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Presidential candidate mobile apps grow 60% in the first quarter

The U.S. Presidential race is a gift that keeps on giving. In this case, app makers are benefiting, as candidate-oriented apps grew 60 percent on Google Play in the first quarter.

Tel Aviv-based IronSource reported that its Q1 data shows political apps have increased dramatically in the quarter leading up to the primaries and election.

“The app industry continues to be a fast-moving sector that evolves quickly and dynamically, making tracking tools like Fastest Growing Apps all the more important for developers looking to capitalize on shifting user interests to engage with their target audiences and drive growth,” said Omer Kaplan, chief marketing officer and cofounder of IronSource, in a statement. “This latest data reflects the increasing importance mobile and digital play in today’s election landscape, and illuminates opportunities for developers looking for new ways to target users and increase installs.”

Election-focused apps penetrated a variety of app categories in the Google Play Store, with such apps appearing in categories ranging from News and Entertainment (like popular Entertainment apps What Would Donald Say? and Hit the Politician) to Games, which included newly released apps like the funny title Trump Dump.

Of the 50 leading apps identified as being political, the majority were in the Games and Entertainment categories, with 40 percent in Games and 20 percent in Entertainment. Only 14 percent were in the News and Magazines category, indicating less interest in election coverage versus satirical candidate-specific apps.