Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

Mobile app trends
spotlight edition:
Vietnam 2026
REPORT
App performance
benchmarks and insights

2
The methodology
VERTICALS:
Games, finance/fintech, entertainment
REGIONS:
Global, APAC, INSEA, SEA, Vietnam
DATASET:
A mix of Adjust’s top 5,000 apps and the total dataset
of all apps tracked by Adjust. Our data comes from two
sources, one including a list of 45 countries and one with
approximately 250 countries and territories based on
the ISO 3166-1 standard. Data is based on aggregated,
anonymized data from apps tracked by Adjust and may
not reflect the entire global app market. Unless otherwise
noted, all figures in this report come from Adjust data.
DATA R A N G E :
January 2024 – March 2026
In different sections of this report, we use different regional
benchmarks (Global, APAC, SEA, and INSEA) to provide
the most relevant context by vertical and to highlight
Vietnam’s performance across both global and regionally
comparable markets.
Contents
Introduction ��\
�� 3
Part 1: Gaming apps ��\
�� 5
Installs and sessions ……………………………………………………………..\
….. 6
Session lengths and retention rates ……………………………………….9
Part 2: Finance apps ��\
� 11
Installs and sessions ……………………………………………………………..\
… 12
Session lengths and retention rates ……………………………………..15
Part 3: Entertainment apps �� 17
Installs and sessions ……………………………………………………………..\
…… 18
Session lengths and retention rates ………………………………………..19
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

3
Vietnam earns its reputation as one of Southeast Asia’s most exciting mobile markets through high user
engagement, a young and digitally native population, and the infrastructure to back it up. Smartphone
penetration sits at 84% , 4G coverage at 99% , and in 2025 the country ranked #11 globally for app
downloads at 2.88 billion , with the total time spent in apps reaching 127 billion hours. While there are
more users and more engagement time, there are also tighter regulations to navigate and increasingly
sophisticated monetization models to manage. As a result, effectively converting app reach into durable
revenue and retention has become the key priority for marketers.
Gaming is Vietnam’s most powerful app category, with 1.29
billion downloads in 2025. Vietnamese studios accounted
for 37% of all global game app downloads, with IAP revenue
remaining at $259 million, indicating strong monetization
potential given its scale. Studios are now pushing into hybrid-
casual and midcore titles designed to convert the enormous
player base into paying users, supported by a mature
payment ecosystem where digital wallets account for 41% of
online gaming transactions. Finance app growth is more straightforward, and it’s
accelerating. Downloads hit 172 million in 2025, and early
2026 signals continued expansion. Mobile payments grew
34.4% in volume and 10.5% in value in the first two months of
the year compared to the same period in 2025. This activity is
consolidating around a handful of dominant super apps, led
by MoMo with over 30 million users and ZaloPay, which grew
active users by 40% in a single year.
INTRODUCTION
Vietnam’s app market evolves
with new opportunities
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

“Vietnam stands out as a market where user expectations for speed
and simplicity in digital experiences
are extremely high� QR payments
online and offline have become the
norm, and people increasingly expect
app-based services� Success is driven
by how well your apps fits into daily
digital behavior and local user habits�”
Huy Vu
Senior Growth Lead
4
Vietnam’s appetite for mobile entertainment is also growing.
Video streaming app downloads rose 31% in 2025 to 43
million, and IAP revenue jumped 73% to $23.2 million. Within
this vertical, short drama apps have quickly moved from
niche to mainstream, with downloads surging 271% year-
over-year (YoY) in Q4 2025. The category ranked fifth for IAP
revenue across all app subgenres in Vietnam in 2025 at $11.5
million, with apps like Dramawave, ShortMax, NetShort, and
StardustTV leading the charts.
What’s emerging across all verticals is that the path to growth
is more complex. Decree 147, a 2024 regulation on internet
services and digital media that tightens licensing, compliance,
and content requirements for gaming apps, has had a
significant impact on Vietnam’s digital landscape. In finance,
stricter biometric verification and customer identification
standards have been introduced, raising the bar for new
entrants. In entertainment, a fragmented ecosystem spanning
legacy media, OTT platforms, telco-bundled services, and
a fast-moving short drama tier means user journeys are
increasingly non-linear and harder to measure. Vietnam’s growth opportunity is enormous, and it will reward
marketers who treat precise measurement and data as a
decisive and competitive advantage. In our 2026 Vietnam
app trends spotlight report, we analyze installs, sessions,
engagement, and retention, benchmarked against global,
APAC, and regional markets, giving you the context to find
higher-value users, make faster decisions, and grow your
business sustainably.
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

