We have researched to find the most recent, relevant, and trending mobile vs desktop usage statistics for our readers.
We will discuss many factors and information about the gap that is starting to widen between mobile and desktop users today.
It seems pretty obvious that we see more people using their mobile phones and tablets nowadays, but there are plenty of us still using our laptops and desktops out here to consume digital media and other content.
It’s a fact that users of the internet are growing at an astounding more than one million users each day.
Somewhere in all this data, we should expect a gap to occur between desktop and mobile usage today.
We want to mention that in terms of marketing and promotion, the user experience is connected to the failure or success of a website or application.
Therefore, it’s become increasingly important to ensure your websites and/or applications are fully optimized for both, but especially mobile.
Let’s look at what the statistics have to say about this topic.
Key Statistics
- Mobile phones account for 66.05% of the world’s web traffic.
- 58% of multi-device purchased are closed on mobile as of 2020.
- Social media accounts for 25% of total digital media consumption, which is mostly accessed via mobile apps.
- On Average, Americans spend 5 hours and 25 minutes on their mobile phones each day.
- Globally, mobile phone owners use their mobile phones an average of 4 hours and 25 minutes per day.
- 53% of all web traffic came from mobile in 2019.
- 55% of page views in 2021 came from mobile phones.
- Only 7.5% of all mobile browser usage was spent in 2021.
- It was predicted that by 2022, mobile data would reach 77.5 exabytes each month.
- The average mobile bounce rate comes to 67.4%.
Mobile Vs Desktop Usage Statistics in 2024
1. Mobile Phones Account for 66.05% of The World’s Web Traffic.
As of July 2023, Similarweb reveals that 66.05% of global internet traffic comes from mobile phones. That leaves 32.09% to desktops and 1.86% to tablets.
The Congo region accounts for 96.32% of all mobile phone web traffic on the globe. Desktop usage is higher in Argentina at 53.16%.
Therefore, we can surmise that mobile traffic widely varies in terms of desktop and mobile web traffic.
(Similarweb)
2. 58% of Multi-Device Purchases Are Closed on Mobile as Of 2020.
In terms of ecommerce and mobile usage, 58% of all multi-device purchases from 2020 were closed using mobile.
The main reason cited for this is the convenience and higher accessibility of mobile devices over desktop devices.
Despite desktop screens being larger and easier for browsing online shops, mobile devices are simply more portable and convenient.
(Research)
3. Social Media Accounts for 25% of Total Digital Media Consumption, Which Is Mostly Accessed via Mobile Apps.
The stats show that social media accounts for 25% (one-quarter) of all consumption of digital media.
Most of that consumption is conducted via the social media apps on mobile devices.
This data translates to one out of every five minutes spent consuming digital media is on social media apps/sites.
Most people use their mobile phones or tablets to access social media apps, according to more statistics.
(Techjury)
4. On Average, Americans Spend 5 Hours and 25 Minutes on Their Mobile Phones Each Day.
Data tells us that Americans are spending nearly 5.5 hours (5 hours 25 minutes) on their mobile phones per day.
Whether that’s in one sitting or throughout the day, that’s a significant amount of screen time.
In terms of how much time spent, the United States is among those with the highest number of hours spent per day on mobile.
(Techjury²)
5. Data Shows that Americans Spend 3.5 Hours per Day on Desktop Devices.
We know that people in the United States spend a whopping 5 hours and 25 minutes on their mobile phone per day.
In contrast, Americans spend only 3.5 hours per day on desktop devices. This is a wide span of time between mobile versus desktop usage.
(Zippia)
6. Globally, Mobile Phone Owners Use Their Mobile Phones an Average of 4 Hours and 25 Minutes per Day.
When we look at America’s 5 hours and 25 minutes, the global average time spent on mobile phone usage is less in terms of the world’s users.
Globally, an average of 4 hours and 25 minutes is how long people use their mobile phones.
(Techjury²)
7. 53% of All Web Traffic Came from Mobile in 2019.
Today’s global level of mobile web traffic is over 60%, which is up from 53% in 2019.
We want to point out that just because mobile web traffic has grown this much in just a few short years that nothing points to desktop computing and internet traffic on the verge of distinction.
(Research)
8. 55% of Page Views in 2021 Came from Mobile Phones.
More than half of the page views that occurred in 2021 came from mobile devices.
In fact, statistics show that 55% of page views generated in 2021 came from mobile devices.
This trend was just the beginning.
Since then, this has grown because mobile phones are so popular for browsing the internet.
(Techjury)
9. Only 7.5% of All Mobile Browser Usage Was Spent in 2021.
Since only 7.5% of time spent on mobile devices was from using mobile browsers, 92.5% was used on apps.
This is a global statistic, which means most mobile users spend their time on mobile apps, not browsers or websites.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise.
