, of which new dramas accounted for about 54.8%. According to SocialPeta, we can see that their specific advertising performance in May is as follows:
● In May, the number of deduplicated creatives released on both iOS and Android was about 470,000, of which new creatives accounted for more than 87.2%;
● The company launched its products in 76 countries and regions, with the United States accounting for the highest proportion of more than 47%, followed by France, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.
● Among the new dramas released in May, local dramas accounted for about 15.5%, and the rest were translated dramas and dubbed dramas (including dramas translated from local dramas into other languages).
We have observed that in May, it will increase the release of short dramas with the "cute baby" label. Among the dramas released in May, the number of "cute baby" short dramas is 107. The one with the highest comprehensive popularity is the translated drama "Spoiled By My Diamond Husband Full Drama". As a veteran hit drama, it is still popular globally. The second is the local drama "Mafia Daddy's Surprise Sextuplets". This drama tells the story of a girl, Bianca, who accidentally meets a gangster and gives birth to sextuplets, and reunites seven years later.
After deduplication, the show released nearly 10,000 creatives in May. The latest creative is about 14 minutes and 40 seconds long, and it uses a short video-style splicing creative: amateur triplets' mother & three sisters in disguise & yacht on the sea in fancy clothes & plot slices. Since the selected creatives are all strongly related to the plot, it is easy to raise the audience's expectations at the beginning.
Distribution platform: Facebook Distribution days: 3 days
The new product is on the list. iDrama from HK Good Drama Technology Limited was launched in February 2025 and is mainly invested in the United States, India, Taiwan, Brazil, and other regions. Let's take a look at its specific advertising performance:
● In May, the number of creatives delivered on both iOS and Android after deduplication was about 43,000;
● The campaign was launched in 74 countries/regions, with the United States accounting for the largest proportion, about 51.3% ;
● In May, about 190 dramas were being promoted, of which 90.5% were new dramas, and most of them were translated dramas;
● The top few short dramas that were voted in were mostly popular domestic short dramas with a popularity value of over 3KW on Hongguo, including but not limited to "The flowers bloom in spring again", "I Want to Spend the Sunset with You", "Misplaced Warmth", etc.
Top 20 Mobile Apps by Downloads
Apps outstanding with downloads on the App Store in May：
● There were many interesting things about celebrities in May. First, Fan Bingbing, absent from the big screen for many years, updated 9 photos of her mother and daughter on Instagram, which received over 10,000 likes in 3 hours. Then, Eason Chan posted a picture of barbecued pork with the caption "I'll eat meat first after my resurrection" to humorously dispel rumors of his "death", which led to a slight increase in downloads on both iOS and Android of the leading social media platform [Instagram].
● Snap announced the opening of a new office in Paris, and they also called on more AR workers to create art. This move is mainly to consolidate Snap's influence in France. This emphasis on original works has promoted the monthly download growth of [Snapchat].
Apps outstanding with downloads on the Google Play in May:
● Kuku TV, an Indian short drama platform, launched a general attack on the download list in May. From just reaching the entry threshold last month to fifth this week, it has entered the upper circle. In addition to its regional advantages, this rise is also helped by increased investment. In May, it invested about 27,000 deduplicated creatives, an increase of 28.6% from the previous month.
● 【 RapidTV 】Downloads surged in May, just reaching the TOP20 of the list, with the main download regions coming from Mexico, Brazil, the United States, and Indonesia.
The Spanish in the creatives is relatively high
Top 20 Mobile Apps by Revenue
Apps with surging revenue on the App Store in May：
● As Pride Month is approaching, the male dating app [Tinder] released a large number of promotions, which led to a significant increase in its revenue, ranking fourth on the App Store's May revenue list;
● Not to be outdone, dating apps [Hinge] and [Bumble] also saw revenue increases, ranking 15th and 16th on the list. With the arrival of summer, people's hormones are starting to stir.
● Last month, Canva made multiple updates to both its functions and brand, and achieved revenue growth with the help of AI function upgrades.
Apps with surging revenue on the Google Play in May：
● In May, all of the top 20 revenue products on Google Play except Disney+ saw revenue growth. Two old rivals, DramaBox and ReelShort, joined hands to jointly expand the global ceiling of the short drama track.
● ByteDance's global version of CapCut has seen revenue growth on both ends, with the United States, Brazil, Spain and other regions with younger demographics and better paying habits being its key markets.
The above are insights into global mobile App launches in May 2025, as well as mobile App revenue and download situations across both the App Store and Google Play. For more mobile marketing data, please visit www.socialpeta.com.