5
PA RT 1
Gaming apps
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

6
Gaming apps in Vietnam showed repeated
periods of growth between 2024 and
early 2026, with activity consistently
strengthening mid-year. In 2025, installs
picked up in May (+19% above the annual
average), peaking at +45% in June, with
further increases in July (+13%) and August
(+4%). Sessions followed a similar pattern,
up 8% in May, 14% in July, and 12% in
August. This upward trajectory carried into
the new year, with February 2026 installs
8% above the Q1 average and March
sessions up 7%.
In Q1 2026, Vietnam’s gaming app
sessions climbed 15% YoY, significantly
outperforming both the global (+4%) and
APAC (+5%) benchmarks. Gaming app install and session growth
January 2024 – March 2026 (Vietnam) Gaming app session growth percentages
YoY Q1 2026 vs. Q1 2025
16%
14% 12%
8%
10%
6%
0% 2%
4%
Global APACVietnam
Installs and sessions
Installs
Sessions
APR 24
APR 25
M AY 2 4
M AY 2 5 JUN 24
JUN 25 JUL 24
JUL 25
AUG 24
AUG 25 SEP 24
SEP 25
OCT 24
OCT 25
NOV 24
NOV 25 DEC 24
DEC 25 JAN 26
MAR 26 FEB 26
JAN 24
JAN 25 FEB 24
FEB 25
MAR 24
MAR 25
4% 5%15%
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

7
Gaming app growth percentages by subvertical YoY Q1
2026 vs � Q1 2025 (Vietnam)
Subvertical
Installs
Board
11%
Strategy 16%
Sessions
Casino
18%
Casual 46%
Hybrid casual 7%
Hyper casual 7%
Puzzle 18%
Simulation 5%
Strategy 282%
Category callouts
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

8
Long La
CEO,
TP Entertainment
“

Product quality is the passport to sustainable
growth. Rather than relying solely on paid
acquisition, apps must drive retention through
real value, rock-solid stability, and a seamless
user experience.”
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

9
The average mobile gaming session length
in Vietnam increased steadily from 28.32
minutes in 2024 to 30.05 minutes in 2025,
reaching 32.88 minutes in Q1 2026. By
contrast, APAC and global session lengths
fell in 2025 compared to 2024 but then
increased in Q1 2026.
The longer playtimes in Vietnam
correspond to the genre focus on hybrid
casual and midcore titles, which are
designed for stronger engagement and
diversified monetization, compared to
hyper or ultra casuals.
In Q1 2026, gaming apps in Vietnam had a
day 1 retention rate of 19%, slightly below
the APAC rate of 20% and short of the
global figure of 28%. By day 7, retention
stood at 5% in Vietnam, versus 7% in APAC
and 14% globally. From day 14 onward,
Vietnam aligned with APAC at 3%, while
both trailed the global benchmark. Gaming app session lengths 2024 – Q1 2026 Gaming app retention rates Q1 2026
0510 1520
Time in minutes 25
30 40
35
Vietnam 2024
2025
Q1 2026
APAC
Global
Session lengths and retention rates
Day after install
0%
10%
20% 30%
40% 50%60% 70%
80% 90%
100%
Global APAC Vietnam
0
30
8 18
2 1424
16 2628
10 20
4 12 22
6
1 3 5 7 21 13 19 17 15 11 23 9 25 27 29
30.43
34.48
28.32 30
33.14
30.04 31.02
33 .92
32.88
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

10
Gaming app session lengths by subvertical
2025 – Q1 2026 (Vietnam)
time in minutes
Subvertical 2025Q1 2026
Hybrid casual
23.38 25.1
Hyper casual 18.7719.6
Music 14.1717.0 4
Simulation 18.79 20.1
Sports 25.1725.91
Strategy 41.9148.91
Gaming app day 1 retention rate by subvertical
2025 – Q1 2026 (Vietnam)
Subvertical 2025Q1 2026
Adventure
19% 20%
Board 22% 24%
Card 20% 21%
Casino 11%14%
Casual 19% 20%
Hybrid casual 21% 21%
Hyper casual 17%18%
Idle RPG 20% 23%
Strategy 18%20%
Swap 21% 22%
Word 19% 21%
Category callouts
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

PA RT 2
Finance
11
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

12
Finance app install and session growth
January 2024 – March 2026 (Vietnam) Finance app install and session growth percentages
YoY Q1 2026 vs. Q1 2025
Installs
Sessions Installs Sessions 100%
80%60%
40%
0%
20%
-20% INSEA Vietnam
81%
21%
13%
Installs and sessions
-12%
In Vietnam, finance app activity grew gradually through 2024
and 2025. Sessions led early in 2025, with March and April
up 10% and 16%. Install growth followed later in the year,
increasing 15% in August and 17% in September. December
was the top month, with installs 38% above the annual average.
Early 2026 saw continued growth, with a 7% install boost in
January, followed by a stronger rebound in March, when installs
increased 22% and sessions 12%, compared to the Q1 average. In Q1 2026, finance app installs in Vietnam rose 21% YoY,
outpacing the 13% increase in INSEA. However, while Vietnam’s
sessions declined 12% YoY, INSEA overall surged 81% during the
same period.
APR 24
APR 25
M AY 2 4
M AY 2 5 JUN 24
JUN 25 JUL 24
JUL 25
AUG 24
AUG 25 SEP 24
SEP 25
OCT 24
OCT 25
NOV 24
NOV 25 DEC 24
DEC 25 JAN 26
MAR 26 FEB 26
JAN 24
JAN 25 FEB 24
FEB 25
MAR 24
MAR 25
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

