User engagement with mobile apps has seen a significant increase, with people spending more time in them, but publishers are facing difficulties in capturing attention through push notifications, according to a new report from media technology company Pugpig.
The Pugpig 2026 Media App Report, which offers industry benchmarks, found that the average session duration – the time users spent actively in apps – rose notably compared to the previous year. This uplift was attributed by the report to “an increase in richer, more interactive experiences that are encouraging users to stay longer”. A modest rise in average sessions per month was also observed year-on-year.
The report highlights the role of “super users” in driving app engagement. It revealed that 20% of monthly active users are responsible for three-quarters of all app sessions, a trend consistent across various app types, including news platforms. Major news apps, such as those from The Times and Daily Mail, were noted for leading in engagement.
A spokesperson for Pugpig commented on the findings, stating that the data indicated “significant value” for publishers in “deepening the relationship with the most-engaged readers”. They added that this entails “identifying the content and features that most encourage repeat use.”
For news apps specifically, the report for 2026 identified a median average of 15 sessions per month. Users typically viewed 20 screens per session and spent just under 10 minutes in each session. Overall, users dedicated an average of just under 200 minutes per month to news apps.
The Pugpig report is based on analytics gathered from over 440 apps within Pugpig's portfolio of 140 publishers. Complementing this data were survey responses collected from publishing professionals in its network. Established in 2011, Pugpig provides app solutions for more than 450 media brands globally, including The Independent, Condé Nast, and Hearst.
The majority of apps included in the analysis publish news daily and operate on a mobile-first basis. Nine out of ten are monetised behind a paywall, with the bulk of their revenue generated from reader subscriptions and advertising.
Breaking and latest news content emerged as the primary factor attracting reader engagement, according to the report. This was followed by puzzles and games, and digital editions mirroring print newspapers. Apps that provide daily news content were found to achieve significantly higher engagement levels than those publishing less frequently or focusing on consumer or business-specific content.
Furthermore, apps incorporating games, video, or audio capabilities generally exhibit higher average engagement. The report indicated that users who engage with games open their app 2.7 times more often than non-gamers. Similarly, users who watch video content spend 3.3 times more time in-app each month, while audio listeners extend their in-app time by 2.5 times.
“As AI fundamentally changes how audiences discover content, publishers are looking for new ways to build direct, measurable relationships with readers,” a Pugpig spokesperson noted. “For many, apps are becoming the most reliable channel to make that possible.” The report underscored that the highest-performing apps function as more than mere “containers”; they are “products that create stronger habits and more active reader relationships”.
Despite the observed year-on-year increase in overall engagement, publishers are encountering difficulties in using push notifications to prompt users to open their apps. The report showed that just over half of the apps studied had users opted into push notifications. However, only approximately one-third of these users opened the app from a push notification each month.
“The vast majority of app sessions are direct, which suggests users are opening apps deliberately rather than being pulled in by alerts or links from emails, search or social,” the report explained. It further added that “Push opt in rates are reasonably healthy, but open rates are relatively low, indicating that there is more room to improve push strategies.”
Push notifications remain a strategic priority for two-thirds of the publishing professionals surveyed. More than three-quarters indicated that apps would be “very important” to their business within the next year.
Almost half of all app users across the surveyed apps are non-subscribers. This cohort exhibits the lowest engagement rates and remains anonymous to publishers, representing a substantial opportunity. “As you might expect, subscribers are dramatically more engaged than non-subscribers, showing how much stronger the relationship becomes once a user is paying,” the report stated. It concluded that only a small minority of publishers are “actively optimising their apps to convert anonymous users, leaving a substantial opportunity on the table.”
