84.51% of Brazilians prefer shopping apps, while dating and social networking apps remain the most used daily, research reveals.

With the onset of the year-end shopping season, the 2024 Consumer Expectations Report, recently released by Appdome, the all-in-one mobile app defense platform, points to a promising scenario for online commerce. According to the study, 84.5% of Brazilians use mobile apps for their shopping, a figure that exceeds the global average by 53%. However, this increase in app usage is accompanied by a growing concern about data security, especially considering that nearly half of the population has either experienced or knows someone who has been a victim of cyberattacks, according to the investigation.

This year marked the third consecutive survey in which Brazilian consumers reported using mobile apps more than websites for shopping and other transactions. The growth gap between mobile apps and online websites increased at a pace similar to the previous three years, making it unquestionable that mobile apps have replaced traditional websites as the most utilized component of consumers' daily activities in Brazil.

Furthermore, Brazilians are using more mobile apps daily, with greater growth in the quantity of apps: 21.5% of Brazilians use between 11 and 20 per day, and 13.9% use more than 20, figures 24.1% and 73.3% higher than the global standard, respectively. The use of fewer than 5 apps per day dropped significantly. The data indicates a growing trend in the number of mobile apps used daily by Brazilians, with consistent growth year after year, especially for a larger quantity of apps. 51.3% of Brazilians also reported spending more time on apps, 17.7% above the global average.

Tom Tovar, CEO and Co-founder of Appdome, explains that the massive increase in mobile app usage in Brazil highlights the urgent need for brands to enhance cybersecurity to protect their users. "The behavior of Brazilian consumers, with such a high percentage of users utilizing many apps daily, raises the risk level of attacks, as each new installed app can be a potential entry point for threats," he emphasizes.

Social media and dating apps ranked first among the most used, at 56.9%. Banking, investment, and digital wallet apps are also at the top of the list, with 47.9% and 42.4% of Brazilians stating they use these apps most frequently. Food delivery apps and mobile gaming and betting apps also recorded significant gains, at 41.2% and 34.1%, respectively.

Security and the protection of sensitive data

When asked about their greatest fears when using mobile apps, Brazilian consumers cited mobile hacking and fraud as the top concerns, at 61.3% and 54.5%, respectively. Data breaches remained stable at 29.9%. Expecting their data to be protected, 96.7% of Brazilian consumers stated they seek information about an app's security and privacy before using it, a figure substantially higher than that of global consumers.

One in two respondents reported having been a victim of social engineering scams, and 48.9% have been the target of a cyberattack, mobile malware, or mobile fraud, exceeding the global average by 60.7% and 15%, respectively. In light of this, 52.1% of consumers in Brazil said that mobile apps which collect, use, and share personal data must maintain the highest levels of security and privacy protection, a 7.1% increase from 2022.

Finally, 78.7% reaffirmed that they have abandoned mobile apps that did not protect their data or their usage, a number very close to those who stated they stopped using a mobile app that had experienced a breach. "This data reinforces the growing user awareness about the importance of data protection and digital privacy; that is, user trust is directly linked to a company's ability to protect sensitive information, and a data breach can result in significant impacts for brands, both in reputation and customer retention. In a scenario where cybersecurity is a priority, companies that do not invest adequately in this area risk rapidly losing their user base," concludes Tovar.