Filipinos spending more time on mobile apps for routine tasks

MANILA  -Filipinos are growing more reliant on mobile applications, or apps, for their usual tasks, according to mobile technology firm Appdome.

Jan Sysmans, head of marketing for Asia Pacific and Japan at Appdome, told the Inquirer that 76.7 percent of Filipinos have used mobile apps in the past 12 months, which was higher compared to the global average of 66.6 percent.

“Globally, there has been a shift to mobile apps over other online channels. In the Philippines, the shift is even bigger,” he said, adding: “The Filipino economy is experiencing a mobile explosion. Filipino consumers overwhelmingly downloaded and spent more time in mobile apps than their global peers.”

The most used mobile app for Filipinos is the e-wallet, which became handy at the height of the pandemic. Other top apps include social media and mobile games, followed by retail or shopping, mobile banking and food delivery.

“In summary, Filipinos are more inclined to choose the apps that make transactions and interactions easier,” Sysmans said.

Appdome also warned Filipinos against phishing attacks, which has become more sophisticated. “The exploit economy is using automation to launch attacks at scale. Brands can only stay ahead of these threats if they use automation to rapidly upgrade their security models to respond to new threats,” he explained.

He noted Filipino consumers prefer mobile app developers that provide cyber protection.

“Filipino consumers believe most apps should have the highest level of security, and like their global counterparts, they hold mobile brands accountable, ranking the threat of a developer releasing an unprotected mobile app just as high as malware and other serious threats,” he added.