Desktop web traffic overtakes mobile for the first time in 5 years
Global web traffic has done something unexpected, with desktop devices overtaking smartphones for the first time in five years. Data presented by Jemlit shows desktops claimed a 49.7 percent share of worldwide browsing in October, placing them just ahead of smartphones on 48.98 percent.
Mobile phones have held more than 60 percent of global browser traffic for much of the past three years, supported by faster networks and the way people increasingly use their phones for news, shopping, search, and entertainment. Even so, new StatCounter figures show the change began several months earlier, with desktop traffic showing a steady rise from June.
Web traffic inside apps
Jemlit believes there are a number of reasons behind the trend. More online activity now happens during work, where users rely on desktops for larger screens, multiple tabs, and more complex content.
A significant portion of mobile activity also takes place inside apps rather than browsers, which means it isn’t counted in web traffic measurements.
Growth in PC and laptop shipments, helped by interest in AI powered productivity tools, has also pushed desktop usage higher.
The rise is significant when compared with earlier in the year, as you can see in the image above. StatCounter says desktop devices held only 35.2 percent of global traffic in June. By October, they reached 49.7 percent.
The last time desktops overtook smartphones was October 2020, but the share then was lower at 48.85 percent. The current figure is the highest since November 2018, when desktops were responsible for 52.01 percent of global browsing.
There are clear regional differences to be noted in the data. In the United States, for example, desktops accounted for 58.91 percent of web traffic in October, far higher than the 39 percent recorded for smartphones. Europe showed a similar pattern, with desktops reaching 51 percent and mobile phones at 46.88 percent. Asia remained dominated by mobile, where smartphones generated 53.98 percent of web traffic compared with desktops on 45.21 percent.
Jemlit notes that the change doesn’t suggest a drop in overall smartphone use. Instead, much of the activity on phones takes place outside the browser, so it isn’t reflected in this dataset.
Even so, the rise in desktop browsing shows changing habits as work patterns, device trends, and online behavior continue to evolve.
What do you think about these web traffic trends? Let us know in the comments.
Image Credit Prostockstudio / Dreamstime.com