Europe’s app economy continues to grow, but building and scaling an app in the region has become increasingly complex. The challenge is no longer about attracting users or keeping pace with innovation. Instead, marketers are working in an environment shaped by tighter regulation, changing consumer behaviour and growing pressure to prove the impact of every marketing investment.
For years, app growth strategies relied on clear attribution, abundant customer data and predictable optimisation. That certainty has faded. The opportunity, however, remains significant. According to Adjust’s Mobile App Trends: 2026 Edition, global app installs grew 10% year over year in 2025, while consumer spending reached US$167 billion. The industry also recorded 112.1 billion app downloads and an estimated 5.8 billion unique smartphone users, highlighting continued demand for mobile experiences.
For European marketers, the challenge is no longer convincing people to download apps. It is adapting to an increasingly privacy-first ecosystem while building sustainable long-term growth.Â
Privacy, Regulation and Platform Changes Are Redefining Growth
Europe has long been at the forefront of digital regulation. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) established stricter rules around how organisations collect and use personal data, placing transparency and user consent at the centre of digital interactions.
More recently, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has expanded that focus by promoting fairer competition across digital markets. Rather than targeting marketers directly, the legislation introduces new obligations for the largest digital platforms, known as gatekeepers. These include app stores, search engines and messaging platforms that play a critical role in how consumers discover and interact with digital services.
Under the DMA, gatekeepers must provide greater interoperability, give businesses access to data generated through their platforms, improve advertising transparency and allow businesses to communicate with customers beyond the platform. At the same time, practices such as favouring their own services in rankings or tracking users for targeted advertising without meaningful consent face tighter restrictions.
Alongside these regulatory changes, Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework has significantly reduced marketers’ access to device-level identifiers they once relied on for attribution and audience targeting. Privacy is no longer just a compliance issue; it has become a core consideration in every app growth strategy.
Measuring Attribution has Become More Challenging
Attribution models marketers have relied on for years. Although ATT opt-in rates increased globally from 35% to 38% between the first quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, visibility into user behaviour remains limited. Only 31% of marketers report being fully satisfied with their ability to unify and interpret data across platforms, highlighting the growing complexity of measurement.
Rather than trying to regain the visibility they once had, many organisations are adopting a different approach. Organisations are increasingly investing towards first-party data strategies, media mix modelling, predictive analytics and incrementality testing to understand what genuinely drives business outcomes. The goal is no longer perfect attribution but making confident decisions with the data available.
User Acquisition is Being Redefined
The focus is moving beyond cost per install. Metrics such as customer lifetime value, retention, engagement and profitability are becoming stronger indicators of long-term success. Acquiring a user is only the first step; sustained growth depends on creating experiences that keep customers engaged over time.
Marketing investment is also evolving. More organisations are investing in owned channels. More organisations are investing in owned channels, creator partnerships and lifecycle marketing to reduce dependence on paid acquisition while strengthening direct relationships with users.
Growth has also become more collaborative. Marketing, product, analytics and customer experience teams are working more closely to improve engagement throughout the customer lifecycle, making app growth a shared business objective rather than the responsibility of a single function.
AI is Closing the Measurement Gap
Artificial intelligence is also helping marketers make better decisions despite limited customer signals. Rather than replacing marketers, AI helps teams identify behavioural patterns, forecast customer lifetime value, predict churn, optimise creative performance and improve campaign planning. These capabilities enable organisations to respond more quickly, even when complete user-level data is unavailable.
Around 88% of businesses now report using AI in their daily operations, up 13% from the previous year, although nearly two-thirds remain in the experimentation or pilot stage. As adoption matures, AI is expected to play a larger role in audience modelling, campaign optimisation and performance forecasting, helping marketers make better use of the signals they still have.
Why These Conversations Matter
No organisation has fully solved Europe’s evolving app growth challenges. Every business is refining how it measures performance, tests privacy-conscious marketing approaches and balances acquisition with long-term retention. As regulations, platform policies and consumer expectations continue to evolve, sharing practical experience has become just as valuable as adopting new technology.
This is where industry forums such as Unlocked: Mobile & App Growth Summit – Amsterdam play an important role. They bring together marketers, user acquisition specialists, product leaders and technology providers to discuss how they are responding to changing market conditions. Â
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