(DataReportal)
10. It Was Predicted that By 2022, Mobile Data Would Reach 77.5 Exabytes Each Month.
EB, or exabyte data is a large unit of data storage which is equal to 1,000 Petabytes (PB) or 1 billion gigabytes (GB).
In other words, it’s an exceptionally large amount of data. In 2018, 19.01 EBs of global mobile data traffic was recorded.
Watching videos and playing games on mobile can use an enormous amount of data.
(Statista)
11. The Average Mobile Bounce Rate Comes to 67.4%.
The bounce rate is higher on mobile than it is on desktop (32%). This data confirms the lack of patience people have when using mobile phones/tablets.
The bounce rate represents how apt users are to abandon a website.
In fact, if the loading time for a site is between one and three seconds, users are 32% more apt to abandon the site.
If it takes 10 seconds, the risk of site abandonment goes up to 123%.
(ThriveMyWay)
12. 79% of Mobile Usage Comes from The 18-To-24-Year-Old Demographic.
As if there was any doubt, the younger generation uses mobile phones more than desktop devices.
In fact, 79% of those between 18 and 24 use mobile phones to go online.
Only 19% of this age group uses desktop devices to go online and 2% use tablets. In contrast, 76% of those 75 and older dominate desktop usage.
The 75 and over crowd only uses mobile 15% of the time to go online and tablets 8%.
(Zippia)
13. 63% of Organic Searches in 2021 Came from Mobile Devices.
Statista revealed that in the Q4 of 2021, 63% of organic Google searches came from mobile traffic.
Due to the convenience, popularity, and portability of mobile phones, this information shouldn’t be surprising.
How many times do you think you have searched for something on Google from your phone?
(Oberlo², Statisa²)
14. Mobile Apps Are Known to Have a Better Conversion Rate than Desktop Sites.
Mobile apps reportedly enjoy a conversion rate three times as much as what you get from a mobile site and one and a half times as much as what you see from desktop sites.
Therefore, marketing professionals believe that targeted ads on mobile apps more effectively convert people into buyers.
Is your website mobile-friendly and your mobile app optimized?
(Zippia)
15. In Marketing Terms, 79% of All Keywords Have Different Rankings on Mobile versus Desktop SERPS.
BrightEdge’s mobile research revealed that using the exact same query on the same search engine generated results that ranked differently between mobile and desktop 79% of the time.
Furthermore, there was another variable that showed the top 20 ranking positions differed among 47% of all keywords on mobile versus desktop.
SERP stands for “Search Engine Results Page”.
(BrightEdge)
16. In Terms of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), Only 13% of All Websites Retained the Same Position in Search Across Mobile and Desktop Devices.
Analytics show that 30% of first-page search results on desktop don’t show up as the top 10 on mobile devices.
This happens when businesses don’t optimize their SERPs for desktop and mobile.
It’s more important in 2023 to concentrate your efforts on building omnichannel marketing strategies.
So, if you’re ranking on the first page of search results, but not mobile, you have work to do.
(Smart Insights)
17. United States Mobile Ecommerce Is Expected to Account for 10.4% of All Retail Sales by 2025.
By 2025, mcommerce is expected to claim 10.4% of all the country’s retail sales.
Insider Intelligence reported that U.S. mcommerce sales accounted for a total of $359 billion (USD) in 2021, which was a rise of over 15% from 2020.
Overall mobile commerce transactions are expected to reach 44.2% of all ecommerce sales in the United States by 2025.
(Merchantsavvy UK)
18. In the U.K., Mcommerce Is Expected to Rise by Over 55% Between 2020 and 2024.
The experts are predicting that the mcommerce (mobile commerce) industry will increase by at least 55% (plus) between 2020 and 2024.
Revenue in this market is expected to go over $135 billion by 2024. Overall ecommerce spending for 2024 is expected to reach $368 billion.
(Merchantsavvy U.K.)
19. Globally, Almost 50% of Smartphone Users Are Using Mobile Proximity Payments.
During the global pandemic, cash-free financial transactions grew all around the world.
Mobile proximity payments are those that involve point of sale (POS) or in-store payments through mobile wallets and NFC (near-field communication).
For instance, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Apple Pay payment options.
More companies started allowing this form of payment system after the pandemic started.
It’s worth noting that this is quite different from using PayPal for online transactions.
(Marketsavvy U.K.)
20. In 2021, Over 87% of People with Smartphones in China Used Mobile Proximity Payment Options.
In China, 87.3% of the country’s smartphone users made purchases via proximity payments in 2021.
This is twice the percentage of those in South Korea, which accounted for 45.6% and the United States 43.2%.
This technology wasn’t used as widely in the United Kingdom except by the younger crowd.
(Merchantsavvy U.K.)
21. For the First Time Ever, Global Mobile Web Traffic Overtook Global Desktop Web Traffic in November 2016.
We want to implant this specific month and year in your head so that you can mark it as an historic period.