13
Finance app install and session growth percentages by
subvertical YoY Q1 2026 vs � Q1 2025 (Vietnam)
Installs
Crypto
28%
Stock trading 36%
Sessions
Stock trading
27%
Payment 15%
Category callouts
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

14
Ngan Nguyen
Head of Marketing & Growth,
Cake by VPBank
“

Vietnamese users are no longer loyal to apps just for
the promotions—they stay for experiences that truly
understand and seamlessly cater to their needs. That is why
Cake places AI at our core: not merely as a feature, but as a
profound layer of customer understanding. The platforms
that successfully converge technology, data, and user trust
will be the ones driving the next wave of digital financial
growth in Vietnam.”
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

15
Session lengths and retention rates
After 2% YoY growth in 2025, finance app session lengths
in Vietnam decreased from 6.81 minutes to 6.17 minutes in
Q1 2026. This pattern of shorter session times can suggest
increased use of super apps and embedded financial services,
as digital payments and QR-based transactions reduce friction.
In INSEA, users spent longer per session: 9.57 minutes in 2025,
tapering to 8.3 minutes in Q1 2026. Retention figures were broadly similar across both markets.
Vietnam’s day 1 rate was 9%, just under INSEA’s 10%. By day 7,
both markets recorded a 4% rate, which dropped to 3% on day
14 and settled at 1% by day 30.
Finance app session lengths 2024 – Q1 2026 Finance app retention rates Q1 2026
024
Time in minutes6
8 12
10
Vietnam 2024
INSEA
Day after install
0%
10%
20%
30%
40% 50%60% 70%
80% 90%
100%
INSEA Vietnam
0
30
8 18
2 1424
16 2628
10 20
4 12 22
6
1 3 5 7 21 13 19 17 15 11 23 9 25 27 29
10.58
8.3
6.81 9. 57
6.66
6.17 2025
Q1 2026
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

16
Finance app session lengths
2025 – Q1 2026 (Vietnam)
time in minutes
Subvertical 2025Q1 2026
Bank
5.67 5.53
Payment 5.575.26
Stock trading 20.7620.94
Category callouts
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

PA RT 3
Entertainment
17
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

18
Entertainment app install and session growth
January 2024 – March 2026 (Vietnam) Entertainment app install and session growth
percentages YoY Q1 2026 vs. Q1 2025
Installs
Sessions Installs Sessions 120%
100% 80%60%
40% 20% 0% SEA Vietnam
Installs and sessions
APR 24
APR 25
M AY 2 4
M AY 2 5 JUN 24
JUN 25 JUL 24
JUL 25
AUG 24
AUG 25 SEP 24
SEP 25
OCT 24
OCT 25
NOV 24
NOV 25 DEC 24
DEC 25 JAN 26
MAR 26 FEB 26
JAN 24
JAN 25 FEB 24
FEB 25
MAR 24
MAR 25
Music and audio app installs in
Vietnam grew 9% YoY in Q1 2026.
BONUS
Mid-2025 marked a breakout period for entertainment apps
in Vietnam. In July, installs grew 21% above the year’s average,
and sessions jumped 33%, a level that held in August. Sessions
stayed elevated through the end of the year, with further
increases of 17% in September and December. The early months
of 2026 continued the trend, with January installs up 10% and
March delivering gains on both metrics: installs up 11% and
sessions 12%. Entertainment app installs in Vietnam grew 32% YoY in Q1 2026,
with sessions up 76%. SEA saw larger gains, with installs up 98%
and sessions 80%.
80%
32%
98%
76%
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

19
Session lengths and retention rates
Entertainment app session lengths
2024 – Q1 2026 Entertainment app retention rates Q1 2026
Day after install
0%
10%
20%
30%
40% 50%60% 70%
80% 90%
100%
SEA Vietnam
0
30
8 18
2 1424
16 2628
10 20
4 12 22
6
1 3 5 7 21 13 19 17 15 11 23 9 25 27 29
The average session length for
entertainment apps in Vietnam has grown
consistently, climbing from 21.51 minutes in
2024 to 21.94 minutes in 2025 and 24.46
minutes in Q1 2026, a 12% increase. SEA had
shorter session lengths overall, with 14.57
minutes in 2025 and 14.28 minutes in Q1
2026.
Entertainment app retention in Vietnam
closely matched SEA figures in Q1 2026.
Day 1 retention was 8% in Vietnam and 9%
in SEA. By day 7, Vietnam was at 2%, while
SEA reached 3%. Both Vietnam and SEA
dropped to 2% by day 14 and then to 1% by
day 30.
0
Time in minutes
5
1520 30
25
10
Vietnam 2024
INSEA
16.09
14.28
21 .94
14.57
21.5124.46 2025
Q1 2026
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

20
Entertainment app session length growth 2025 – Q1 2026 (Vietnam)
time in minutes
Subvertical2025Q1 2026
Music & audio
21 21.65
Video streaming 19.65 23.95
Category callouts
Mobile app trends spotlight edition: Vietnam 2026

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This report is based on aggregated and anonymized data from apps tracked by Adjust between January 2024 and March 2026. Results
may vary by vertical, region, and business model. Forecasts are based on third-party industry estimates and are subject to change. This
report does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.