Is mobile declining in popularity?

[atlas_http]

Is anyone else's mobile traffic down? The bulk of my traffic is desktop traffic, with only 10-20% mobile. My traffic has remained stable over years, but the composition of the traffic leans more desktop than mobile now.

I've also been seeing a lot on social media about people complaining how mobile interfaces are too cumbersome, and they don't do anything serious without a laptop or desktop. For example, there was a meme going around about how millennials refuse to make big purchases on mobile and always make sure they're on at least a laptop first.

I'm just wondering what trends others are seeing in their traffic stats. Is it mostly desktop traffic for you too? Do you even bother to optimize for mobile anymore?

 

[mindeswx]

As a millennial I can confirm that buying something on the phone seems illegal

 

[atlas_http]

Same. We grew up on desktop PCs, typing classes, and instant messengers. I'm not fumbling around with a phone lol.

But my traffic stats are skewing over 80-85% desktop in 2024, and I'm starting to wonder if this is more than a generational meme at this point.

 

[mindeswx]

I learned to never trust the stats
Not because numbers are incorrect, but because you can interpret them in many ways. It's a fact that mobile market is growing, so your case is pretty strange

Could it be that your specific product is just more targeted at people using desktop computers, or maybe there are some mobile issues with your website, so it's not that desktop sales increased, but mobile ones simply decreased because of worse optimized mobile experience? Just a couple of thoughts..

 

[atlas_http]

Yup, that's why I came here to ask. The niche is game development, so it's obviously going to slant towards desktop regardless of generation. However, it's not like we get zero mobile traffic, but it's mostly the same level of mobile traffic as it was a decade ago when mobile was considered hypergrowth, so I just wanted to check what trends other people are seeing. I know there are a few people here getting millions of visitors per month and wanted to know if they're seeing the same trends.

I just feel like mobile has kind of plateaued and wondered if there was a broader trend of migrating back to desktop/laptop -- even if we're just in the early stages of that.

 

[MoonStarz]

maybe this change because of the pandemic two years were a computer and laptop were priority and now more companies are looking for people on remote positons, laptops are getting smaller, better so could be a combination of things happening right now, also before all this you only needed a cellphone now is not enought and a computer and laptop is required, cellphones are being used now for photos and music and upload tiktok videos and sometimes playy games casually.

 

[xyzabc]

Hey what sort of games you are doing? Are you doing game development or pushing game offers etc?
I am a game developer too.. would love to share thoughts on general ecosystem

 

[atlas_http]

maybe this change because of the pandemic two years were a computer and laptop were priority and now more companies are looking for people on remote positons, laptops are getting smaller, better so could be a combination of things happening right now, also before all this you only needed a cellphone now is not enought and a computer and laptop is required, cellphones are being used now for photos and music and upload tiktok videos and sometimes playy games casually.

That's a good point. I've been on desktop all my life, so I never thought about how the pandemic could have compelled people to move back to laptops. This might be the reason why I'm seeing the trend.

It would just make sense that, over a decade, mobile traffic being hyped as much as it was, the traffic levels would be higher than it was a decade ago by a significant margin. Instead, it's about the same.

Hey what sort of games you are doing? Are you doing game development or pushing game offers etc?
I am a game developer too.. would love to share thoughts on general ecosystem

Just a hobby site I've had for over a decade.