November 2016 marks the first time ever that global mobile web traffic surpassed global desktop web traffic.
(Zippia)
22. Compared to Other Gaming Devices, 70% of Gamers in The United States Prefer Playing on Smartphones.
Research shows that 70% gamers in the United States favor playing games via their smartphones.
For comparison, 43% prefer desktop gaming and 52% prefer console gaming.
Only 7% prefer Virtual Reality (VR)devices which is likely due to it being so new to the gaming industry.
We might see VR gaming become more popular in the coming years.
(VPN Alert)
23. It’s Estimated that More than One Billion 5 G Connections Across the Globe Will Be Available by 2025.
If you think mobile usage has grown over the past couple of years, wait until more 5G connections are accessible around the globe.
In fact, it’s expected that there will be one billion global 5G connections by 2025.
China is expected to have a share of three times higher than other countries.
(Exploding Topics, GSMA 2021)
24. In 2022, 64% of Total Online Travel Bookings Were Made via Desktop.
One industry where desktop/laptop still dominates is the travel industry.
In fact, 2022 data shows that 64% of online bookings were made via desktop devices compared to 44% of bookings made via mobile.
Also, the travel industry is well-known for its desktop-centric conversions.
(SalesCycle)
The cryptocurrency sector is widely mobile-friendly and accounts for 78.22% of mobile web traffic going to it.
Only 20.59% of traffic to cryptocurrency websites comes from desktop devices.
In terms of organic-specific traffic in this industry mobile still reigns with 63.92% compared to 35.5% on desktop.
(Neil Patel)
FAQs
Is Desktop or Mobile More Popular for Internet Surfing?
In terms of internet usage, the statistics show that overall, mobile devices are more popular than desktops and laptops.
The statistics show that more than 55% of all global internet traffic is now coming from mobile devices while just more than 42% is coming from desktop devices.
Over the coming years, this is expected to continue as mobile usage grows.
What Are Some Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Mobile Devices for Internet Browsing and Usage?
Advantages:
Mobile devices, as the name implies, allow for portability. Mobile devices can easily be carried with you in a purse, pocket, etc.
They are a convenient option when you’re away from your laptop or desktop computer.
Also, in most instances, mobile devices can be more affordable, depending on the brand and features.
Another benefit is that mobile devices offer longer battery life, so you don’t need to worry about losing power when you’re on the go.
Finally, mobile devices are usually more user-friendly than laptops or desktops, which makes them easier to use among those who aren’t familiar with computers.
Disadvantages:
Besides the amazing benefits we found about using mobile devices for internet usage, we also found some disadvantages.
For instance, the display screen size is usually significantly smaller than desktops and laptops.
So, if you have any vision issues, this can make it challenging to read or see content.
Another downside to mobile internet usage is that the internet speeds are usually slower than they are when you’re using desktop devices.
That means your content, website, videos, and images may load slower.
Finally, the lack of storage on mobile devices is another downside.
Desktop devices have more data storage while mobile users must often delete files and data to keep things moving well.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Desktop Device Usage on The Internet?
Advantages:
Desktops, laptops, netbooks, and other desktop devices have their usefulness even in today’s mobile world.
For example, the larger screen size makes it easier to view content, read articles, and watch videos.
Next, desktop devices usually have faster internet speeds due to better connectivity.
So, when it’s important to view content faster, faster internet speeds allow sites to load faster and files to download faster.
When you require more storage space, desktops usually have plenty of solutions for that.
Plus, now you can share files and folders between devices using the cloud.
You also won’t need to be constantly deleting files.
Desktops and laptops are more powerful devices than mobile devices today.
Therefore, you can do more, get more done, and play dynamic and data-sucking games and videos (playing and editing).
Disadvantages:
The lack of portability is one of the downsides of desktop device usage.
In other words, you can’t carry your desktop with you like you can your tablet or phone.
While laptops are portable enough, they aren’t as easy to use when you’re on the go.
You may find that depending on your need for a desktop, these devices can be more expensive than mobile devices.
Desktops especially take up more space.
Therefore, if your space is at a premium, you may prefer portability over taking up space in your room or apartment.
Desktops are also harder to use than mobile devices for those who aren’t as familiar with them.
Is Mobile or Desktop Better for Me?
Your best device will be determined by your specific preferences and needs for an internet connected device.
If portability is more important, mobile devices may be a better option for you.
If you require a larger screen, or multiple screens for gaming or working at home, a desktop may be the better option.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which kind of device you use to access the internet.
Conclusion
Not only have we learned the significance of mobile usage today as compared to desktop usage for going online, but we have also learned what that means for brands, businesses, and marketers.
We hope this mobile vs desktop usage statistics article has enlightened you about the topic whether you’re simply curious, a brand, a business, a marketer, or anyone working with digital data.
Sources
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Written by Jason Wise
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