• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechApps

The decline of the app millionaire

By
Erin Griffith
Erin Griffith
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Erin Griffith
Erin Griffith
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 19, 2015, 6:30 AM ET
phone apps
Getty Images

Smartphone apps are sucking up more of our time than ever (a 65% increase over the past two years), but we really use only a few of them. Facebook alone consumes 10% of our time, and most people don’t download even one new app in an average month, ComScore reports.

That’s bad news for aspiring app-reneurs. According to analytics firm Adjust, more than 80% of the 1.4 million apps in Apple’s (AAPL) App Store are “zombies,” meaning they can’t be found on any of the company’s thousands of top category rankings (and thus can’t easily be found by users). Most will languish in obscurity. Getting rich quick: still no app for that.

This story is from the March 1, 2015 issue of Fortune.

About the Author
By Erin Griffith
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

NewslettersCIO Intelligence
Zillow’s CTO says AI is reinventing every step of the home buying process
By John KellFebruary 18, 2026
59 minutes ago
BankingPredictions
Sports-focused prediction market Novig raises $75 million to challenge Kalshi and Polymarket
By Leo SchwartzFebruary 18, 2026
2 hours ago
Personal FinanceVenture Capital
Exclusive: Sen. Bill Frist’s Frist Cressey Ventures raises $425 million fourth fund
By Allie GarfinkleFebruary 18, 2026
2 hours ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Inside Dragonfly Capital’s $650 million fourth fund and its early bets on Polymarket and Rain
By Leo SchwartzFebruary 18, 2026
3 hours ago
NewslettersFortune Tech
As AI looms over the iPhone’s future, Apple is hedging its bets with three wearables
By Alexei OreskovicFebruary 18, 2026
4 hours ago
C-SuiteNext to Lead
CEO hopefuls have a new rival for the top job: their own board directors
By Ruth UmohFebruary 17, 2026
17 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
AI
Thousands of CEOs just admitted AI had no impact on employment or productivity—and it has economists resurrecting a paradox from 40 years ago
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 17, 2026
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
$56 trillion national debt leading to a spiraling crisis: Budget watchdog warns the U.S. is walking a crumbling path
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 17, 2026
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
You need $2 million to retire and 'almost no one is close,' BlackRock CEO warns, a problem that Gen X will make 'harder and nastier'
By Sydney LakeFebruary 17, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump crackdown drives 80% plunge in immigrant employment, reshaping labor market, Goldman says
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 17, 2026
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, February 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerFebruary 17, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 15, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.