Mobile Traffic Becomes Main Channel for Internet Use
Over the past decade and a half, the balance of global web traffic has shifted dramatically from desktop computers toward mobile devices, with tablets playing a smaller but steady role. Data from January 2009 to July 2025 shows how smartphones have transformed the way people access the internet, overtaking desktop usage in late 2016 and maintaining a clear lead ever since.

In early 2009, desktop devices dominated almost all internet activity, holding 99.3% of global web traffic, while mobile accounted for just 0.7% and tablets registered no measurable share. The following years saw a gradual erosion of desktop’s lead as mobile adoption accelerated, crossing the 10% mark by mid-2012. That year also marked the arrival of tablets as a measurable traffic source, though their share never exceeded single digits.

Between 2013 and 2015, mobile traffic grew steadily from under 20% to nearly 40%, while desktop’s share fell below two-thirds. By October 2016, mobile usage finally edged past desktop for the first time, with tablets contributing just under 5%. The gap widened quickly in subsequent years, reflecting the rise of mobile-first browsing habits and wider smartphone penetration across both developed and emerging markets.

From 2017 through 2021, mobile consistently held above 50% of global traffic, peaking at nearly 57% in December 2020. Desktop usage during that period stayed in the low-to-mid-40% range, while tablets gradually slid from about 5% to under 3%.

The trend continued through the early 2020s, with mobile surpassing 60% of traffic in mid-2022 and hovering near that level for much of the following two years. Tablets saw a modest but persistent decline, settling around 2% of traffic. Desktop usage, meanwhile, stabilized at just under 40% during most of this period.

As of July 2025, mobile accounts for 60.5% of all web traffic worldwide, compared to 39.5% for desktop and 1.6% for tablets. While seasonal and short-term fluctuations occasionally narrow the gap, the long-term trajectory suggests mobile will remain the dominant platform for internet access in the foreseeable future.

