Apps released in global markets are rising rapidly, despite worries that AI would encroach on the app market, TechCrunch reported on Friday.

An Appfigures analysis showed global app launches rose 60 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2026. On the iOS App Store alone, the figure was 80 percent. In April, launches on the two major app stores combined were up 104 percent from a year earlier, while iOS alone rose 89 percent.

In a recent interview, Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg "Joz" Joswiak (그렉 조스위악) said talk of the App Store dying in the AI era "may have been greatly exaggerated."

By category, mobile games still account for the largest share. A notable change is that productivity apps entered the top five for the first time this year, while utilities rose to second place and lifestyle climbed to third.

The increase in new apps appears to have been influenced by AI coding tools such as Claude Code and Replit. The analysis said tools now let people build the apps they want without coding skills, drawing ordinary users with ideas into app development.

Side effects are also emerging as apps pour in. Apple recently removed the reward app Freecash, after letting it stay in the top five for months, citing rule violations. A malicious cryptocurrency app impersonating Ledger Live also occurred, taking $9.5 million from victims. TechCrunch reported that Apple blocked more than 370,000 spam, scam and rule-violating apps in 2024 alone, but the surging volume is increasing the burden on app reviews.