Mobile Traffic Becomes Main Channel for Internet Use

Date (Year-Month) Desktop (%) Mobile (%) Tablet (%)
2009-01 99.33 0.67 0
2009-02 99.31 0.69 0
2009-03 99.2 0.8 0
2009-04 99.14 0.86 0
2009-05 99.14 0.86 0
2009-06 99.06 0.94 0
2009-07 98.95 1.05 0
2009-08 98.88 1.12 0
2009-09 98.88 1.12 0
2009-10 98.85 1.15 0
2009-11 98.79 1.21 0
2009-12 98.72 1.28 0
2010-01 98.44 1.56 0
2010-02 98.28 1.72 0
2010-03 98.04 1.96 0
2010-04 97.82 2.18 0
2010-05 97.68 2.32 0
2010-06 97.43 2.57 0
2010-07 97.14 2.86 0
2010-08 96.79 3.21 0
2010-09 96.5 3.5 0
2010-10 96.19 3.81 0
2010-11 95.98 4.02 0
2010-12 95.9 4.1 0
2011-01 95.7 4.3 0
2011-02 95.55 4.45 0
2011-03 95.3 4.7 0
2011-04 94.79 5.21 0
2011-05 94.25 5.75 0
2011-06 93.47 6.53 0
2011-07 92.98 7.02 0
2011-08 92.88 7.12 0
2011-09 93.26 6.74 0
2011-10 93.45 6.55 0
2011-11 93.05 6.95 0
2011-12 91.96 8.04 0
2012-01 91.51 8.49 0
2012-02 91.47 8.53 0
2012-03 91.01 8.99 0
2012-04 90.42 9.58 0
2012-05 89.89 10.11 0
2012-06 89.6 10.4 0
2012-07 88.91 11.09 0
2012-08 85.69 11.44 2.86
2012-09 85.33 11.66 3.01
2012-10 85.02 11.92 3.06
2012-11 84.13 12.66 3.22
2012-12 82.42 14.04 3.54
2013-01 82.41 13.56 4.03
2013-02 81.86 13.71 4.43
2013-03 81.69 13.79 4.52
2013-04 82.43 13.31 4.27
2013-05 81.68 13.98 4.33
2013-06 80.01 15.33 4.66
2013-07 78.66 16.51 4.83
2013-08 78.08 17.14 4.78
2013-09 78.39 16.98 4.63
2013-10 76.68 18.78 4.54
2013-11 76.13 19.08 4.78
2013-12 72.55 22.18 5.27
2014-01 71.95 22.39 5.66
2014-02 70.99 23.25 5.76
2014-03 70.23 23.93 5.84
2014-04 70.61 23.56 5.83
2014-05 68.55 25.41 6.04
2014-06 66.93 26.66 6.4
2014-07 65.83 27.51 6.66
2014-08 64.65 28.57 6.78
2014-09 63.84 29.36 6.8
2014-10 62.77 30.67 6.56
2014-11 61.92 31.54 6.54
2014-12 61.68 31.82 6.5
2015-01 62.38 31.06 6.55
2015-02 62.62 30.81 6.57
2015-03 62.26 31.58 6.17
2015-04 62.71 31.56 5.73
2015-05 61.49 32.82 5.69
2015-06 60.11 34.21 5.68
2015-07 57 37.15 5.85
2015-08 55.22 39.18 5.6
2015-09 55.91 38.78 5.31
2015-10 55.86 39.01 5.14
2015-11 57.21 37.62 5.17
2015-12 56.25 38.62 5.13
2016-01 55.86 38.88 5.26
2016-02 55.82 38.96 5.22
2016-03 54.19 40.6 5.2
2016-04 53.54 41.32 5.14
2016-05 51.46 43.5 5.04
2016-06 53.22 41.61 5.16
2016-07 50.1 44.75 5.15
2016-08 50.61 44.41 4.98
2016-09 50.28 44.91 4.81
2016-10 48.74 46.53 4.73
2016-11 46.93 48.25 4.82
2016-12 44.79 50.31 4.9
2017-01 45.27 49.6 5.13
2017-02 45.23 49.73 5.04
2017-03 44.36 50.75 4.88
2017-04 43.23 51.95 4.82
2017-05 43.59 51.7 4.71
2017-06 42.19 53.03 4.78
2017-07 41.22 53.99 4.79
2017-08 42.75 52.64 4.62
2017-09 43.29 52.29 4.42
2017-10 44.78 50.87 4.35
2017-11 45.68 50.02 4.3
2017-12 43.26 52.48 4.26
2018-01 43.87 51.92 4.21
2018-02 44.12 51.82 4.06
2018-03 44.27 51.56 4.18
2018-04 44.66 51.2 4.14
2018-05 44.1 52 3.89
2018-06 43.63 52.52 3.85
2018-07 43.11 52.95 3.94
2018-08 43.33 52.54 4.13
2018-09 44.12 51.7 4.18
2018-10 47.78 48.2 4.03
2018-11 52.07 44.19 3.74
2018-12 47.2 49.06 3.74
2019-01 47.02 49.11 3.87
2019-02 48.21 47.96 3.83
2019-03 47.04 48.98 3.98
2019-04 47.79 48.32 3.9
2019-05 48.27 47.9 3.84
2019-06 45.53 50.71 3.76
2019-07 45.18 51.11 3.71
2019-08 44.6 51.65 3.75
2019-09 44.57 51.78 3.65
2019-10 44.59 52.48 2.93
2019-11 45.17 52.03 2.8
2019-12 43.99 53.29 2.72
2020-01 45.29 52.02 2.7
2020-02 45.66 51.69 2.65
2020-03 45.32 52.03 2.65
2020-04 43.27 53.81 2.92
2020-05 46.51 50.48 3
2020-06 47.06 50.13 2.81
2020-07 46.39 50.88 2.74
2020-08 45.9 51.33 2.78
2020-09 47.17 50.21 2.62
2020-10 48.88 48.62 2.5
2020-11 44.22 52.95 2.83
2020-12 41.46 55.73 2.81
2021-01 41.45 55.68 2.87
2021-02 42.63 54.46 2.91
2021-03 42.93 54.22 2.85
2021-04 42.66 54.57 2.76
2021-05 41.98 55.3 2.72
2021-06 41.96 55.4 2.64
2021-07 41.36 55.89 2.74
2021-08 40.39 56.86 2.75
2021-09 42.87 54.61 2.52
2021-10 43.15 54.37 2.48
2021-11 43.55 53.98 2.48
2021-12 42.65 54.86 2.49
2022-01 42.54 54.98 2.47
2022-02 41.59 55.98 2.43
2022-03 41.15 56.45 2.4
2022-04 39.37 58.16 2.47
2022-05 38.65 59.02 2.33
2022-06 37.99 59.74 2.27
2022-07 37 60.73 2.27
2022-08 38.53 59.25 2.22
2022-09 39.27 58.64 2.09
2022-10 39.72 58.27 2.02
2022-11 39 59.02 1.98
2022-12 37.71 60.29 2
2023-01 39.41 58.52 2.07
2023-02 38.6 59.36 2.04
2023-03 40.8 57.18 2.02
2023-04 44.4 53.61 1.99
2023-05 47.41 50.71 1.88
2023-06 42.2 55.87 1.92
2023-07 42.4 55.67 1.93
2023-08 43.72 54.41 1.87
2023-09 45.13 53.03 1.84
2023-10 45.54 52.69 1.77
2023-11 44.52 53.66 1.82
2023-12 40.08 57.97 1.95
2024-01 39.76 58.21 2.03
2024-02 38 59.9 2.11
2024-03 37.8 60.01 2.2
2024-04 38.41 59.57 2.02
2024-05 37.85 60.08 2.07
2024-06 37.1 60.74 2.17
2024-07 36.1 61.74 2.16
2024-08 35.72 62.15 2.13
2024-09 36.36 61.66 1.98
2024-10 36.56 61.59 1.85
2024-11 35.2 62.96 1.84
2024-12 35.07 63.07 1.86
2025-01 35.43 62.69 1.88
2025-02 35.91 62.23 1.85
2025-03 36.06 62.21 1.72
2025-04 36.3 62.01 1.7
2025-05 35.28 63.07 1.65
2025-06 35.24 63.13 1.63
2025-07 40.07 58.36 1.57

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

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